After experiencing bullying and a variety of issues at his old school, Timothy Monroe, along with his sister, decided that changing schools would be the best option. They both enrolled at PA Distance in February 2020. Now, he is on track to graduate a whole year early with the help of his School Counselor and teachers. 

“My mom found PA Distance, and at first I was skeptical,” he said. “Now that I’m here I like it.”

“My school counselor, Mrs. Mihoreck, reached out to me to see if I was interested in accelerating my class schedule so that I could graduate early,” he explained. “It’s a lot of work and effort and it takes a lot of motivation to do it.”

“When Timothy started at PA Distance he jumped in 110%,” Mrs. Mihoreck said. “He was such a strong student and started finishing classes early. Here we are a little over a year later and he is graduating early! Timothy is very independent and responsible. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

Timothy’s dream, after graduation, is to become a Real Estate agent for Howard Hanna. Timothy recalls that when he was 8-years-old, he remembers seeing a Howard Hanna billboard along the highway. He was inspired when he saw a photo of a real estate agent plastered on the sign and thought that it would be a career he might want to pursue one day. 

However, he notes, to be a licensed Real Estate agent he needs to be 18 and won’t reach that milestone for two more years. 

“In the meantime, I plan to attend a community college to get an associate’s degree in Business or a related field,” he explained. 

Once Timothy turns 18, with an associate’s degree in hand, he can hit the ground running and earn his real estate license. Before then, he plans to work with Career Education and Work teacher, Ms. Budd, to discuss what else he needs to do to make his dreams into a reality - including research. 

Timothy is currently working on his Career Project, a PA Distance graduation requirement, which requires students to choose and research a career, analyze what it takes to pursue the career, and steps to make it happen. The project also includes shadowing someone who is currently employed within the field. 

Overall, Timothy has been enjoying his time at PA Distance and thinks that, because of his supportive teachers and counselor, he is one step closer to reaching his goals. 

“Every single teacher and staff member is hands-on and caring. They want to help you succeed and graduate,” he explained.