As the Chief Operations Officer, Mr. Nick Kocuba oversees several parts of the school and coordinates staff members and contracted personnel to make sure operations run smoothly. However, he didn’t always hold this position. After graduating from Edinboro University with a degree and certification in Secondary Mathematics, he began teaching math to high school students. Post-graduation, he held positions as extended substitute math teachers at three high schools in western Pennsylvania before he joined the small, but rapidly growing, PA Distance team in 2004.

As one of the original staff members to join PA Distance, Mr. Kocuba was hired as the first high school math teacher to teach Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, and AP Calculus as well as Pre-Algebra with 8th-graders.

“I’ve always loved problem-solving, so math was naturally a subject that made sense to me,” he explained.

Not long after his arrival, he took on some additional responsibilities that applied his knack for problem-solving. At the time, PA Distance didn’t have an on-site technical support team. Mr. Kocuba naturally, but unofficially, stepped into that role to assist his colleagues with daily technology issues when he wasn’t in his virtual classroom teaching math.

“When I started at PA Distance, cyber schools, and even charter schools were still very new,” he said.

After realizing that he had a passion for technology, specifically that supported education, Mr. Kocuba decided to work towards a Master’s degree in Instructional Technology from Waynesburg University. He also later earned his Principal Certification from the California University of Pennsylvania.

Over the years, he took on more and more responsibilities and his role grew from Math teacher to the Director of Technology where he worked directly with contracted providers for technology services that PA Distance utilizes. The Student Information System (SIS) and Learning Management System (LMS), for example, are vital parts of daily activities for the PA Distance teachers, staff, and administrators. These two systems are pieces of technology that have evolved with the needs of the school year over year. Mr. Kocuba works with Cloudcast, a service provider that helps develop, manage, and maintain the custom-created SIS, as well as the LMS, so that they both work seamlessly between each and every department that utilizes them.

“We are constantly trying to make our systems better,” he said. “They are constantly evolving.”

As of the 2020-2021 school year, Mr. Kocuba is now the Chief Operating Officer and oversees enrollment, public relations, shipping and materials, family engagement, and of course, continues to manage all aspects of the school’s technology needs.

Mr. Kocuba has been a part of the PA Distance family since the very beginning. He’s seen the school when it only had 10 staff members and a proportionate number of students. He’s seen PA Distance move office buildings - twice. All in all, Mr. Kocuba has seen PA Distance grow tremendously and takes pride in that growth as a member of the school’s administration.

However, what hasn’t changed is his motivation behind his job.

“My favorite part about being here hasn’t changed in 17 years,” he said. “It’s always about helping our students be successful. I believe in what we do and providing an education to these students is important to me.”

“Every student is different and every student learns differently,” he said. “A virtual learning environment is the best learning environment for some students and their best opportunity to be successful.”

His favorite part about each school year is graduation because he is able to see the culmination of both the school and the student’s efforts throughout the year.

“There are students that I used to teach, that have since graduated and entered into a variety of careers,” he explained. “Our students come from all different walks of life and are able to come here and be successful in many different things.”