Molly Carroll enrolled at PA Distance when she was in 8th-grade and now, as a senior who has adapted to an online learning environment, she is excited to graduate and start her freshman year at Shippensburg University to study Geoenvironmental Science.  

“I want to work with marine ecosystems and eventually work at a national park. It’s always been a dream of mine,” Molly explained.  “The virtual and in-person college tours helped me decide which school I wanted to apply to after graduation. My counselor helped me find what schools had the right programs based on my interests.” 

Before enrolling, Molly and her mother came to the PA Distance office to meet teachers and administrators before deciding on enrolling. 

“As soon as I came to see everyone, I knew this was the school for me,” she explained. “Everyone was welcoming and even showed me how to use some of the programs before I even started. It’s easy to find all of the resources that I need on my own. Everything is in one place.” 

“I also can be independent,” she said. “We also have a lot of choices from what classes we want to take to a topic we want to research in a certain class.” 

Molly is actively involved in extracurricular activities at PA Distance including Student Leadership and Literary Club in her free time. The after-school Club programs provide students with a safe space to socialize and learn about topics they are interested in, outside of their schoolwork and guided curriculum.

She was elected by her peers to serve as Co-Vice President in Student Leadership for the 2020-2021 school year. This year, she has returned to being a general member of the club and allowed other students to take on leadership roles.

“As Co-Vice President, I worked alongside the teacher sponsors and the President to organize events and activities for the school,” she explained.  “I like having the ability, as a student, to make real changes at PA Distance.”

Like many other PA Distance students, Molly has had the opportunity to form friendships with her classmates. Although many of them live across the state, Molly keeps in contact with them virtually. 

“I’m able to talk to my friends on Google chat whenever I want,” she explained. 

As she prepares for her upcoming high school graduation, Molly has a hard time pinpointing her favorite parts about PA Distance.

“There’s so much I want to say. It has been an amazing experience,” Molly said. “I was bullied a lot at my old school and I didn’t have an environment that worked for me. PA Distance has helped me with my future goals and with my career choice. The environment and the people are amazing and so helpful.”

“Each student has their way of learning,” she added. “At PA Distance, my teachers helped me figure out the best way for me to succeed. I’m going to miss the people and the family atmosphere.”