Samira Issa, from Selinsgrove, PA, moved to Pennsylvania from Texas last year and immediately enrolled at PA Distance. She felt a cyber school option would help her prioritize her mental wellbeing while she worked towards her aspirations of becoming a marine biologist. This fall, she will be starting her freshman year at Texas A&M University at Galveston. 

“One of the biggest factors for my family in choosing a school was taking care of my mental health,” she explained. “When I was having a bad day at my old school I wouldn’t go. Now, because I’m learning online, I can still go to class and do my work but in the comfort of my home.” 

“In my old brick and mortar school, I wasn’t able to focus. Now, I can focus and I actually feel more challenged academically too,” Samira added. 

Growing up, Samira always had a love for animals, specifically sharks and marine life. She spends a lot of time outdoors and volunteering at a local animal rescue.  

“I knew that I always wanted to do something with animals when I grew up,” Samira explained. “Texas A&M University is the only university in Texas with a great Marine Biology program and it’s on the beach, so it was perfect. My dad still lives in Texas, too, so I’ll be closer to him.” 

“One day, I hope to be on Shark Week,” she added. 

During her time at PA Distance, Samira often discussed her future and her best path to reach her goals, with her school counselor. 

“Mrs. Mihoreck was always there to talk things through or offer advice or suggestions,” Samira explained. “All of my teachers have always been available whenever I need them, too. They all reply pretty quickly when I reach out.” 

In addition to marine biology, Samira was also able to feed some other interests through the High School Career Week and some of PA Distance’s elective courses. 

“During Career Week, we got to hear from people in the workforce talk about their jobs,” she explained. “It really opened my eyes to different options out there. It helped me realize what I am not interested in while trying to discover what I want to do at the same time.”  

Some of her favorite classes included criminology with Ms. Azzaro, forensic science with Ms. Sellinger, and History of the Holocaust with Mr. Mysels. 

“My teachers make every subject digestible so I can understand and do well,” she explained. “Not to mention interesting!”

“I love all the teachers and staff members. It makes me sad that I’m leaving because I love everyone so much,” Samira noted. “A lot of students have connected with each other via social media so we are able to stay in touch. I’m close with my classmate, Molly Carroll. We mesh with each other on a lot of topics.”