Austin Bowers
“With a blended curriculum I was offered a chance to get a head start on my career at DATC (Davis Applied Technology College) in their Heavy-Duty Diesel Program. Not only was I advancing in academics, I was spending my elective credits on something I wanted to do.”
– Austin Bowers
I chose a blended learning model for three simple reasons.
First, I didn't like how high school drama distracted me from my academics (as well as how it irritated me).
Second, I liked the academic opportunity it provided me, allowing me to get training in my career as a diesel mechanic and credits for college.
Third, I liked the opportunity to work at my own pace and graduate earlier than my peers with just a little hard work.
I went to Career Path High where a student gets a laptop to work on academics from wherever they want. Then they have the option of going into a classroom to work one-on-one with a teacher. This is one of the things I liked most... In a regular high school you are often treated like cattle. A herd (of students) is brought in, taught, and moved out. No slowing down for those who move slower and no speeding up for those who move faster.
With the blended curriculum, I was able to move at my own pace and get the one-on-one help I needed, when I needed it. With a blended curriculum, I was offered a chance to get a head start on my career at DATC (Davis Applied Technology College) in their Heavy-Duty Diesel Program. Not only was I advancing in academics, I was spending my elective credits on something I wanted to do—something that would get me to the place I wanted to be in life and the chance to do it faster than most.
Without a blended curriculum, I wouldn't be where I am today and I wouldn't possess the confidence I have. I was skeptical of all this at first, but now that I look back, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. With the help of this scholarship I can reach my dream of running my own shop.