HVAM Student Spotlight: A Ballerina With A Bright Future 

The challenge of balancing academics alongside personal passions can be demanding at an elite level. For Sadie, a 10th grader at Highpoint Virtual Academy of Michigan (HVAM) and trained ballerina, she can chase her dancing dreams without missing a step in the classroom.

Sadie’s schedule is anything but typical. Between nightly training, performances and academics, she’s a busy teenager. As part of a senior dance team, Sadie takes part in community events that support local programs and businesses. During the holiday season, she and her team spread cheer with Operation Christmas Child, collecting and boxing gift items for children across the country. Sadie also helps her team raise funds for regional and national competitions by selling flowers at the dance studio’s Christmas recital.

Even as Sadie fills her schedule with dance and charitable events, she continues to excel academically. She maintains a 4.0 GPA while balancing her rigorous dance schedule that can reach 20 hours per week or more. Sadie’s mother, Heidi, who regularly takes her to dance class and oversees her schoolwork, also appreciates the unique benefits HVAM’s virtual classrooms have given her daughter.

“This is a much better fit for her, especially having the ability to have one-on-one meetings with her teachers to work through the content,” said Heidi. 

Sadie’s concurrently taking classes at Baker College in Muskegon, as part of the dual enrollment program. She is on track to earn enough credits to graduate early, which will let her complete her high school coursework by the end of 11th grade — and she intends to use the next year dedicated to dance training before transitioning to college full-time. 

With an early graduation on Sadie’s horizon, she is preparing for a future that emphasizes her academic and dance dreams. Sadie’s ability to pace her schooling path at a speed that works for her will give her the opportunity to earn college credits before her classmates have graduated high school, plus an extra year to focus on dance before she goes to college. HVAM’s virtual classroom structure is intended for this exact situation: to set each of our students up for success. 

For families seeking an education that works alongside their child’s ambitions, HVAM offers a unique path forward. To learn more about our academy’s virtual classrooms, check out our webpage on HVAM Online Learning.