After two years of questions and distractions, the students of North Carolina Virtual Academy (NCVA), an online public school serving students throughout the state, are looking forward to getting on with their future.

NCVA will celebrate its graduates in-person with a commencement ceremony on Thursday, June 9th, beginning at 10 am. In addition, the ceremony will be recorded via live stream on NCVA’s Facebook page, for those interested in attending virtually.

“We have a lot of students that struggle during normal times and the last two years were challenging. Our students, faculty, and staff with the support of parents and learning coaches were dedicated to finish strong,” said Marcia Simmons. “We’re excited to see our students graduate and move on to the next steps in their careers and academic futures.”

Online students at NCVA have had quite the success. NCVA increased its graduation rate over 17.3% from 2019 to 2021. This year, NCVA will graduate approximately 118 students from all over the state. Collectively, the graduating class reports it has been accepted to colleges and universities across North Carolina and beyond, including East Carolina University, Guilford Tech Community College, and College of the Albemarle, to name a few. Some NCVA graduates are working on vocational apprenticeships with companies on their way to becoming licensed professionals in the workforce.

William Trimble is NCVA’s 2022 valedictorian, and our salutatorian will be Ashley Westbrook. The ceremony’s keynote speaker will be Marc Murray, a motivational speaker with Marc Murray Life Coaching & Consulting, LLC. We will also have special remarks for our graduates from guest speaker, Jason Saine, House Senior Appropriations Chair.

Prior to the pandemic, students enrolled in virtual school for a number of reasons—some were looking for the safe learning environment that online school provides, some were looking to get back on track to earn their high school diploma, and others found a community of students and teachers where they could belong for the rest of their academic career and beyond.

North Carolina Virtual Academy students in grades K-12 access a robust online curriculum in the core subjects, a host of electives and attend live virtual classes taught by state-certified teachers. In addition, NCVA prides itself with the unique clubs offered to students, whether academic, career-oriented, or simply fun—all students are welcome.

NCVA is looking forward to celebrating its senior class and all that they have accomplished the past four years. After graduation, students can enjoy their “Starry Night” prom for an evening of food, dancing, and fun under the stars!

NCVA is inviting all families and friends worldwide to join the celebration virtually. Please visit the NCVA Facebook page for streaming. Details of the graduation ceremonies are as follows:

WHAT: North Carolina Virtual Academy 2022 Graduation Ceremony

WHERE: NCVA Facebook Page for Live Stream

WHEN: Thursday, June 9^th, 2022, 10 AM

CONTACT:

For any questions about the celebrations, please contact NCVA at info@ncvacademy.org. For media inquiries, please contact Ken Schwartz at kschwartz@k12.com.

About North Carolina Virtual Academy:

North Carolina Virtual Academy (NCVA) is a full-time online public-school program of the Durham School District, serving North Carolina students in grades K-12. As a public school, NCVA is tuition-free and provides families the choice to access the curriculum and tools provided by K12, a Stride Company. Stride offers learners of all ages a more effective way to learn and build skills for their future.

For more information about NCVA, visit https://ncva.k12.com/

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