Online High School Takes Bullying Out of Education Equation

By Leslie Cranford, Section Manager

Through the 1990s, Laina (Godeaux) McGuire was bullied in school. When the young country music fan read that country music star LeAnn Rimes was enrolled in a distance learning high school through Texas Tech, it sparked an idea. If it was good enough for Rimes, could it be good enough for her?

When McGuire asked her parents about enrolling in TTU K-12 in 1998, it was not an easy sell.

"But approaching my parents about enrolling based off that fact was a virtual lifesaver for me at the time," McGuire said. She began schooling through the distance program that year, graduating with her high school diploma in 2001.

McGuire says taking her classes at a distance (at that time they were print-based and accomplished through mail and fax) was challenging, but incredibly rewarding.

"I was able to focus on my schoolwork and actually learn what I was studying instead of being consumed with the stress of the bullying I had endured for 10 years in public school," she said. "It was affecting my grades and ability to shine my best as a student."

Originally from Texas, McGuire has made her home base out of Nashville, and she currently lives in South Dakota.

"After high school I attended Belmont University in Nashville for two years where I studied broadcasting," she explained. "I was a DJ for the local campus radio station and attended and volunteered at many music business events including Country Radio Seminar, the Dove Awards, the Gospel Music Association and the Tin Pan South songwriters' week."

McGuire has since split her time between Wyoming, South Dakota, Tennessee, Colorado and Texas, spending time near her and her husband's families, and some of their favorite locations, as they travel frequently. She says she loves travel, music, and visiting national parks.

She said she has held some interesting and fun positions over the years, including working in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and in Grand Teton National Park, and living and working in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for almost a decade, where she met and married her husband.

"I live in the Black Hills of South Dakota, near Mount Rushmore. I spend my summers out West, my winters in Texas or Tennessee where family and friends are," she said. "I am a stay-at-home mom to my beautiful 3-year-old daughter. I've been married to my husband since 2013 and have two cats that have traveled the country with me for over a decade."

McGuire's future goals include a long-lasting marriage, raising a well-rounded, loving daughter and giving her the best learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom, plus continuing to visit and learn about places of interest that she has yet to see or can't wait to see again.
McGuire credits her experience with TTU K-12 for much of her growing into the person she is today.

"It's helped me to regain my self-worth after realizing what I'm able to accomplish, and how dedicated I really am to finish what I start," she explained. "It's helped me build self-confidence, which has allowed me to excel in the hospitality profession I worked in for many years. Most importantly, it's given me hope and awareness for an alternative, preferred education opportunity for my daughter when she reaches school age."

For other students and families, McGuire says not to hesitate if looking for alternative ways to learn outside the "normal" format of attending public school.

"While it may be intimidating, and at times challenging, the sense of accomplishment and the ability to learn self-discipline through this program will last a lifetime and be life-changing," she said. "I would recommend TTU K-12 for anyone considering alternative learning, especially if bullying in public school is the driving force of their search."