TTU K-12 Online Courses Prepared Graduate for College During COVID-19

By Leslie Cranford, Section Manager

In the January issue of "Wherever You Are," the TTU K-12 bi-monthly newsletter, we featured Clayton Stewart, a recent Texas Tech University High School graduate, who now attends the University of Texas-Tyler (UT-T). Now we introduce you to Clay's older brother Benjamin, TTU K-12 Class of 2017.

Ben, who graduated in the top 10 percent of his class, specifically ninth of 365 graduates, says that overall, his experience as a TTU K-12 student was good.

"While the program did offer me many great things, it was also challenging at times," he explained. "The program taught me the value of learning independently, and I truly believe that I learned more regarding the curriculum than I would have in a traditional school environment. TTU K-12 is much more academically focused, whereas the traditional school spends a lot of time on extracurricular activities, state testing, behavior, etc. Like I said, while the program may have been challenging at times, looking back now, I am a better college student because of it."

Benjamin will finish his senior year at the University of Texas-Tyler in May, earning a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in mathematics.

"I plan to pursue a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering," Benjamin said. "I have already taken a handful of graduate classes to jumpstart this goal and will be graduating with almost 1/3 of the necessary hours to earn my master's degree. I am also currently working as an intern at an engineering firm in Tyler."

His experience taking high school online even helped prepare him, although unknowingly, for the pandemic that set in a year ago.

"Given the current state of the world with the COVID-19 pandemic, the shutdown, and subsequent transition to online classes for universities across the country, I definitely feel like I have been at an advantage since I was already so accustomed to using a virtual learning format," he said. "Having the tools to be able to teach yourself any topic, when provided with the proper information, is an invaluable skill that I definitely attribute to my time as a student in TTU K-12."

Ben said his favorite part of attending TTU K-12 was the flexibility it offered him to do other things outside of school, like working and traveling.

"I enjoy traveling very much, and the program allowed me the opportunity to take various trips during the regular school year without worrying about missing class or having to make up work," he said. "Also because of the flexibility, I was able to work 20+ hours a week at a local country club and gain some great life experience outside of an educational setting."

Learning time management in a self-paced program has also aided Benjamin in managing college and individual activities. He is involved with several student organizations on campus, including Baptist Student Ministry, the Society of Automotive Engineers, and LOGOS Student Honors Program Association.

"I like the outdoors, specifically hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping. Additionally, I enjoy traveling, playing sports, and meeting new people," Ben said. "I also spend much of my free time listening to almost every genre of music, watching movies, and reading."

Being in the top of his high school class also afforded Ben many scholarship opportunities. He is a four-year recipient of the Patriot Academic Scholarship and a four-year recipient of the John E. & Dorothy Fay White Endowed Honors Scholarship, both at UT-T, as well as earning an Honors Mentoring Scholarship and the Cherokee County Electric Cooperative Scholarship.

Benjamin says that in the future, he would like to own his own business but is not entirely sure what that looks like right now; he says owning a business has been one of his main life goals for quite a long time.

One last thing Ben mentioned that he learned from his high school experience is not to procrastinate.

"I know that seems intuitive and cliche. However, I can say from experience that the freedom offered by this program in terms of working deadlines can be deceiving. The deadlines to complete a class on time or get a final exam taken can sneak up on you before you know it and can put you in a tough spot if you are not willing to stay on top of the workload," he explained. "Also, be prepared and have a willingness to learn. It may seem challenging at times, but it is definitely worth it.

"I would definitely recommend the program to anyone looking for an alternative to the traditional schooling program, as long as they are willing to put in the effort required to succeed."