Nathan Maisonet, of Feasterville-Trevose, made the decision to trade his brick-and-mortar school for Agora Cyber Charter School only for a year. But the months turned into years, and his love for the community grew too strong to leave. Now, six years later, he finds himself as the Salutatorian of his Agora graduating class.
On June 2, he stood before hundreds of his peers, a graduating class of 544, to thank his teachers, family coaches, guidance counselors and faculty.
A family dynamic shift caused Maisonet to enroll in Agora when he was in sixth grade. Lisa, his mom, said the switch to cyber charter school came with scrutiny. But those who knew Maisonet’s personality understood that this environment would enable his educational boundaries to expand, which is what happened. He learned the responsibility of asynchronous learning, and was able to complete a three-month dental assistant program, as well as work at a dental office the last two years, preparing him for future classes and work.
“Juggling work with school has taught me to be more responsible,” said Maisonet. “I was a synchronous learner and in live classes for most of my educational career, and I still sit in live classes now when my schedule allows, but it offers much more flexibility.”
Lisa added, “Many people questioned us making the switch to cyber charter school, but they knew his personality would be a fit for this kind of learning. I love how Agora communicated with us as parents. Email communication was huge and our family coach was in constant contact. There was never a time I didn’t have support from the faculty at Agora. He had the choice of going back to a brick-and-mortar school, but loved Agora so much he wanted to finish it off. He grabbed this opportunity. Things happen for a reason, and he ended up where he belongs.”
From a social standpoint, Maisonet had a chance to meet people at Agora Days Out, and has lots of friends through church. He said, “People shouldn’t be scared of cyber school. The same amount of values and student interaction are placed in both scenarios. It is a great place to grow academically and socially, too.”
Maisonet’s goal is to become a dentist. He’s attending Arcadia in the fall, where he’ll pursue biology as part of a pre-dental program.
