“Online courses have advanced my education by so much, just from the fact that they’re there. These online courses allow for a consistent learning environment, and I believe that it’s a great step towards pursuing equal access for education to as many people as possible. From my personal experience, taking online courses has allowed me to indulge in interests I wouldn’t otherwise have had access to. Online courses have also taught me how to learn more independently than I do in a classroom. While I do enjoy the classes I take in-person and being alongside my peers as I learn, I also enjoy learning about other subjects at my own pace within an online learning environment.” – Ivan P.
“Ivan puts in many hours of tutoring and always goes above and beyond to help students. He is also involved in the following: brass quintet, wind ensemble, tuba/euphonium ensemble, yearbook committee, and student government.” – Kathryn Michel, NCVPS Social Studies Instructor and Peer Tutoring Center Instructional Leader
Ivan’s Story
When talking about being a student and being an individual, I try to incorporate aspects of both into who I am. Currently, while I am typing, I am expressing myself as a student. I talk about the things I’m excited to learn, the activities I’m doing, and what I do in order to grow the best I can. When I’m expressing myself as an individual, my primary focus is to take in as much life experience as I can. I’ve never made it a point to make the two distinct, however, I generalize the two in which the “student” part of me wants to learn and grow, and the “individual” part of me wants to be present in the moment.
Of course, that’s just a bit of my personal philosophy. The real reason I’ve been shaped the way I am is because of the people in my life. My family, of course, has had an impact that I can’t fully convey, since they’ve been a part of my life, well, all my life. I’ve moved about 20 times in my life among various parts of the East Coast (military family), where I’ve had the fortune of befriending many different people. I still keep in contact with many of these friends, and I’m grateful to them for accepting me and making me feel like I belong, no matter where I went. My grandmother has always been my go-to when I’m confused in life, where she’s taught me so much about how to be at peace with myself. I’m also grateful for all the teachers in my life who made me enjoy school, who made me as passionate about learning as they were about teaching.
Another thing that has shaped my life is music. There’s this really niche game called Ni No Kuni; Wrath of the White Witch, and it was my favorite game when I was little (now, it’s still in my top 5). One of my favorite things about this game was the soundtrack, composed by a man named Joe Hisaichi. Now, I’ve never met another person who’s ever heard of the game before, so I’ve never been able to convey how and why it was that soundtrack that made me fall in love with music. Fast forward, and I joined band in 6th grade, in which I ended up getting forced to play the tuba by my band director. Now, you can imagine how asthmatic 12-year-old me struggled with playing a 40ft tube of metal, but I’m proud to say I’ve now been accepted into an arts conservatory that I get to attend throughout high school. This conservatory has absolutely changed my life these past two years- and not just musically (however, I will say I’ve gotten considerably better at my instrument since I’ve been here). At this institution, I learn how to be prepared after graduation: What it’s like to live (sort of) alone, what it’s like to have a professional career, how to live in a college environment, and so on. It’s not that the skills themselves are difficult to learn, but rather I find value in getting a taste of what “adult life” is like, and I get to learn some of the responsibilities I can expect when I inevitably get older.
Overall, I am (like anyone else) a product of my experiences, and deeply affected by the people I’ve met along the way. There’s a lot that goes into the makeup of someone’s character, and it’s even harder to track why you are the way you are when your character has been influenced by thousands upon thousands of other characters. Thank you for reading, and for exploring alongside me as I talk about the parts of my life I hold close.
Online Experience
I have always enjoyed learning about various subjects, and NCVPS offered courses I didn’t have access to at my school.
So far, I have taken Latin I, Anatomy and Physiology Honors, and Spanish II. Particularly the amount of options I have for courses have been a nice surprise.
My advice to other students is to schedule, schedule, and schedule!! Sometimes I simply don’t think to prioritize my online course when I’m just going off of memory, so writing it down somewhere has really helped me keep up with my coursework!
Life Outside of School
I generally spend my free time playing my tuba, playing video games, or napping.
One of my favorite childhood book series was called Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan. It’s one of the first set of books I remember getting absorbed in, and I suppose it has some sentimental value from that.
Goals & Future Plans
The first thing that comes to mind is that I’m preparing on performing a senior recital in 2 years, so I’ve been preparing for that. I’m still in the process of deciding both my pieces, as well as the general gist of what I want to say.
I want to be a music teacher, and one of the first steps I’ve taken to reach that goal is becoming a tutor in this program. Past that, however, I’m set on absorbing as much life experience as I can before worrying about how I’m going to convey it in an educational setting.
Fun Facts & Personal Notes
My left eardrum is virtually nonexistent.
My favorite snack is beef jerky.
I could not live without my tuba. I’ve gone too far down the rabbit hole of music at this point.
I have 3 cats and a dog, all of whom I love dearly. I also have a younger sister, who is about 2 years younger than me. She’s bright, energetic, and gets on my nerves constantly (still love her though). I’ve moved around 20 times in my life to different places on the East Coast, most prominently Alabama and North Carolina. I’ve never traveled outside of the country, however, I would like to. I like to cook (Mostly dips and appetizers), and I’ve picked up a proficiency in first aid. I’m sure there are more interests and facts about me, but these are the primary ones that come to mind.
