Meet Super Student Jagruthi H.

“Before NCVPS, I had never taken an online class (excluding COVID). It was a significantly different experience from attending classes in person. Despite the class and the teacher being extremely supportive, especially during final exam prep (shoutout to Ms. Pfeffer – Best Python teacher ever!), I felt somewhat isolated because I didn’t have daily interactions with my teacher or classmates like in traditional school settings. However, the class taught me a lot about time management because I had to allocate time throughout the week to complete assignments in addition to my full schedule at school. It instilled confidence in me that I could handle coursework outside of school, motivating me to enroll in a substantial number of dual enrollment classes online.” – Jagruthi H. 

“In addition to being a Team Lead for the PTC, she also co-developed a method to get tutors more engaged in Slack.” – Kathryn Michel, NCVPS Social Studies Instructor and Peer Tutoring Center Instructional Leader

Jagruthi’s Story

As a student, I would define myself as hard-working and resilient. Curiosity drives and motivates me to strive for academic excellence. I define academic success not just through grades but also through my growth as a student and the depth of my knowledge. To me, it’s about continuous improvement and resilience in the face of challenges. I believe in viewing roadblocks as opportunities for growth rather than setbacks. 

As an individual, my values and aspirations are heavily influenced by my family and culture. Growing up in a culture and environment that heavily emphasized community and collectivity, I’m service-oriented and strive to help my community in whatever ways I can. My parents are some of the hardest-working people I’ve ever met. The kind of dedication and commitment they’ve demonstrated throughout my life, and continue to demonstrate, has influenced my work ethic and shaped my hard-working nature. I wouldn’t be who I am today without them.

Online Experience

My decision to take an NCVPS class was driven by my desire to expand my academic horizons and immerse myself in the world of computer science. During my freshman year of high school, I relocated from Ohio, where the order and structure of courses differed significantly. Despite my enthusiasm for Computer Science, I missed the opportunity to take AP Computer Science Principles due to the timing of my move. However, I was determined to pursue my passion. Through research and conversations with friends, I discovered NCVPS, which offered a course in Python programming—a language I had been eager to learn, and without hesitation, I enrolled for the spring semester. 

Unfortunately, due to the limits on the number of courses allowed at my school via NCVPS (we can only take classes not offered at our school), I have only taken one course: Honors Python Programming I. 

I enjoy the flexibility of online classes. Unlike traditional school, I was able to complete the work at my own pace and didn’t feel rushed to understand all of the content being taught. 

My advice to other online students: Don’t procrastinate!!! While the flexibility of online school is fantastic, use it to your advantage. Don’t wait until the night before, or a couple of hours before, the deadline. Plan things out in advance. I would highly recommend getting a planner/calendar (physical or digital) and spending a couple of minutes at the beginning of the week writing down due dates, upcoming events, etc. 

Life Outside of School

Most of my free time is usually on the weekends. Typically, on Sundays, I spend my afternoons tutoring at the NCVPS’s Peer Tutoring Center. I enjoy helping my peers with homework, or anything they are struggling with in class, and making online learning a little more enjoyable for them. 

Besides tutoring, I love reading. I’m an avid reader and enjoy reading pretty much anything. I also love crocheting, amigurumi (crochet stuffed animals) is kind of my obsession. I love making cute amigurumi projects for my friends and family.

My favorite series is probably Legend by Marie Lu. It was one of the first books in the middle that I enjoyed reading. I remember picking it up during spring break and I flew through it a few days. That book was the “gateway” book that got me into reading. 

I once felt very adventurous and tried skiing and here’s what I learned: Skiing, at least for me, is a sport where the ground is my best friend, whether I like it or not. 

I learned VERY quickly that my hidden talent does NOT involve snow and slopes. 

My favorite snack is anything with chocolate: cake, ice cream, strawberries, pretzels, etc. 

I hate to say it but one item I could not live without is…my phone. These days it’s really hard, especially for an online student, to do anything productive without technology. We are all extremely dependent on our phones. 

Goals & Future Plans

My goal this semester is to enjoy my last year of high school whilst still doing well in school and keeping up my grades. I feel like I spent the first semester of senior year completely stressed about the daunting college application process. Currently, with only a few months of senior year left, I’m focusing on spending more time with my friends and family. 

My future plans include getting a degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Cybersecurity. I someday hope to open my own Cybersecurity firm.