“Taking an online course has brought a few pleasant surprises. I was nervous to take one because I believed that I would be very disconnected from the teacher, making it difficult to ask questions or seek guidance. I was especially nervous as this was a foreign language class where speaking was supposed to be a big part of it. I was very wrong because my teacher created live classes to help answer any and all questions my fellow classmates and I had. We could also email the teacher and they would always respond within a reasonable amount of time. In reality, it felt as easy to learn in an online environment as a regular classroom.” – Aneel G.
“Aneel is an exceptional student both academically and personally. Aneel´s work is always outstanding and on-time. He redoes assignments to make them perfect whenever possible. I especially enjoy working with Aneel. He is always polite, caring, and kind. I especially appreciate the regular communication and rapport that we have established. I know that he will continue to excel.” – Ms. Patricia Lipsey, NCVPS Spanish IV Instructor
Aneel’s Story
As a student, I have always tried to be hardworking and studious. My favorite classes have always been the ones that I have found the most challenging and where the teacher’s expectations are higher. These are the classes where I have learned the most, and they have shaped me as a student. My favorite subject has always been math, but I still enjoy other subjects where there are interesting discussions and students can voice their various points of view. Outside of school, I like to participate in a variety of activities, including piano and tennis. I have played piano for 9 years and tennis for 3 years. I played for my school tennis team for the past 2 years and really enjoyed the camaraderie of being on a team.
Online Experience
At my school, the highest level Spanish course is Spanish 3, but I was placed into Spanish 4, so I could only take it online through NCVPS. Spanish 4 Honors is the first and only class I’ve taken through NCVPS. If it were not for NCVPS, I wouldn’t have been able to take Spanish at my school since it only offers up to Spanish 3 Honors, so this was a great opportunity for me. NCVPS allowed me the chance to advance my learning in a world language.
I advise students to be patient with the online format of teaching and with the teachers. You might be confused the first time you are taking an online course, but after the first couple of weeks, you will start to get the hang of it, and you will flourish. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your teacher if something doesn’t make sense. They are happy to help you and want to make sure you are successful.
Life Outside of School
In my free time, I like to play piano, tennis, or just hang out with my friends playing computer games. I also enjoy helping out my community as a volunteer in various clubs.
My favorite book is Lord of the Flies by William Golding. I read this book last year for my English class, and I loved it because I found the story deeply captivating. I found the symbolism and theme to be deep and have an interesting meaning that tells you a lot about humanity.
Something interesting about myself is that from kindergarten to 8th grade, I was in a Spanish immersion program where I was with the same group of kids for 9 years. I made some great friends through this experience, and it allowed me to take higher-level Spanish courses in middle school.
My favorite snack is chips with queso, guacamole, or salsa.
One item that I could not live without is my phone. This is because I use it to talk and communicate with others and because I store notes and calendar events on it which keeps me organized.
Goals & Future Plans
One goal that I had this semester was to try to keep high grades in all of my classes. I also wanted to learn and grow as much as I could as a person, so I’m trying to push myself to do things out of my comfort zone. I’ve worked towards this goal by participating in class elections, joining various clubs, and being organized as much as I can with my schoolwork.
My future plans are to go into a STEM field. To achieve this, I will take as many science and math-related classes as I can so I can prepare for a more math/science-intensive career. I was involved in a summer camp that centered around Astrobiology, and I found it fascinating. I want to delve deeper into this field.
Personal Note
There are 4 people in my family, and I have one older brother who is now in college. I also have a cat named Coco who loves raspberries.
