1st student graduates from online program

Janette Driskill is the first full-time student to graduate from the St. Mary Parish Schools Virtual Learning Program.

“I am so happy that St. Mary Parish had the insight to begin this program four years ago,” said St. Mary Parish Technology Facilitator Susan Dupre in an email.

“It was initiated to give home-schooled students an opportunity to enter the public school system and take advantage of our highly qualified teachers, but we quickly discovered that it could also offer options for learning to students already in the system.”

Driskill’s journey began with traditional high schools in the ninth grade. She initially earned seven credits in face-to-face courses at Berwick and Patterson high schools.

Driskill entered the virtual learning program during her 10th-grade year. She earned her remaining 14 credits online.

Driskill liked the traditional classroom. Peers, however, seemed to be the source of her problems.

“I had a problem with some of the girls,” Driskill said. “So I decided online school was better. I can actually get an education without any problems.”

Amanda Driskill , Janette’s mother, advocates for online school as an option, especially in this case.

“Some kids can’t just handle being around all those kids and all the things they do these days,” Amanda Driskill said. “There ought to be some kind of school instead of dropping out.”

The same curriculum is for both traditional and online settings. The hard parts of Driskill’s transition were discipline and time management.

Parents are not immune to the excuses children give when they don’t turn in class assignments. And the same holds true for online students.

Driskill’s mother would receive text alerts if Driskill did not turn in assignments.

“She knows I’m strict about that, so it didn’t last long,” Amanda Driskill said. “She had her phone taken away a couple of times.”

The parents are held accountable for ensuring their children’s success in the virtual learning program.

“You’re the one that’s responsible,” Amanda Driskill said. “If you signed up and don’t do what you’re supposed to do, it’s a waste of time for them. It’s a waste of time for you.

“And I just don’t like that, so she learned that right away. The last two years she’s done fine. We’ve come a long way.”

Janette Driskill mostly enjoyed the freedom it provided to turn in assignments. It was not confined to the hours of a regular school day.

“I could get the school work done whenever I wanted,” Driskill said. “Sometimes when I had a doctor’s appointment or had to go somewhere, I could get it done later in the day.”

The delay with immediate feedback from instructors was what she liked the least about the program.

“If I had problems or couldn’t understand something, I had to wait for an email or wait for a phone call back,” Driskill said. “It wasn’t like I could raise my hand.”

Driskill’s online courses taught her more than just the academic skills she needed to graduate. She also learned invaluable skills necessary to succeed in higher education and the work force.

“I had to learn how to organize everything so that I could get everything done on time,” Driskill said. “Like, they would give me 12 assignments a day and I’d have to get them all done at certain times.

“I had to learn how to manage my time, basically. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, go to class, get it done, leave .’”

The yearly planner given at the beginning of school was finally put to use.

Driskill’s days consisted of waking up, fixing breakfast, looking at her list of assignments and writing them all down in her planner.

“I’d start with the easier classes,” Driskill said, “and around lunchtime, I’d take a break, eat, and do some things. If I had any more assignments to do, I would get them done in the afternoon.”

The online option is suggested by her only if a student is committed to the process.

“It depends on the person, because you have to actually want to do school,” Driskill said. “You can’t just say, ‘oh, I don’t want to do this’ because they will get on you and send you back to regular school.

“You actually have to want to do it because those teachers are not going to pressure you into doing it. They’re not going to say get this assignment done. They’re not going to keep calling you or reminding you.

“You’re going to get a zero, and you’re going to fail. It’s your responsibility to get the work done. It’s your responsibility to want that for yourself. If you’re lazy, just don’t do it.”

Driskill does not plan to take classes online for college. She plans to attend a four-year university and has her sights set on Nicholls State. She wants to major in nursing.

Amanda Driskill credits Dupre and Cheryl Darce for the successful navigation through the online program.

“Ms. Darce was our best friend,” Amanda Driskill said.

“Janette was an ideal online student, as her VLP instructors would quickly tell you,” Dupre said. "During her first semester with us, Janette developed the skills she needed to be successful, including organization, self-motivation and time management.

“We are all so proud of her accomplishments.”