By Taegan Hardy
Over the past five years, ASU Prep Digital has allowed me to have an incredibly flexible schedule that lets me chase my passions. I’ve been a dancer since I was three years old, and now at 16, I’m at the studio on average 8+ hours a week. I do seven styles of dance, and I’m a member of my studio’s performance team. Dance teams are really high in commitment, which is why doing school online has been so useful to me.
For me, my weeks are always planned around my dance schedule. I prefer to work at night, but on Tuesdays, I’m at the studio from 6 to 9:30 and know I’ll be too exhausted to complete any assignments when I get home. I try my best to keep my Saturdays and Sundays free due to my team rehearsals, performances, and media days. In my senior year, I’m really hoping to add some classes at a ballet academy and join my studio’s competition team, which will be an even bigger commitment.
Luckily, with our school, I’ve been able to gain high school and college credits since I was in seventh grade and now can have a lot of free time in senior year. Due to my English, foreign language, social studies, and science credits all wrapping up this year, the only classes I’m required to take as a senior are math and electives. I’m super excited to have such an open schedule that will let me enjoy my last year of high school and participate in the things I really want to do.
Dance has been my favorite thing in the world since I was little, and I’m so glad I’ve been able to make the time to do so much of it. As a student, it’s important to maintain a healthy personal life outside of school that gives you room to grow as a person. I would really encourage everyone reading to take a chance and make a commitment to an extracurricular that will give them meaning outside of grades. It’s extremely fulfilling to know that throughout my high school career, I’ve been able to balance my academics and love for athletics.
