Meet the Jacobs Family

Sometimes success is only one decision away…and this was certainly the case for Tre’Shaun Jacobs and his family.

Though he now enjoys and excels in school, Tre’Shaun found his local school setting difficult to handle. “It just wasn’t right for him,” according to Tre’Shaun’s mom, Barbara. The Jacobs decided that Tre’Shaun needed something different to help him excel. That’s when they found Connections Academy—a public virtual school.

“It’s been working ever since,” says Barbara. “Connections Academy has allowed Tre’Shaun to work without the distractions of a traditional classroom setting.”

The decision is still paying dividends. This past year, Connections Academy awarded Tre’Shaun with the Student of the Year award, and he finished with high honors. Tre’Shaun attributes his success to “a different school with different teachers.” This has also relieved some pressure from the Jacobs’ life: “I haven’t been worried about getting a phone call…it has made things much easier,” Barbara explains.

Tre’Shaun wants to be a mechanical engineer one day. As he puts it, “Getting a good education will help me do that.”

Thanks to the powerful flexibility of an online school, the Jacobs family has also been able to stay active in the community, allowing Tre’Shaun to pursue interests outside of school like playing golf and other sports, as well as his beloved drums. Barbara stays active in their church, a foster parent association, and Connections’ Parent-Teacher Organization. With the added flexibility, the Jacobs are even able to travel on historical field trips all over the county. These trips have cemented Tre’Shaun’s love of history and when asked his favorite place to visit, he exclaims, “New York City!”

Barbara now feels empowered to help her son meet his full potential, and she has become a big believer in virtual education. “It’s best for you to really know where your child is, so that you can do what’s best for your child. Someone else doesn’t need to tell you what’s best.”