PA Distance newcomer, Chelsea Hartford, came all the way to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from Chicago, Illinois. She earned her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is certified in Illinois (grades 1-6) and Pennsylvania (grades K-4, 5-6). 

As a public cyber charter school, we provide a welcoming environment for our students across Pennsylvania to learn and grow. Our teachers get to know each child, understand their needs, and personalize their learning experience to provide an outlet for success.

11th-grader, Isabella Rios, known to her friends and family as “Bella”, is thrilled to be the 2020-2021 recipient of the PA Distance Financial Literacy Scholarship. 

Class of 2021 graduate, Valeria Balbuena, will be attending Millersville University this fall and majoring in Psychology. Her goal is to become a psychiatrist so she can help patients who are struggling with psychological disorders, and to further understand the connection between emotional and physical health. 

“I'm passionate about human behavior and I really want to learn everything about it,” Valeria explained. “I also want to study it because I wanna learn how to understand myself.” 

Other than her passion for psychology and study of the brian, Valeria enjoyed her Financial Literacy elective course with her teacher, Mrs. DeRoner, and believes it will help her in the future.

“My favorite class was Financial Literacy because it is one of the few classes we should all take. It prepares you for the future. I didn't know much about finances, loans, insurances, or how to use my money wisely until I took the class,” she said. 

“Now I feel more prepared to live by myself,” added. “I even thanked Mrs. DeRoner because this is one of the things I wanted to learn before graduating because this is important and without the knowledge, my life would be a disaster.”