Think for a second about your childhood. What was your most fond memory? Perhaps it was a bedroom to escape for a few hours, the living room filled with family or a favorite meal.
No matter what your favorite part of your home is, it’s become apart of who you are.
For Camila Summers, a student here at iSucceed, that was the oceans of Costa Rica, her childhood home.
Camila may live in Idaho now, but she certainly hasn’t left the oceans behind. In fact, she travels back and forth as a professional surfer.
If we had to guess, it isn’t every day that you meet a professional surfer in Idaho. But Camila has worked to make those dreams a reality.
Much of what she attributes to iSucceed Virtual High School’s flexibility.
The Story of Camila Summers, iSucceed Student, International Surfer
Camila is a motivated, excelling student here at iSucceed. Originating from Costa Rico, since she was little, she’s loved to surf.
“I’ve been familiar with the ocean ever since I can remember. It’s like a second home to me. My first memory on a surfboard was when I was six years old,” said Camila. “My dad used to push me on the little foams of the waves until the sun went down and the water became too cold for both of us to bear.”
Camila first started getting serious about surfing when a competition came to her hometown.
“When I was twelve years old the Costa Rican National Circuit surf event came to my hometown,” said Camila. “To this day I’m still not sure what inspired me to enter, but before I knew it I had a jersey on, and I was paddling out with the best girl surfers of my country. Ever since then I’ve been hooked on the world of competitive surfing. I wake up at the crack of dawn every morning to go out to the water and practice, I have a routine of intense indoor exercising I do every day, and I compete in every event I can.”
Balancing Surfing and Schooling
Still surfing competitively in Costa Rica, Camila leads a busy life. But thanks to the ability to study on her time, she is able to stay balanced between her education and her dreams.
“To me, the greatest benefit of iSucced has definitely been the flexible schedule,” said Camila. “Thanks to iSucced, I’ve been able to receive a proper American Education, and be a competitive surfer at the same time.”
Having constant interaction with teachers has helped Camila with her schooling as well.
“The constant interaction with teachers and comments posted by students also makes it feel more like if we were in a real classroom,” said Camila. I don’t feel like I’m alone in the process, and at any moment, if I need help, I know I can reach out to my teacher, who by now I feel like I know personally.”
Camila says that the key to staying successful in online schooling is preventing procrastination as much as possible.
“A busy life requires order and the proper time management. Having a mapped out schedule and set goals for every day are great ways to stay on top and avoid falling behind,” said Camila. “Just like most people, I have my busy moments followed by peace times. To stay on top of my school work, I take advantage of those peace times to get as much work done as I can.”
Plans After High School
After she graduates, Camila knows she wants to attend college. Where to attend and what she wants to study, though, she’s not quite decided.
“I definitely want to go to college, never the less I’m not sure whether I want to go right after I finish high school,” said Camila. “For now, I plan to continue with my competitive surfing and save up as much money as I can so that I can pay for college when I decide to go.”
Advice to Classmates
When it comes to succeeding in online school, Camila has a few words of advice:
“I thinks the key to being a successful online student is proper order and self-motivation. Make a schedule for yourself and set daily, weekly and monthly goals. I also like to strive to get more than what’s expected done. I’m supposed to complete 10 lessons every week, but I make it my goal to complete 12. That way if something comes up and I fall behind on my weekly expectations, I’m not so worried, because I’m already ahead. It’s like having a savings account, and you never know when you might need it.” – Camila Summers, iSucceed student