How Krystina became an ASU Prep Digital student
On the surface, Krystina Ellaine Eaton is your average teenage girl. She hangs out with her friends, lounges out by the pool (especially since she lives in one of the hottest cities in the country), and spends time with her latest obsession, an 8-month old bichon poodle named Jasper. But beneath her seemingly normal exterior, Eaton deals with issues that leave her feeling less like herself.
“It took me two years to get out of a difficult situation I was dealing with at my previous school,” Eaton said. “I don’t know how long it will take me to overcome everything I’ve been through, but I work through it every single day.”
Eaton and her mother, who is a teacher at Mohave Community College, decided that she needed a change of scenery that would help put her in a positive mindset both emotionally and academically.
“We thought ASU Prep Digital would be a great way to get my schooling on track and boost my education level as well,” Eaton said. “I didn’t want to be in a toxic environment anymore and this felt like a great way to start over.”
Eaton decided to ease herself into the online education world by enrolling part-time, taking just one course to begin with as an ASU Prep Digital student. Like many students who decide to give online learning a try, she had a few reservations.
“I was afraid I wouldn’t finish the program or that I’d fail my class,” Eaton said. “Ultimately, I was afraid I wouldn’t succeed.”
With a strong work ethic and an abundance of support from her mom, teacher, and Learning Success Coach, Eaton went on to pass her English class as an ASU Prep Digital student—and she’s already looking forward to the coming fall semester.
“Now that I’m settled and feeling more confident, I can’t wait to become more involved,” Eaton said. “My plan is to enroll full time this year, so I’m excited to take more classes, especially since the course catalog is expanding. I’m also hoping to join some extracurricular activities, like journalism club.”
But Eaton isn’t just looking forward to her 10th-grade year—she already has her sights set on college and beyond.
“My plan is to graduate high school with my associate’s degree by taking concurrent courses over my next few years,” Eaton said. “I really want to go into engineering. Specifically, I’m interested in robotics. I love figuring out how everything works and seeing how everything is put together.”
Lucky for Eaton, ASU has an excellent engineering program—and ASU Prep Digital offers courses that can give her a head start on earning college credits and prepare her for her chosen career path.
“I’ve been looking into the engineering program at ASU and even though I’m still a few years away, I can’t wait to get started,” Eaton said. “There are a few concurrent courses that I want to take to earn college credit, starting with Introduction to Engineering.”
Eaton is on the path to success and shows no signs of slowing down. Now that she has some experience under her belt, she offers advice to students who are thinking about enrolling in online courses.
“Use your time wisely, stay on task, and don’t blow through your assignments,” Eaton said. “Above all, listen to your teachers. They provide great feedback and great advice that will not only help you as a student, but also as a person as well.”
We couldn’t be happier to have Eaton as an ASU Prep Digital student and part of our family and we can’t wait to see where this next year takes her!
