Being on camera is natural for Bianca Lee, a 10th-grade PALCS student who is also an actor, dancer, runway model, and aspiring medical professional.
In her home, Bianca has what she refers to as a “self-tape setup” – a plain gray backdrop with studio-worthy lighting that she uses to film online acting auditions. It also serves as a nice backdrop for her virtual classes, which she’s been taking through PALCS since fifth grade.
At PALCS, Bianca is part the Center for Performing and Fine Arts (CPFA) and the University Scholars Program (USP). Although an in-person component is offered in these programs, Bianca chooses to take her classes entirely online.
Online classes, in-person passions
Taking online high school classes doesn’t mean she spends all day in front of a screen. In fact, Bianca says the flexibility of online classes allows her more time to pursue her many passions.
“Pretty much as soon as school ends, I’m getting into my dance uniform and going 30 minutes away from my house to the Metropolitan Ballet Academy and Company, where I spend about five days a week and study classical ballet, contemporary, and pointe,” Bianca explained.
Freedom to balance it all
“The flexibility is really valuable to me. A typical brick-and-mortar school can be quite stifling because you’re trapped in a building for multiple hours on end. But because my classes are virtual, I have a really great experience balancing school and personal life,” Bianca said.
One of Bianca’s favorite PALCS classes is a digital studio voice class she takes as part of her CPFA coursework. The one-on-one instruction allows her to focus on improving her singing, a passion that’s so important to her she decided to make it the topic of her award-winning Chester County Science Fair Project.
Interests combine for a science fair project
Her science fair project, which Bianca worked on through the USP Research Club, focused on how diaphragm exercises improve singers’ breathing.
“I found with my research that better breathing, which is sometimes referred to as ‘belly breathing’, is really helpful for the physical and mental. It allows your mind to reset and relax, so your body is no longer in fight-or-flight mode. It kind of tempers your cortisol levels a little bit,” Bianca explained.
She said her performing arts background helped her present her findings at the science fair.
“I was able to put on my performer mask and confidently explain to the judges my research and really sell my ideas,” Bianca said.
Flexible schedule makes time for hands-on EMT training
Bianca has her sights set on a career in medicine, and she’s not waiting to start getting hands-on experience. She’s already completed a Safe Tech Training Class, the first step toward becoming an Emergency Medical Technician.
This spring, at just 16 years old, she completed a ride-along in an ambulance, during which she took patients’ vital signs and asked them questions about their medical history.
“Medicine is one of my callings,” Bianca said about her aspirations to one day go to medical school and become a cardiologist. “Helping people and really understanding the human body, that really interests me, especially cardiology. You always need a cardiologist.”
Being challenged in online classes
Despite misconceptions about what online high school classes are like, Bianca describes her online classes as rigorous and challenging, perhaps even in ways an in-person school wouldn’t offer.
“I’m very surprised at the number of things we get done every year,” Bianca said. “I talked to my sister who went to a brick-and-mortar school and she was like ‘oh yeah, we read like three books.’ And I’m looking at the pile of things that I was sent, and I can pull out like ten books. I’m surprised by how efficient the curriculum is, and I really enjoy that.”
Overall, the combination of rigor and freedom is perfect for a high-achieving student like Bianca.
“PALCS works really well for me because I am very introverted and very busy, and I think it’s a really good decision to make because you get everything. You get free time and you get the comfort of home, but you also get the academic challenge and the friendships and the mentorships. You wouldn’t get that combination anywhere else.”
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