11th grader Michelle Wallace already knows what she wants to do for a career, and the flexibility of her online high school schedule is giving her a head start.
Michelle is involved with Model United Nations and Mock Trial at the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School, where she’s a student in the University Scholars Program.
She participated in the Emerge Leadership Program, was named a Carson Scholar, and is a Youth Diplomat for America250 events in the Philadelphia area (she even presented an award to the president of Ghana!).
For someone who wants to eventually practice law for the federal government, she’s off to a fantastic start.
Club involvement at an online school
That laundry list of involvement and achievements started as soon as Michelle became a PALCS student.
In 6th grade, she got involved with the Junior Model United Nations club in PALCS’s University Scholars Program.
Her interest in global affairs started with her uncle, a career diplomat who is currently the head of an International Maritime Organization committee.
“I remember when I was younger, Uncle Harry would always come back and tell me and my sister stories, or bring us stuff from whatever he was doing. And I was like, ‘hey, maybe I can do that. I think that’s cool,’” Michelle said.
Leadership in the community
Michelle is now the secretary general of Junior Model UN, a program of the World Affairs Council. It’s a position that comes with the role of speaking at conferences. That includes the opening speech at the Philadelphia-area Junior Model UN final conference.
In addition to her passion for global affairs, Michelle has many family members who live in Liberia. These two experiences inspired her to create a cultural exchange program.
In the program, PALCS students meet with students from Liberia via Zoom calls to discuss global issues. Last year’s topic was building cultural intelligence.
PALCS makes it possible
Michelle says she’s able to maintain this level of school and community involvement because of the flexibility her online high school experience provides.
“I don’t think if I were going to a brick and mortar school that I would be able to do all the stuff that I do,” Michelle said. “I need the free time to be able to actually go and stay at the events.”
Typical online high school schedule
A typical school day for Michelle is somewhat of a choose-your-own-adventure. She’s able to select which assignments to prioritize, on her own schedule.
“I wake up, open my computer, and whatever subject seems like it has either the most work or a few things that I can tackle really quickly before I move on to everything else, I’ll do that first,” Michelle said about her daily schedule. “I try to practice piano whenever I can, maybe read a little bit. When everything on my schedule is finished, I try to plan or practice a bit for whatever I have going on.”
Focus on leadership
Given her involvement in global affairs activities, it’s no coincidence Michelle goes to a school where leadership is part of the name.
It’s a school where she’s found endless support from her principal, guidance counselors, and teachers. She also appreciates what her friends and family, including a younger sister who also attends PALCS, do to support her.
“There’s no way you can be a strong leader without a strong support system.”
You can hear more from Michelle about her experiences (including a trip to the World Cup with tickets from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro!) on Winging It, PALCS’ official podcast.
Learn more about joining our online public high school or starting the enrollment process.
