Gemma Weir
High School
Gemma Weir is a high school student at Texas Connections Academy @ Houston. She is most passionate about playing guitar and administering her nonprofit charity, Fluffy Love, which gives stuffed animals to sick children in hospitals. At TCAH, she has plenty of time to pursue these passions, while still being able to excel at her schoolwork. Her story is below:
"I was interested in joining TCAH in fifth grade because of the flexibility it offered. The program works best for me because I can work ahead and take Fridays off to concentrate on Fluffy Love, if I want to go and deliver stuffed animals to the hospital. Recently I had to travel to a conference to talk about Fluffy Love, and for four days I did my learning in a hotel and did not have to fall behind in my lessons. On Wednesdays, I can always finish school early to practice guitar for the youth band I play in every Wednesday night. I love that I can work my schedule to suit my own needs.
TCAH is different from the brick-and-mortar public school I attended in that I don’t have to waste any time waiting for others in the class to catch up to where I am. I can be in charge of my own education and the speed at which I learn. There is no classroom drama, and my parents have a lot more involvement in my education. The relationships I have with my teachers are different, depending on the subject. I can have as little or as much of a relationship with my teachers as I want. If I would like to call my teachers or email them, I can. If I only see them during the weekly LiveLesson sessions, that’s okay too. The teachers make it clear to us that they are only a phone call away if we are struggling or in need of help. They are also there to cheer me on and congratulate me if I’ve done a good job on an assignment.
I love TCAH because there is no limit to where and when I want to learn. I can work school around my life, and not have to work my life around school."
I love that I can work my schedule to suit my own needs.
— Gemma