As students across the country prepare to embark on the next chapter of their lives, one Los Angeles teen who took the nontraditional path finds himself with no shortage of options.
Through iQ Academy of Los Angeles (iQLA), 17-year-old Ean Okpechi was able to attend public school full-time in a completely remote environment and begin laying the groundwork for a future in biomedical engineering.
The flexibility of iQLA allowed the Pacoima teen to graduate high school early while taking college-level dual enrollment courses, officials said.
He began online school in eighth grade during the pandemic to protect his health. He says he quickly found that the flexible, personalized environment helped him thrive both academically and personally, and allowed him to pursue his education in a way that works best for him.
“I honestly feel like I’m doing way better now than I would have if I went to in-person school,” he said.
