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Devan Monkiewicz
Devan is a 13-year-old eighth grade student at Colorado Connections Academy (ColoCA). He has has attended the school since the third grade. He lives in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Devan has a sister, Erin, who also attends ColoCA. Devan is passionate about designing Lego® creations and sports, including swimming. Last summer, he placed second in the state of Colorado for the Summer Club Swimming.
Devan’s favorite thing about Connections is that he can read, write, and think without being rushed or interrupted. He loves how the program gives a great description of what he has to accomplish in each lesson. He especially loves the BrainPop® movies and how they tie into the lesson plan. Devan’s favorite subjects are social studies and language arts. He enjoys social studies because he has learned about how our country and other countries were formed. For example, he loved learning about Greece and its people, art, and architecture. He looks forward to language arts everyday because the stories are intriguing and descriptive. Writing papers is always thought provoking because he is able to express his feelings, thoughts, and emotions.
Outside of the classroom, Devan is passionate about assembling Lego® creation designs through his own imagination. He has built numerous machines that he gives away to friends. His mom continues to encourage him to apply for design job with Lego® because of his creations.
Devan is also a seasoned athlete. In the fall, he participates with soccer, and then moves into volleyball, onto basketball, baseball, and then swims for the Pagosa Piranhas Swim Team from April to August. Last summer, he placed second in the state of Colorado for the Summer Club Swimming. Although Devan turned 11 in November, he’ll be in a tougher age group this summer. But is confident he’ll succeed in his swim goals.
“I love Colorado Connections because it actually teaches and reinforces me new things. I look forward to taking French as an elective next year.” -Devan