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Drew Lovejoy
Drew Lovejoy is a 17-year-old senior at Ohio Connections Academy (OCA). He lives in Greenville, Ohio. Drew, a three time world-champion Irish dancer, has been dancing since he was six-years-old. In 2010 Drew became the first person of color to win the World Championships for Irish dancing and has reigned supreme since.
Drew and his family chose a virtual school because they needed
flexibility to accommodate Drew’s training schedule, as well as all the
traveling they do. His mother Andree said, “we looked into other options
and found the virtual school with Connections Academy. He can school on
weekends and evenings. He’s a straight-A student.”
Drew, a member of the McGing Irish Dancers out of Cincinnati, began dancing after accompanying a friend to a competition. With the tremendous support of his parents, he has been able to pursue his dream and travel all over the world to compete. The hornpipe is Drew’s favorite dance and he loves the speed of the reel.
As an OCA student, Drew attends classes and submits assignments anywhere there is an Internet connection. The flexibility of Connections Academy enables Drew to get a quality public school education, while training for multiple hours every day and traveling around the world for competitions.
After graduation, Drew plans to dance professionally for three to five years, and then attend college before heading to medical school. He wants to be a pediatrician, and has had that dream since about the age of 5 or 6 when he started playing with the doctor’s kit his mother had when she was a child.
"Connections Academy is the best school! I am able to pursue my dreams of being a World Champion dancer while still getting an excellent education. My teachers are amazing and always help me with my studies. They work around my training schedule and my travel overseas to competitions. I love that I can be part of a school and still chase my dreams. Without eSchooling, and particularly Connections Academy, that wouldn't be possible. It's also great that it is free for my parents. With the expenses involved in my dancing, my parents wouldn’t be able to afford a private, homeschooling system. Now my education isn’t something we have to worry about. It travels with me!"
—Drew