Emily Wade
Graduate
Emily is 2012 graduate of Wyoming Connections Academy (WYCA). She lives in La Barge, Wyoming. Emily is a competitive sled dog racer who is currently building a team for the 2012 International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race. It is the longest sled dog race in the contiguous 48 states and the most competitive sled dog race in the world. She appreciated attending WYCA because she could complete her education while having the flexibility to train with her dogs. Here is her story in her own words:
"Dogs have taken over my life. I don’t do any of those normal teenager activities. I’m all dogs, all the time—and that’s just the way I like it! I’ve raced a circuit of sprint races (20-45 miles) around Wyoming and surrounding states for three years (although I have been running dogs for almost seven). I’m currently building a team for the International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race. I have been working toward this race for a long time, so it will be a big deal for me. Next year, I will be doing some bigger events (50- to 100-milers) with my ‘puppy’ team (they’ll be one and a half years old next season) in preparation for my Stage Stop race.
Online school at WYCA worked for me because I have a wild schedule. Training and racing sled dogs takes a lot of time, and it is something that I could never have gotten into this deeply if I were going to a traditional high school. It takes me about an hour and a half to do my dog chores every day, and between running a puppy team for training and keeping my racing team in shape, I can be out training dogs for four hours on any given day. Also, because having 20 sled dogs is expensive, online school allowed me to have a job. I loved it because I could work on school when it was best for me and not be locked inside a building all day long!
In five years, I see myself still on the runners behind a team! I want to go pro with sled dogs, because it’s something that I love to do, and I couldn’t dream of life without having 20 crazy dogs around. I also really love to cook, so I would love to go to a culinary arts school to become a chef, at some point."
"Online school at WYCA worked for me because I have a wild schedule. Training and racing sled dogs takes a lot of time, and it is something that I could never have gotten into this deeply if I were going to a traditional high school."
— Emily