Why Do Students Choose NSA?

By The Navigator Staff

Students come to school for education, but they also come for many other reasons. Whether it be the community, the opportunities in a certain program, or the morals of a school, students and their parents are drawn to them for what they can provide. NorthStar Academy students are no different. NorthStar has students located all over the world, and every student comes to NSA for a reason. The Navigator staff decided to find out what truly attracts a student population as varied and exciting as NSA’s. Come aboard the Navigator as it sails into the amazing characteristics of NorthStar that attract students from far and wide!

Why Online School?

Online school provides the education of a traditional classroom through virtual classes that provide several strong benefits, such as NSA’s customizable schedule to students. As Hallie states, “There is a certain flexibility with where to do school you don’t get in normal school, and you do get more time at home with family, at least hypothetically.” She also points out the fact that typing in this day and age is often much quicker than writing, as people are now being taught primarily typing and texting rather than handwriting. It does very well seem that online schooling was made for the current age, allowing a flexibility that technology could not give previous generations. Not only is it more convenient, but it is also more fitting for the current world. When asked about NorthStar specifically, Hallie replied with, “Some of the first benefits I thought of were the opportunities to meet a ton of new people and learn about their culture in a unique way.” NorthStar provides a unique opportunity to be so broad and have so many different cultures come into play because of its international capabilities. Because it is an online school, the whole world can have access to the same, great source of information.

At NorthStar, many Americans, with access to so many other types of education, still end up becoming part of our community. Often it is because online school is easier to navigate, with no things like getting lost or forgetting your lunch to worry about. Though NorthStar is an online school, it’s much more than a curriculum. It also has wonderful teachers to encourage and guide us. According to Becca, “I chose to join NSA because I didn't like the ethic of the American school system... I also wanted the flexibility that came with homeschooling even though it wasn't possible for my mom to teach me in high school.” NSA has created a very positive environment for students to learn in that American public school does not always offer. Another student, Gracie, felt that online school worked best for her after she moved to another city. “Before the move, my mom had homeschooled me; however, as our lives began to change, we realized attending an in-person school would be best for me. Unfortunately, there was only one school nearby we felt would be a good fit, and it did not offer high school courses. My parents and I began to research online schools I could use instead. This led us to NorthStar. I loved the idea of going to an international, Christian school with teachers and students all around the world.”

For students living internationally, online school has its own appeals and benefits. For some, the flexibility that online school offers is a major appeal, particularly when students regularly travel. One student, Josiah, commented, “When I travel to other countries for meetings, I can mark blackout dates.” This offers immense freedom when scheduling and taking trips. Josiah also discussed how he appreciated the connection and community online school offered. As an international student who is also a third culture kid, he appreciated being able to connect with other students from similar backgrounds and locations.

Other international students commented on the courses online school provides for them. In some countries, certain subjects are not available. Another student here at NSA, Renae, remarked that she would normally not have access to Bible courses due to “living in an Islamic country.” She also pointed out that due to online school, she was able to take courses not regularly taught overseas, like Personal Finance.

How Does Flexibility Help?

Part of the beauty of NSA is that it allows many students to pursue their passions. This is especially true when it comes to student-athletes and their crazy schedules. For example, Zoe and her siblings started at NSA for this exact reason – they were searching for a way to receive a great education that also allowed them to pursue their dreams in tennis. They were training for over four hours a day and traveling around many countries to compete in tournaments, so going to an in-person school had become impossible. With NSA, they didn't have to choose between a rigorous education and a flexible schedule that allowed them to continue with tennis, they could have both.

Another beautiful part of NorthStar’s coursework is the flexibility with target end dates. They are extremely flexible and can be used for holidays, vacations, or in Andrew’s case, tournaments. He plays Ultimate Frisbee on a professional level which requires him to do semi-frequent traveling, and blackout dates help keep him on pace with school work. Instead of constantly getting behind and having to explain to teachers what was happening, he could set up a blackout date for a week and go about his tournament travels without falling behind. He can balance his responsibilities with school and commitment to his team, without having to give up anything. That is not the case with most schools. Most schools give you a set end date that you have to be done by with little to no flexibility, but at NorthStar, you can choose when you want to end the course and it will automatically set up due dates that align with your chosen end date.

What About Community?

Both the academic and social spheres of NorthStar Academy are designed to accommodate students from all backgrounds. The faculty of NSA strive to make sure that every student can successfully work through the courses and find help when they need it. Director of Instructional Development Amy Peterman explains it this way: “Here at NorthStar, we value all of our students and want to make sure they can access what they need to succeed. One accommodation is the fact that our courses have extra time built in—52 weeks for a full-year course with 32 weeks of content. This ensures that students have the flexibility to compete in sports, go on mission trips, or whatever else they need to do….We make an effort to include content, images, and videos from places around the world so students from anywhere can feel welcome here.”

Similarly, NSA staff members cultivate a thriving social community on the school’s messaging platform, Microsoft Teams. Through regular video calls known as “NSA Connects,” students gather to make friends, learn more about post-high school opportunities, and worship God together. Meanwhile, in other channels of Teams, classmates enjoy humorous rounds of truth or dare that have lasted for tens of thousands of replies and more than one dozen threads. Why do students like it so much? Nathan, a junior, had a good answer to this: “Personally when I moved up into high school it was a bit daunting to see all of the super intimidating sophomores, juniors and seniors. But over time as the truth or dare threads existed I was able to get the feel for all of those people and actually learn a good bit about them!...This thread has bridged the gap between age and origin simply by inviting people to fire away with the questions they may have about a person or that they themselves are wondering about.” Overall, NSA fosters a fun community where students from all over the world can work and play in a safe, helpful environment.

Why Christian Education?

One of the great appealing factors of NorthStar Academy is its biblical foundation. From the Expected Student Outcomes that are based on biblical principles to the biblical discussions and applications found in nearly every NSA course, NSA truly is a Christian school. For some students like Alex, his parents specifically chose NSA for him to attend due to its Christian values and great curriculum. Alex says, “I appreciated how well the Biblical Worldview courses were designed to defend the Christian faith from all kinds of angles that someone could encounter.” Also, including a biblical worldview in courses can make them less daunting. As Rebecca said, when biblical connections are done well they can act “like a grounding connection point to build off.” In addition, students like Amber can see and appreciate that the faculty at NSA “ have a strong focus on Christ in everything they do.”

As Mrs. Peterman mentioned, NorthStar values all students as unique individuals that are fully capable of succeeding during their time in high school. One key element of success is the spiritual piece that NSA offers. Brooklyn C., a four-year member of NSA, attended a school in India before joining NorthStar. While both schools helped her grow academically, NSA was the one that strengthened her spiritually as she learned about Scripture in classes and began being involved in Christian community through Teams. “It wasn’t something I thought I needed as much as I did,” she said. “One of my favorite parts of NSA is attending live calls where people can pray for one another and joke about their week in the same hour.”

The Christian influence in class expands outside of class as well. Staff and faculty are more than ready to offer students the support they need, whether that is help with a practice problem for Algebra or prayer support for a major life event. This type of leadership will allow students to learn from like-minded believers who are ready to encourage and uplift them when they need help. Furthermore, NSA equips students with a biblical worldview that is deeply relevant for students living in cultures across the globe. Brooklyn learned about religions in her apologetics class and has used that knowledge to share the Gospel with those in her community. NorthStar provides those seeking a Christian education with one rooted in the Word of Christ.

NorthStar Academy truly has brought in students for all kinds of reasons. Through being an online school, NSA allows everyone, regardless of their circumstances, to get a quality education. No matter where they are located, students are provided an education built on the truths of the Bible. Additionally, NorthStar is home to a thriving community where students connect with peers from around the world. It is no question that NorthStar Academy will continue to attract all kinds of students in the future, and these students will continue to attend NSA for its amazing flexibility, biblical foundation, and exciting community.

Columns: 🌎Collaborative Articles, 🧑‍🚀NSA Culture