Graduation Celebration

In another year during which every school in America was affected by the pandemic, Agora Cyber Charter School (ACCS), an online public school serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade throughout Pennsylvania since 2005, celebrated the Class of 2022 with a live commencement ceremony on Thursday, June 2, in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

“Graduation is an exciting time of year, as we celebrate the accomplishments and hard work of the Class of 2022,” said Dr. Richard Jensen, chief executive officer at ACCS. “Every student is a success story in the making, and Agora’s motto is ‘Don’t Change the Way They Learn. Change the Way They’re Taught.’ With the support from Agora’s amazing teachers and staff, we continue to hear from many families about how their children made incredible strides in their learning.”

This year, ACCS graduated 596 students. The salutatorian is Emily Martinez, who will attend Drexel University’s College of Nursing and pursue a career as a pediatric registered nurse. Vincent Varallo is ACCS’s 2022 valedictorian and plans to attend Neumann University in the fall—with a full scholarship—to study cyber security.

“Prior to, and especially during the pandemic, I didn’t feel my brick-and-mortar school was allowing me to be myself and reach my full educational potential. After enrolling at Agora, I was able to improve my academic career and gain more responsibilities,” said Vincent Varallo, Agora valedictorian. “This honor wasn’t even in my imagination, but the freedom to choose classes at Agora was crucial, and my hard work paid off. Try your best, keep working hard and always be willing to make a change.”

Collectively, members of the graduating class report having been accepted to colleges and universities across Pennsylvania and beyond, including Albright College, Arcadia University, Community College of Philadelphia, Delaware State University, Lincoln University, Misericordia University, Moore College of Art and Design, Pennsylvania State University, Temple University, University of Kentucky, University of Pittsburgh, University of the Sciences, Virginia State University and Widener University. Other postgraduation plans include trade and vocational schools, the workforce, the armed services, careers in agriculture and much more.

Students enrolled at Agora experience a stellar curriculum with over 80 electives that help shape career paths. As the world becomes more technologically driven every day, students are better prepared for the future by participating in cyber education. Agora staff have a passion to help all students achieve their highest potential and take pride in providing multitiered and varied supports. The school focuses on the whole child, making sure to address both the academic and the social and emotional needs of all students.