Battling for an Educational Lifeline

Originally published in the Reading Eagle

Shyanne, a happy seventh-grader at the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, lives in Schuylkill County and loves to learn. But her educational journey was long and arduous. And if the Pennsylvania school system had been more concerned with Shyanne’s unique needs rather than her ZIP code, her story might be drastically different.

As a toddler, Shyanne was borderline malnourished and nonverbal and didn’t engage with people. Fortunately, when she was 3 years old, Shyanne moved to Pennsylvania to live with her grandparents Ron and Cindy Hall, and their love and tenacity steered Shyanne in the right direction.

After two years of preschool and multiple schools and counselors, Shyanne finally received an independent education plan designed for her specific needs. Years later, the results are astonishing: Shyanne currently excels at PA Cyber — so much so that the school’s junior honor society recently invited her to join. Though she loves PA Cyber, Shyanne is ready academically and emotionally to attend a traditional brick-and-mortar school.

Read more in the Reading Eagle