Personalized Pathways: How Member Schools Help Students Expand Their Learning Through GOA

Inspired by watching his mom return to school to fulfill her dream of becoming a nurse, Fritz F., a GOA Student Ambassador and 12th-year student at The Boys’ Latin School of Maryland, sought out GOA’s Neuropsychology course. “I always wanted to take more and unique science classes so I could be prepared for the journey and diversity of the pre-med journey and the challenges I would face, but my school did not offer any science electives or unique sciences,” says Fritz. That decision changed everything: “It really sparked my interest to the point where I started working in the Johns Hopkins research hospital working on brain cancer treatments,” he says. “I now want to pursue neuroscience parallel to my pre-med classes at Emory University.”

Like Fritz, many students seek learning opportunities beyond their school’s offerings. By joining GOA, schools expand access to subjects they may not have the faculty, budget, or resources to support. “Schools simply can't hire the number of teachers necessary to support all the different courses students can take through GOA,” says Jim Yavenditti, GOA Site Director and Director of Studies at St. Luke’s School in Connecticut.

Many students use GOA courses to try out different interests and discover potential college and career paths. Fritz, for example, has taken multiple GOA courses, including Introduction to Organic Chemistry I, Medical Problem Solving I, and Neuropsychology, and he is currently taking Introduction to Organic Chemistry II.

“These kids are risk takers in our traditional community,” says Sara Rosiak, GOA Site Director, Director of Educational Support Services, and Upper School Learning Specialist at Boys’ Latin. “These are kids who are willing to invest the time. They’re willing to take a risk. They’re willing to go out of their comfort zone.”

Being able to customize their learning experience has been valuable for Rosiak’s students. The GOA course catalog “expands the opportunities for our kids,” she says, “particularly in an area that they’ve had a lot of interest in but we don't have the faculty to teach.” She found that many students were interested in business, psychology, and law, “but we weren’t offering courses for them to trial that.” These are now some of the most popular GOA courses for her students.

Yavenditti agrees, saying, “GOA gives us the opportunity to expand opportunities for our students. It broadens the student experience in ways that are great for them, academically and personally.”

Gigi M., a GOA Student Ambassador and a 12th-year student at St. Luke’s, has taken Global Health, International Relations, and Capitalism: Past, Present & Future, leading to a Global Studies certification through GOA. “These courses have helped me explore the intersection between health, politics, and economics, and have fueled my desire to pursue international relations in college,” she says. “GOA has given me exposure to courses that I otherwise would not have had the opportunity to take and has been an exciting addition to my high school curriculum!”

Other students turn to GOA for practical reasons, such as resolving scheduling conflicts, accelerating coursework over the summer, or preferring an online format.

Yavenditti says many of his students choose to take GOA’s Digital Photography course over the summer to fulfill half of their graduation requirement in art, freeing up their academic-year schedule. Similarly, students use GOA’s computer science courses when it either doesn’t fit into their schedule or so they can “move ahead in computer science the following year,” he says. “They might take our classes in 9th grade. Then they might take the computer science class through GOA over the summer between 9th and 10th grade so they can head back into St. Luke’s computer science classes in 10th grade without skipping a beat.”

Both Yavenditti and Rosiak see students using GOA to successfully accelerate in math over the summer. “We had a couple of students take Geometry online so that they could begin in Algebra II as freshmen. We had a freshman going into a sophomore year who took Precalculus online so he could go straight to Calculus,” Rosiak says. “We have found that the students who have done that are prepared for the next level.” Yavenditti adds, “I think they’re doing well in the GOA class. And of course, even more importantly, they’re doing well in the class that they’re entering.”

Yavenditti notes that GOA’s online model allows for greater flexibility compared to in-person programs. For example, for a student taking a Geometry course at a local school, “You are tied then to the area for the extent of the course,” he says. “Whereas the beauty of the GOA class is the student could still do it if they are traveling or even home with an injury — they can still do the stuff online and get what they need, while not being tied down.”

GOA courses do more than provide new learning experiences — they can help students shape their future academic and career paths. And sometimes, GOA courses help the students realize what they want — or, just as importantly, don’t want — to pursue in the future.

Rosiak recalls a student who, after taking GOA’s Architecture course, realized, “‘Well, this saved me a lot of time in college, because I do not want to be an architect.’” She responded, “‘That was a really valuable four months of your life!’” Rosiak remembers another student who discovered newfound confidence through his Global Capstone Project, proudly telling her, “I didn’t think I could do that.” Though he took the course because he wanted to go into business and thought it would look good on his college resume, “I think it had an unintended result for him that he pushed himself in a way he didn’t realize he could,” she says.

At St. Luke’s, Yavenditti sees students using GOA courses as a stepping stone. “For many of our kids,” he says, “the learning doesn’t stop with the GOA course.” These students take what they have learned from GOA and use it to launch into an independent study or college-level research at St. Luke’s.

Gigi is now using the foundation she built in international relations through GOA as part of the Scholars Program at St. Luke’s, which allows students to conduct in-depth research in specialized fields such as global studies, STEM and literature. “Taking the GOA classes helped spark her interest in being a Global Scholar,” Yavenditti says. “And the quality of the experience allowed Gigi to perform at high levels in her St. Luke’s courses.”

Whether resolving a scheduling conflict or crafting a personalized academic pathway, GOA is an essential tool for member schools like Boys’ Latin and St. Luke’s. Yavenditti says, “St. Luke’s wants to help unlock the potential of every student, and GOA helps us accomplish that goal.”

Rosiak agrees: “One of our missions is to meet kids where they are, so we actively individualize opportunities for kids. We want them to really pursue their own path,” she says. GOA “checks a lot of boxes in our community,” Rosiak continues. “It’s impactful for those students.”

For more, see:

• Pathways Expand Opportunities at International Schools
• Learning Pathways: A Deeper Learning Experience that Prepares Students for the Future
  
• Charting Your Path: Students Leverage Learning Pathways to Prepare for A Globally Networked Future

The Extraordinary Together series spotlights stories and outcomes from our member schools, illustrating the impact GOA programs have on students, educators, and schools. Posts in the series highlight the potential of student-centered learning—demonstrating how learners thrive when schools foster curiosity and provide pathways for pursuing passions—and they showcase the tangible ways we partner with schools to drive meaningful change. By sharing these experiences, we seek to illuminate how school membership amplifies our member schools' mission, sparks innovation, and shapes the future of education.

GOA is a nonprofit learning organization that reimagines learning to empower students and educators worldwide. In partnership with our global network of 150 schools, we provide interactive, relationship-driven courses, expert resources, and innovative thinking that help to expand and elevate academic programs. Together, we help students and educators become open to the extraordinary.

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