Community : Meet Our Students
Karl Swinson
Age 17
Apex, North Carolina
Karl Swinson had an upbringing well known to military families. During his high school years, he and his family moved from Virginia to Washington, D.C., to New Mexico and to North Carolina, following the path of his father's career as an officer in the Army. The moves were nearly always at odds with the traditional school calendar, occurring in months such as November and February.
If he had attended traditional high schools, his graduation likely would have been delayed. However, Karl's schoolwork continued seamlessly throughout each move, and he recently graduated early, at age 17, with a 4.0 grade point average from Keystone National High School.
"With Keystone, I was able to receive an excellent education without interruption," said Karl. "No matter where we moved, I didn't have to change classes or adapt to new schools."
Keystone, a fully accredited, independent study program serving students in all 50 states and around the world, offers at-home, self-paced study and education to more than 20,000 students each year.
"With Keystone, I was able to receive an excellent education without interruption," he said. "No matter where we moved, I didn't have to change classes or adapt to new schools."
Karl appreciated the portability of Keystone but also chose it because it made for "a very respectable transcript," he said. His credentials earned him a "presidential scholarship," the highest academic financial award offered at Campbell University, a private liberal arts university in Buies Creek, N.C. The other compelling part of his application was his ACT College Board score, which was in the top 98th percentile. "I mastered the material, and I have Keystone to thank for that," he said.
Another reason Karl chose Keystone was he wanted to be able to move through his courses at his own pace - which was rapid. "Keystone gave me the freedom to move ahead," he said. "I was able to accomplish more than I could have any other way."
Karl's fast academic pace required a dedicated schedule. Each weekday he would begin a four-hour study session at 7:30 or 8 a.m., take an hour lunch break and then continue with three or four more hours of study time in the afternoon. "I learned how to study efficiently, be independent and budget my time," he said. "I gained skills that prepared me for college."
He said Keystone staff provided "the right balance of freedom and support." Keystone instructors provide guidance to students using telephone, email, electronic bulletin boards and online chat. "I asked a lot of questions through email and occasionally by phone, and I always received prompt responses. My teachers were very helpful," he said.
Karl said Keystone staff provided "the right balance of freedom and support." He added, "I asked a lot of questions through email and occasionally by phone, and I always received prompt responses. My teachers were very helpful.""
Karl was impressed with the quality of Keystone's materials. "Everything was laid out, very clear cut, and there wasn't any mystery," he said. He described his courses as "well paced and structured," and named several favorites: Algebra I and II, Precalculus, Chemistry, Physics and English III.
Through a Keystone Music Appreciation course, Karl discovered classical music and now enjoys the works of several German Romanticists and French Impressionists. Through an English Literature course, he came to admire Charles Dickens. He credits his Keystone education for improving skills of many sorts, from learning how to answer essay questions to how to type quickly.
In his spare time, Karl enjoys playing "retro" video games from the early 1990s and is a fan of classic movies such as "Casablanca." He follows college football, particularly the Florida Gators. He also lifts weights regularly, to maintain his recent loss of 70 pounds - an accomplishment he attributes to the self-discipline he learned at Keystone.
Karl is looking the future square in the eye, with a firm goal and a plan to achieve it. With the guidance of a mentor, he has decided to pursue the business aspect of the pharmaceutical industry, as a venture capitalist. He plans to earn a doctor of pharmacy degree and possibly a master's in business administration from Campbell University.
Since his Keystone graduation three months ago, he's already completed a Microeconomics course at Campbell, the first step in his new academic journey. Although he was the youngest student in his first college class, he is proud that his scores were the highest.
"I believe that, thanks to Keystone National High School, I will succeed," he said.
