For senior Nora Farkas, her transition from in-person school to hybrid school was initially a result of the pandemic. As COVID-19 cases began to subside and students began to return in-person to school, her and her family ultimately decided to transfer her to OPIS.
In the 6 years she’s attended OPIS, Farkas received a range of opportunities for her education, both online and in-person.
Although OPIS is where she is officially registered to take classes, Farkas also takes classes at OPHS and Moorpark College.
“At OPIS I am taking two classes this semester: government and food. At OPHS I’m taking choir and theater and at Moorpark College, I’m taking English and Calculus,” Farkas said. “At Moorpark, I was able to get ahead of my classes for Calculus and English which was great.”
OPIS students meet with their teachers once a week to discuss their progress. They submit and receive new work, which is both beneficial and challenging.
“I meet with my teacher on Tuesday mornings and we go over my last week’s work and the new week’s work,” Farkas said. “It’s hard sometimes not being physically taught by someone, especially for calculus at OPIS, but it’s good that you can do your work at your own pace, which is important to me because I’m a very busy person,” Farkas said.
One of the primary reasons why many students attend OPIS is because of the need for flexibility in their schedule. Farkas craved this flexibility.
“I enjoy being able to do things outside of school that I wouldn’t usually have time to do,” Farkas said. “Instead of being at school for eight hours, and then completing homework, I go to one hour of OPIS a week and the rest is my time, which I use to take college classes and participate in other activities.”
Farkas joined OSB to prioritize her community and embody their student culture.
“OSB, which is OPIS Student Body, is similar to OPHS ASB, so we have a lot of class parties where I have met my classmates, but you get to know people in your grade through your classes and labs,” Farkas said.
At OPHS, Farkas spends a considerable amount of her time participating in theater, where she has found a sense of community.
“At OPHS I met people through choir and theater and now I have friends here. It’s a little weird not being able to see them every day, but you make do of it,” Farkas said.
When Farkas is not in school, she participates in her junior Navy program, the Sea Cadets.
“Every summer and winter, you can participate in a camp which focuses on a variety of options such as medicine or photography,” Farkas said. “I am currently staffing an RT, recruit training, which is the first step you have to take in this camp before you can go do any of the fun camps. I basically help teach my lead petty officers how to become leaders.”
Even as her future seems both hard to grasp yet right around the corner, Farkas is thankful for OPIS, which is dedicated to guiding their students toward a successful future.
“OPIS has helped me manage my time and taught me the importance of independence and learning your own way. In college, you are going to be more self-sufficient,” Farkas said. “OPIS is a good resource if you don’t have much time on your hands or if you don’t like the traditional way of being in a classroom. I think you have to be a self advocate, and you have to not be too much of a procrastinator. But otherwise I think OPIS is a great option.”
