Maine Virtual Academy Celebrates 2020 Graduates in a COVID Era: School Will Provide Pre-Recorded Ceremonies So Families Can Access and Celebrate from Their Own Homes

As the world struggles to figure out the next steps for daily education, Maine Virtual Academy (MEVA), an online public-school serving K-12 students throughout the state for the last 5 years, will cap off their school year by celebrating the Class of 2020 with a pre-recorded commencement video, highlighting all MEVA graduates and including guest speakers.

This year, MEVA will graduate over 60 students, many of whom have been enrolled at MEVA their entire high school career.

Collectively, the class reports having been accepted to colleges and universities across Maine and beyond, including University of Maine-Orono (UMO), University of Maine-Farmington, University of Maine-Augusta, and Quinnipiac University.

"Maine families are a determined bunch, and while it's been a very challenging year for all Maine students, we are excited for the opportunity to help our students celebrate their graduation online," said MEVA Head of School Dr. Melinda Browne. "It's a little different this year, but we pride ourselves on our differences in Maine, and we still want to give our graduating students some well-deserved attention."

Candelais Kara will serve as Valedictorian and is considering UMO or York University in Toronto in the fall. Natasha Heath will be Salutatorian and is attending Central Maine Community College. These students, as well as Dr. Browne, will be available for media interviews.

Maine State Senator Matthew Pouliot (R-Keenebec) and Genevieve Morgan, Editor, and author of Undecided: Navigating Life and Learning after High School will be 'keynote' speakers for the pre-recorded video.

Students enroll in virtual school for a number of reasons, including those looking to escape bullying, those looking to get back on track academically, or those looking for an alternative to the traditional brick-and-mortar classroom setting. MEVA students access a robust online curriculum in the core subjects and a host of electives and attend live virtual classes every day taught by state-certified teachers.

The video will be sent to MEVA families today, May 29^th. For any questions, please contact Dr. Melinda Browne, Head of School, (207) 613-8900, ext. 2001.

About Maine Virtual Academy

Maine Virtual Academy (MEVA) is a full-time online public charter school that serves students in grades 7 through 12. Authorized by the Maine Charter School Commission, MEVA is available tuition-free to students in the state of Maine and utilizes the curriculum from K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs for grades K-12. For more information about MEVA, visit meva.k12.com.