Smart Horizons Career Online Education (SHCOE; www.shcoe.org) is proud to announce that 18-year-old Sasicha Chaisuwan is now a high school graduate. A native of Bangkok, Thailand, Sasicha earned her high school diploma and Professional Skills Certificate through Smart Horizons Career Online High School on July 10 of this year.
It has been quite a journey for Sasicha—a journey that took her from Thailand to Lakeville, Minnesota, and then back again. And Sasicha’s journey is not over yet.
She moved from Thailand to Minnesota with her mother when she was 11 so that her mother could take advantage of an employment opportunity. Sasicha attended two different public high schools in Lakeville, almost completing her tenth-grade year before she and her mother returned to Thailand.
“My mom was getting older and she wanted to be here [in Thailand] with her other children—my older brothers—and the rest of the family,” Sasicha said. “And she was always getting sick in Minnesota because of the changing weather and it always being so cold. All of these things led her to decide to come back. I was only 15, so I couldn’t stay by myself and I had to come back with her.”
Sasicha continued her high school courses in Thailand through Minnesota Virtual High School (MVHS), completing the eleventh grade. However, at that point she had to discontinue her studies with MVHS because she’d been living outside the U.S. for over a year. That’s when she discovered SHCOE and enrolled in September of 2011 to complete her senior year of high school.
“I liked that I could work at my own pace, and the courses were definitely not boring,” Sasicha said. “Whenever it got difficult for me to pronounce any vocabulary words, I could turn on the audio to hear the content read out loud. Another thing I liked about the program is that it provides a course that helps students create a career portfolio and a resume to apply for jobs—something to be used in real life.”
Sasicha said that mathematics was her favorite subject.
“One of the math courses taught me about types of insurance and how to spend money the right way, which helped me prepare for life after high school. This was especially helpful because I am going to go back to the United States soon—now that I’m 18, I can live on my own, which is what courses like this have prepared me to do.”
Sasicha chose the General Career Preparation Program, in which students earn a Certificate in Professional Skills, because she was undecided about her career goals. “My long-term goal is to become a psychologist, but along the way I’d love to work at resorts and hotels because I enjoy helping people. This program taught me the basic skills to be successful in any type of career.”
“I would recommend Smart Horizons Career Online High School for anyone,” Sasicha said. “It is an outstanding program!”