After a school year like no other, Destinations Career Academy of Colorado (CODCA), an online public school serving 6-12 grade students throughout the state since 2011, will celebrate its graduates both virtually and in-person with a commencement ceremony on May 28 beginning at 10:30 am.

The in-person ceremony will be held at Colorado School of Mines in a safe, socially-distant way, and individual time slots will be given to students to be recognized by staff. There is no requirement or obligation to attend.

“While other schools may have struggled with online learning throughout the year, CODCA never missed a day of instruction, which kept our students motivated, excited, and moving forward,” said CODCA Head of School Teri Cady. “And not only did our students stay the course, but they also have earned valuable college and career readiness skills that will put the far ahead of their peers at the next level, in whatever path they choose.”

This year, CODCA will graduate 105 students. Approximately 17 students will graduate with a cumulative GPA above 3.5.

Collectively, the graduating class reports it has been accepted to colleges and universities across Colorado and beyond, including Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, University of Hawaii, and Grand Canyon University.

Dominique Belasquez and Susanna Hericks are CODCA’s 2021 co-valedictorians. Dominique plans to attend School of Mines in the fall and Susanna will be taking a gap year to travel. The Salutatorian is Garrett Swetky and he has already secured a job in construction. The two keynote speakers will be Shaun McAlmont, Stride’s President of Career Learning, and Colorado State Treasurer Dave Young.

“This year was a whole new kind of struggle and we all couldn’t have gone through it without the continued support of our teachers at CODCA,” said Dominique Belasquez. “I’ll forever be grateful that they helped me move onto the next level of my education.”

Prior to the pandemic, students enrolled in virtual school for a number of reasons—some were looking to escape bullying, some may have fallen academically off track, and others were looking for an alternative to the traditional classroom setting.

CODCA students access a robust online curriculum in the core subjects and a host of electives and attend live virtual classes taught by state-certified teachers.

Details of the graduation ceremonies are as follows:

WHAT: Destinations Career Academy of Colorado 2021 Graduation Ceremony

WHEN: Graduation Ceremony - Friday, May 28^th, 2021, 10:30 AM for names A-K

WHEN: Graduation Ceremony - Friday, May 28^th, 2021, 1:30 PM for names L-Z.

CONTACT: For any questions about the celebrations, please contact Adelita Shepherd at ashepherd@k12.com or Renee Breur at rbreur@k12.com. For media inquiries, please contact Ken Schwartz at kschwartz@k12.com.

About Destinations Career Academy of Colorado

Destinations Career Academy of Colorado (CODCA) is an accredited, full-time public school program of the Julesburg School District that serves Colorado students in grades 6-12. As part of the Colorado public school system, CODCA is tuition-free, and gives parents and families the choice to access the curriculum provided by provided by K12, a Stride Company (NYSE: LRN). Stride offers learners of all ages a more effective way to learn and build their skills for the future. For more information about CODCA, visit codca.k12.com.

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A Time to Celebrate the Students! Destinations Career Academy of Colorado Class of 2021 Ready to Move Forward