Learner Spotlight: David Budge

Last year, David relocated to California to get a fresh start on his life and education and moved in with a family who was already educating through iLEAD Exploration. David was nearing the end of a traditional public school education that had failed him. He was plagued by self-limiting beliefs and thought he was on a dead-end path with limited hope of ever finding fulfillment or success.

Since enrolling in iLEAD, David has been thriving. As a child growing up in Arizona, David was fascinated with reptiles at an early age. He was thrilled to learn that through iLEAD, he could pursue studies in herpetology. As a result, he chose reptile husbandry for his junior year project. Through this project, David procured a pair of bearded dragons, studied and learned about their habitat, and then fostered an environment where they were comfortable to breed. We are happy to report that his endeavor was successful, as David incubated and hatched a clutch of twenty-eight adorable baby bearded dragons. This provided a much-needed win and the accompanying self-esteem in his accomplishments, as David realized this would be a viable career path for him.

But life had other ideas in store for David. Not long after relocating to southern California, the Thomas and Woolsey fires began, with flames in sight of his new home. When he saw the massive response by the firefighters and the community as they came together to battle the blazes, he was inspired to shift his education from herpetology to a career where he could be of service to the world.

Again, through his studies at iLEAD, David was able to choose the prerequisite coursework that would provide the necessary foundation to become a firefighter. Furthermore, the flexibility of an iLEAD education has allowed him ample time to also volunteer through the Ventura County Fire Explorers program, while still excelling in his core education needed to complete his high school diploma. The combination of iLEAD and the Explorer program has now laid the groundwork for him to not only attend college, but also to enter the United States Air Force as a firefighter once a position becomes open.

David is excited about taking chemistry, physics, and economics in his final year of high school. He is really looking forward to the lab classes that accompany those courses. His favorite part about learning with iLEAD is that he is able to take the time that he needs to work toward mastery. iLEAD has allowed him to blossom into an honor’s student for the first time in his educational history. He works very hard, is extremely dedicated, and is excited about learning for the first time in his life. Taking an active role in making decisions for his education has given him ownership and pride in his success.

For someone who never thought he’d go to college, David is ready to tackle his first college classes having just recently registered at Moorpark Community College. We’re so proud of David’s hard work and are glad that iLEAD was able to provide him with the educational environment and support for him to pursue his goals.