Learner Spotlight – Ava Otto

Ava Otto’s family embarked upon the independent study journey a year ago as a result of Ava’s need for accelerated learning. She was a year ahead in her studies and traditional first grade curriculum didn’t offer the challenge and the learning experience she needed. Ava’s family was pleasantly surprised to find the variety of options iLEAD Exploration has to offer. They found the perfect balance between in home instruction and classroom experiences to satisfy Ava’s learning and social needs.

Ava loves many aspects about independent study, but especially her ability to help create her monthly lesson plans and have the freedom to take unconventional approaches to studying the required materials are what she enjoys the most. Ava likes taking an interesting assortment of classes with iLEAD vendors every semester and is planning to participate in fun field trips. She recently visited the California Science Center for a class about the galaxy.

Ava enjoys taking these classes, because she is able to work with other independent study learners and make new friends. Ava plans to take her learning on the road in the near future! She has a growing list of places to visit within the United States and abroad. The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, Big Ben in London, England, the Great Pyramid and other ancient monuments in Giza, Egypt, are at the top of her list.

Ava is an avid reader of fiction detective novels, but math is what she enjoys the most. She finds great satisfaction in solving multiplication problems and calculating measurements. Ava’s favorite independent study learning activity is definitely her mock grocery store! She enjoys using her third grade math skills to operate her very own mock store at home. She is also currently enrolled in a course that requires the learners to use these same math skills to plan and run their very own zoo from the ground up.

In her free time Ava loves playing Minecraft with her friends and writing in her journal. She also enjoys watching DIY videos on YouTube and trying them out at home. She is a huge fan of slime and collecting LOL Surprise Dolls. Two of Ava’s favorite things to do when she wants to unwind is to have movie nights with her mom and dad and to cuddle with her two dogs Church and Uzi.

Ava is incredibly passionate about dance. She fills her free time training as a competitive dancer. She studies ballet, lyrical, jazz, contortion and tumbling at To The Pointe Dance and Pilates in Valencia. She competes as a lyrical and jazz soloist and is on three teams. Ava’s passion for dance has been fueled by the love and support of her teachers and teammates. Studying dance provides many rewarding experiences for Ava, but she most enjoys learning new tricks, working with a diverse group of talented teachers and performing with her teammates. Along with dance, Ava also likes to explore her creativity through storytelling. She recently decided to pursue her passion for acting and looks forward to joining a theater group next year.

Ava is extremely compassionate and loving. She is never at a loss for words and loves using her unique sense of humor to make people laugh. Her friends and family are her greatest treasures. Her favorite stuffy “Yaya,” her glittery slime collection, and rare collectible LOL Surprise Dolls rank just below them.

Ava’s favorite movies are “Inside Out” and “Descendants 2.” If she could be a fictional character, she would be Harley Quinn. If she could meet anyone from the present or past, she would choose Steve Jobs because she is a huge fan of the internet. She is obsessed with sea otters, unicorns and the original “Teen Titans” television series.