Learner Spotlight: Enzo Cosio

For third grader Enzo Cosio and his family, iLEAD Exploration has felt like finding the last puzzle piece. Even though COVID-19 has shut down external get-togethers, iLEAD Exploration feels like the community they were searching for.

The family has been independent studying since January 2020. Traditional school was never a good fit for them, and the more they learned about independent studying, the more they felt it was worth considering. The traditional classroom always felt like something of a compromise because there was never enough time to go as deep as Enzo wanted to and he rarely was able to follow his passions toward deeper understanding of a subject. With independent studying, Enzo has a chance to fully explore the subjects at hand — and the people who love him the most are his teachers.

independent studying has brought out the collaborator in Enzo. Rather than simply consuming his education, he partners with his teachers on it. During his nature school days, he collaborates with his friends, searching through tide pools or exploring Griffith Park. Even at eight years of age, he understands that a good day is one in which everyone finishes happy, definitely a win-win for everyone. He translates this growing empathy to his interest in the natural world (raising and releasing pollinators) and to his politics (marching in demonstrations and helping send postcards urging folks to vote).

Enzo is always wonderfully positive and enthusiastic about life. His mother said she was grumbling about how hard 2020 has been, and Enzo said, “Maybe, but 2020 is also the year we’ve all stayed home together and spent all this time together. Nobody had to travel for work. We raised chickens, which we probably wouldn’t have done if things were normal.” What a grateful and optimistic young man!

Enzo loves all things science, particularly marine biology. He loves to read adventure books and play math games with his mom. He likes documentaries and is always making up songs. He bakes bread with his grandfather, is learning to cook with his grandmother and loves to play Mario Kart with his dad. Enzo also enjoys boogie-boarding, rock painting, reading every day, playing with his dog and taking care of his backyard chickens, Alice, Martha and Momo.

Enzo is inspiring to those around him because he is so enthusiastic about everything he’s learning and enjoys talking about all the interesting projects he’s involved in.