VALDOSTA – Caisen-Lynn McClendon, of Valdosta, is a seven-year-old 1st grader at Georgia Cyber Academy (GCA). Caisen-Lynn also has autism, but that doesn’t stop her from doing well in school and competing in sports. Caisen-Lynn recently competed in the Special Olympics, where she participated in the 50-meter run, standing-still long jump, softball throw, and baseball hitting.

Last year, while attending a traditional brick-and-mortar school, Caisen-Lynn began suffering from seizures that limited her activities. Caisen-Lynn is a very bright young lady, but the traditional structure of school did not provide her with the educational environment and support she needs, so Caisen-Lynn made the switch to GCA this school year. GCA is a free online public charter school that is part of a national network of schools operated by K12 Inc., a technology-based education company with programs in over 2,000 school districts nationally.GCA is entirely online, so Caisen-Lynn is able to complete her school work anytime she has an internet connection, at any time of the day. This flexibility has enabled her to learn at her own pace, ensuring that she gets a full understanding of all material before moving forward.

Today, more than 14,000 Georgia students are enrolled in GCA.