TTU K-12 High School experience facilitates university successes.
Finishing high school during a pandemic in an online program may have been the best thing to happen to Texas Tech High School graduate Kobe Young, who is now a junior at Texas Tech University.
Young, an Amarillo native, attended TTU K-12 for his junior and senior years, from 2018 to 2020. He made a difficult, but wise, decision to walk away from traditional school to be able to focus on core studies instead of extracurricular activities.
“Personally, I think it's important for everyone to understand their limits and to respect them,” Young said. “I've come to realize mine through taking too many responsibilities in high school in order to please potential universities. Through a lot of difficulties, I made the hard choice of starting anew and rekindling my love for learning without having 10 or 15 extracurriculars in my way.”
Young found TTU K-12 and was able to pursue his education at his own pace, which ended up being faster than his peers at traditional schools and allowed him to learn both in and outside of classes.
“I also learned that the pandemic didn't affect me near as much as it did my traditional peers,” he added. “I had already grown accustomed to distance learning and wasn't bogged down by the learning curve.”
He says his remarkable experience with the program absolutely contributed to his current success as a dual-degree, triple-minor student at Texas Tech.
“The experience I had was phenomenal. Transitioning from an in-person public system to an online public system helped my academic career immensely,” Young said. “Being able to work from any place with an internet connection allowed me to approach my schoolwork in any place I felt comfortable that day, whether it be the library, a coffee shop or my room.”
Young said Texas Tech High School afforded him the opportunity to truly excel by placing the timing in his hands.
“I was able to take classes at the pace I liked. In some, I progressed and finished extremely quickly; in others, I was given the ability to take the time I needed to best understand the material,” he explained. “I was able to understand how responsibilities of work are placed on students on the collegiate level in high school. TTU K-12 helped foster my passion for education and allowed me to prepare for what is required of me in higher education.”
Young also observed that TTU K-12 helped intensify his passion for working internationally. He said he was able to better understand and develop a love for other cultures, languages, and ways of life.
“Being able to talk directly with classmates in class and National Honor Society gave me a rich connection to the world. Even if we were separated by thousands of miles, being in the same class gave me the opportunity to appreciate the world's cultures that I don't think my traditional peers could have.”
To say that Young was prepared for the college experience is a bit of an understatement for the Presidential Merit Scholarship recipient. He excels in everything he has been involved in at Texas Tech.
“I am a dual-degree student pursuing degrees in political science and Honors Sciences & the Humanities,” he said. "I have been heavily involved in the Student Government Association, first as a senator and now as chief justice; and Honors College, as a First-Year Experience mentor, student assistant and house captain. Currently though, I am working as an intern within the U.S. House of Representatives through the Texas Tech Government and Public Service Internship Program.”
Young wants to complete a master's degree relating to political science or international relations and pursue a career within the foreign service. He would like to be able to advocate for and advance American ideals in foreign nations.
“At Texas Tech, I have been able to deepen my passion in the legal field, international affairs and the Chinese language, culture and political environment,” he said. “I am also deeply committed to public service, serving in the student government, working in political activism and eventually working as an intern on Capitol Hill. I love music, catching up with friends, no matter the last time I spoke with them, and checking out coffee shops wherever I am.”
About TTU K-12, Young said the diverse and worldwide student body gave him exposure to cultural richness that regular schools could not.
“Rather than being constrained by city limits and school districts, TTU K-12 had none of these limits,” he said. “I was able to study alongside students from many different cities, states and even countries. It even gave me a great opportunity to try everything on the menu of a local coffee shop, Palace Coffee Co. I was there so often for classwork that I grew to have a first-name basis relationship with every barista, and even the owners.
“I highly recommend the Bluebonnet in the month of April,” he added with a laugh.
From his own experience, Young has a recommendation for other families with students considering the fully online, full-time diploma program.
“You are about to embark on one of the most influential and important journeys of your life; TTU K-12 is truly a fantastic program to guide you,” he said. “Get involved with your peers and talk to your teachers and take advantage of the many, many opportunities the program offers.”
