Graduation for UNL online students

LINCOLN - They've never sat in a classroom together, but 11 members of Independent Study High School Class of 2009 will march down the aisle today during a commencement ceremony at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

They are among 179 students earning diplomas from the independent study program, now in its 80th year, said Laura Wiese, recruitment coordinator. The program has a total enrollment of about 3,000, she said.

Even though little about their high school experience was traditional, those participating in the ceremony will get the full mortar board-and-gown, pomp-and-circumstance treatment.

About 60 people, mostly friends and family, will attend the ceremony, which will feature speeches by Juan Franco, UNL vice chancellor of student affairs, and any graduates who would like to share a few words.

"I look forward to graduation each year because it's an opportunity to connect face-to-face with our students," said Principal Barry Stark.

The Independent Study High School was founded in 1929 as part of NU's mission as a land grant institution.

Its original intent was to provide an avenue for rural students to qualify for college, even if their local school went only to eighth grade or if the demands of farm work prevented them from attending school.

Today, the high school attracts students from across the country and around the world. Although most students are of typical high school age, they range from youths to senior citizens. Courses generally are taught online.

Students include competitive athletes whose travel schedule prevents them from attending traditional high school, children whose parents' work requires frequent moves, gifted students and home-schooled students.

This year's graduates come from 29 states and 25 foreign countries. Four of the 11 students participating in the ceremony are from Nebraska; the others are from Minnesota, Virginia, Florida, Indiana, Nevada and Wisconsin.

They include siblings James McCarter, 12, and Rebecca McCarter, 15, of Greenfield, Ind., who were recommended for the independent study high school by the Center for Gifted Development in Denver.

James, who has enrolled at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, needed a high school program without a minimum age.

Kaitlyn Darter of Lynchburg, Va., is a competitive gymnast who says the NU program gave her a chance to excel. She has been accepted into the architecture and design program at Kent State University in Ohio, where she plans to compete on the gymnastics team.

Allison Blunt-Butterfield of Chadron, Neb., describes herself as a nontraditional student. Married with a son, she plans to pursue a pharmacy degree at the NU Medical Center.

The graduation ceremony will be at 2 p.m. at the Nebraska Union.

• Contact the writer: 402-473-9581, leslie.reed@owh.com