In some ways, Covington native Everett Elkins is like many teenagers. He enjoys watching “Friends” and “Star Wars,” competes on a swim team, and volunteers with his church’s audio-visual team. But in June, Everett will graduate high school at just 15 years old and head to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with 29 college credits already in hand.
For many parents, choosing a non-traditional educational approach comes with uncertainties. Virginia Elkins certainly experienced this firsthand when considering alternatives for Everett.
The inability to self-pace was hurting Everett’s progression in his early education. Like many parents of exceptional learners, Virginia knew the standard classroom setting wasn’t serving her son, but needed confidence in the alternative.
“I was like, ‘You’re not wrong, but you’re not [learning] like everybody else does it,'” Virginia told her son, recognizing his unique learning style early on. After a psychiatric evaluation revealed his autism diagnosis, testing also showed just how exceptional Everett’s abilities were—he completed the assessment without missing a single question, scoring beyond what the sixth-grade level test could even measure.
Everett is just one example of how children’s educational journeys can vary widely. Across the country, families seek flexible, personalized learning for diverse reasons—student athletes balancing training with academics, young scholars whose minds race ahead of traditional curriculum, or children who simply process information differently. For some, it’s about accommodating family circumstances: military relocations, international careers, or travel-centered lifestyles. In all these situations, parents ask themselves: “Is there an education that truly fits my child’s life?”
Virginia asked herself this same question about Everett. When she took that leap toward personalized learning, something transformative happened – not just academic success, but a journey that replaced uncertainty with confidence, frustration with clarity, and limitations with boundless growth.
Fast forward a few years, and Everett was ready for high school-level work at just 10 years old. That’s when the Elkins family found Laurel Springs School.
For a student like Everett, traditional classroom settings simply couldn’t keep pace with his accelerated learning style. Laurel Springs’ flexible, mastery-based approach provided exactly what he needed: the empowerment to create his own path, regardless of his autism diagnosis.
For Everett, who was diagnosed with autism at age six, traditional classrooms presented dual challenges. The pace was too slow academically, while the sensory environment and social dynamics were often overwhelming. Laurel Springs’ approach allowed him to learn in a comfortable environment while advancing through the curriculum at his own pace, spending more time on challenging concepts and moving quickly through material he grasped easily.
At Laurel Springs, he was able to:
“I realized… hang on, why am I always relying on trying to make friends with people when I have lifelong friendships I’ve made through my school?” Everett shared, highlighting the meaningful connections he formed through Laurel Springs’ online community.
Laurel Springs’ asynchronous learning structure supported Everett’s diverse schedule while providing crucial opportunities for connection. Far from being isolated, Everett became deeply involved in the school community:
These activities weren’t just extracurricular add-ons—they helped Everett develop communication skills, build meaningful relationships with peers who shared his interests, and grow comfortable presenting his ideas to others. This June, Everett’s journey with Laurel Springs will come full circle when he speaks at graduation, inspiring fellow students with his story.
At Laurel Springs, we believe education goes beyond textbooks and test scores. While Everett’s academic achievements are impressive, we’re equally proud of his personal growth.
Despite his intellectual gifts, Everett faced social challenges that many gifted students encounter. With support from his family and the Laurel Springs community, he developed the confidence to embrace his unique identity.
“The hardest thing was getting him OK with being who he was,” Virginia explained. “We had multiple conversations in different environments about him being bullied and him thinking, ‘Oh, I have to change who I am.’ And now, he’s so OK with who he is.”
Today, Everett has grown into a young man who’s comfortable in his own skin and recognized for his character as much as his intellect.
Last year, he received an award on his swim team that recognized his kind personality—an achievement his mother values even more than his academic accomplishments. “I told him I was more proud of [the award] than I was for any GPA he had on any piece of paper, because he’s a good human,” she said.
This June, Everett will graduate from Laurel Springs and head to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. He was accepted to nearly every major aerospace program he applied to and plans to study aerospace engineering.
His passion for engineering was sparked through hands-on experiences. “I’d always liked getting my hands dirty,” Everett said. “On the Memphis Rocket Club, I loved building that thing, putting those chemicals in it and launching it up, like that was what I just enjoyed.”
Everett’s ability to pursue these interests while maintaining his accelerated academic schedule illustrates the flexibility that personalized learning provides. He hopes to graduate from Embry-Riddle in 2030, eventually start his own aerospace company, and return for his Ph.D.
Everett’s journey exemplifies what’s possible when students are given the freedom to learn at their own pace. At Laurel Springs, our approach combines:
For parents of students who learn differently—whether they’re academically advanced like Everett, have specific learning needs, or simply thrive in a more flexible environment—Laurel Springs offers an educational experience that adapts to the learner, not the other way around.
As Virginia Elkins discovered, recognizing and nurturing your child’s unique learning style can make all the difference in their academic journey and personal development.
In just five years with Laurel Springs, Everett transformed from a 10-year-old starting high school courses to a 15-year-old college-bound graduate with 29 credits already earned. What unique path might your child discover with an education designed around their individual strengths, interests, and needs?
Explore our programs today at laurelsprings.com or speak with an admissions coordinator to discover the possibilities that await your student.
Laurel Springs School is an accredited, online private school serving K-12 students worldwide. Since 1991, we’ve helped students achieve academic excellence through our innovative approach to personalized learning.
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