From High School Senior to Future Educator: Evan Is Ahead of the Curve

By the time Evan walks across the graduation stage in May, he won’t just be earning his high school diploma. The 18-year-old Arkansas Virtual Academy (ARVA) senior will also receive his associate degree — a milestone that puts him two years ahead on his journey toward becoming a teacher. 

The Sheridan native, who is legally blind, earned Dean’s List honors in the 2025 fall semester at Arkansas State University-Newport, where he is completing concurrent college coursework. To qualify, students must earn only A’s and B’s, and Evan currently holds a 4.0 institutional GPA. At ARVA, he maintains a 3.58 GPA. 

For Evan, the opportunity to pursue an associate degree while in high school was a game changer. “For me, it was always a dream of mine to get my associate degree,” he said. 

Working Ahead 

As a student who is legally blind and uses assistive technology daily, Evan found that ARVA’s fully online structure worked well with how he learns. With coursework accessible through his own computer and screen reader, he’s been able to move efficiently through his classes and spend more time preparing for his future education career.  

“Being blind and visually impaired, you learn how to work in a different environment in different ways,” he said. “And my ultimate goal is to work with those who are blind and visually impaired and those who are deaf and hard of hearing as an educator.” 

To accomplish that goal, Evan has taken advantage of ARVA’s education career pathway, where he’s completed courses including Introduction to Education, Education Technology, and Child Growth and Development. Now, most of his schedule consists of college-level general education courses, including general chemistry, world civilization, sociology, psychology, and fine arts. After high school, he aims to earn a bachelor’s degree in K-12 special education, followed by a master’s in special education. He plans to attend the University of Central Arkansas. 

More Freedom 
Through it all, ARVA’s Flex program, which allows students to set their own structures and schedules for learning, has allowed him to balance high school requirements, college classes, and work responsibilities while meeting firm academic deadlines. 

“I still have to have things turned in by a certain due date, but I have greater flexibility in how I get it done,” he said. “It kind of just has a bit more freedom.” 

ARVA’s agreements with Arkansas colleges and universities also provide students with access to concurrent college courses that give them a jump on post-secondary degrees. ARVA’s agreement with ASU-Newport covered the cost of Evan’s dual enrollment classes, saving him money that he can apply toward his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. 

“We’re incredibly proud of the work Evan has done,” said Farrah McEntire, ARVA’s accountability administrator. “Expanding concurrent opportunities is one of the ways ARVA invests directly in our students’ futures. By covering ASU-Newport tuition and required course materials, we help remove barriers so students can earn college credit, move toward their goals, and graduate with a real head start.” 

Braille Bites 

Outside the classroom, Evan channels his skills into a project called “Braille Bites,” for which he creates Braille menus for central Arkansas restaurants.  

The project began as part of his extracurricular activities with the EAST Initiative, which provides technology training to students and teachers in schools throughout Arkansas. His first menu was for the Wendy’s on Cantrell Road in Little Rock, and requests soon came in from others by word of mouth. 

Using a Braille embosser he purchased himself, Evan formats each menu carefully with detailed food descriptions, calorie counts, and nutritional information. In addition to fast-food restaurants, he’s prepared menus for notable local eateries including the Oyster Bar in Little Rock. In all, he’s created 53 menus since his sophomore year and has been requested to create over 60 more Braille menus since his story aired on the local news. 

“I started Braille Bites because access to information should never depend on someone else reading it for you,” Evan said. “Everyone deserves the independence to order their own meal with confidence.” 

By May, Evan will have accomplished what many students take years to achieve, and he’s just getting started. With a clear purpose and the academic foundation in place, he’s moving steadily toward a career devoted to expanding access and opportunity for others. 

In many ways, he’s already doing the work. 

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