When students speak, the education world must stop and listen. Welcome to the “Students Speak” series on Future of School: The Podcast, presented in partnership with National School Choice Week.

Isaac Steinmeyer, a first-year student at The College of Wooster in Ohio, is today’s guest. Isaac is interviewed by Amy Valentine, Future of School’s CEO and Education Evangelist.

“It helps you to become more passionate about what you’re learning,” says Isaac when asked about the benefit of students having agency and choice in their own education. He first began taking some online classes in middle school and found completely new interests, from history to world languages like French and Russian. He also used resources like Khan Academy for online learning. Reflecting on what choice has meant for him, Isaac realizes he’d be bored and less engaged with his learning if he didn’t have the opportunity to pursue these passions.

Isaac was a homeschool student for a number of years and felt he had a good idea of the options available in education. But when he was in middle school and researched the variety of choices out there, he was “absolutely astonished” by everything that was available. He says it’s important for all students and families to learn about the options they can pursue.

By his junior year of high school, Isaac signed up for a few college classes and took a microeconomics class online which was recommended by his mother and his school’s guidance counselor. It was an academic leap but exposed him to new, interesting content. Thanks to information and support from his local school district, Isaac found yet another subject he enjoyed.

Now in college, Isaac has the option to take hundreds of classes fully online, or to choose to take an in-person class remotely. He’s currently taking a blend of online and in-person classes. He encourages students to become familiar with all the options available to them and determine what is the best fit so they can become their own advocates.

Subscribe to hear more Students Speak episodes along with upcoming series from Future of School. Follow Future of School on Twitter @futureof_school, follow Amy Valentine @amyvalentine555, and learn more on our website: www.futureof.school

National School Choice Week is a not-for-profit, charitable effort to raise awareness of effective K–12 education options for children. NSCW focuses equally on traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online schools, and homeschools. Participate in the conversation by following @schoolchoicewk on Twitter and using the hashtag #schoolchoiceweek. Learn more at https://schoolchoiceweek.com