The Hybrid Learning Haven

Karsten Wanke is a 15-year-old sophomore who is an advanced surfer and hope to continue to do distance learning to further perfect his surfing. 

“During the quarantine I have been able to focus a lot of my time and energy into surfing and it has really been a blessing in disguise,” Wanke said.

He also has been able to surf locally through the week. On the weekends, he would go down to Orange County and San Diego to surf again. Wanke has taken this time to dial his equipment and improve everything.

Wanke has been working with many sponsors such as Hurley Clothing, Chilli Surfboard, and Smith Optics Sunglasses to ensure every part of his equipment is in peak condition. 

Wanke works with his shaper, a person who makes surfboards, to make better boards to improve his surfing skills. He also trains to by watching film and improving his technique day by day.

Brianna Kunich, a junior, is an athlete like Wanke, but Kunich is on the varsity cheerleading squad. She chose to do hybrid learning, too. 

“I miss cheering on the sidelines very much with my friends. I also miss having my family come watch me cheer at football games, basketball games and at pep rallies,” Kunich said.

“Another reason I chose to do hybrid, hoping we would go back to school, was that I feel that because I did similar above my grade levels classes last year, I have learned that it is much easier and more beneficial to me when I am in person for my many harder classes that I take,” Kunich said. 

Kunich is also taking multiple AP and honors classes such as AP English 3 Language, AP Psychology, AP Studio3D, Marine Biology Honors and AP Research, along with many clubs she is a part of, and being part of the “Pep Squad” counts as that. 

“It is a lot of work but manageable as long and you focus and don’t procrastinate,” Kunich said. 

Gigi Cole, a sophomore on the junior varsity cheerleading squad, has also chosen to do hybrid learning. 

“Being on the cheer team for the second year in a row has been very exciting but when we didn’t go back to practice for a while, I started to miss it. I miss seeing my teammates, learning new dances and cheering in front of the student section at games, my friends and my family,” Cole said.

In addition to missing cheerleading, Cole also misses other aspects of her school life.

“I miss being in a classroom and with my friends. I don’t like sitting at home for most of my day,” Cole said.

However, online school also has a few perks that she did not want to give up.

“I wake up five minutes before my class starts and then join my Zoom class,” Cole said.