November 10, 2023 | Jeffrey Good
For Bryce Dittman, a traditional high school with its bustling classrooms and hectic hallways proved an exercise in distraction. “It was a draining environment,” he says. “I couldn’t really learn.”
Then he learned about Marion County Acceleration Academies (MCAA), where the soft-spoken teenager can settle into a comfortable chair in the cafe-style learning space and get right down to work.
“I needed something different. My mom told me about this place and how it’s less stressful. I can do my work at my own pace, and the teachers help me out,” says Bryce. “I’m doing a lot better here.”
Whenever he hits a rough patch in his studies, all he has to do is look up and a member of the MCAA team will help him out.
For example, ESE coach Annette Maldonado-Garcia helps Bryce break down the elements of tutorials to better master the material. “Sometimes I just won’t understand the question, the way they word it,” he says. “She’ll explain it to me better.”
English coach Susan Conner also provides clarity, helping Bryce understand the meaning of complex words and literary devices. “She’ll help me analyze it better.
While Bryce came to dread going into his old school, he welcomes the chance to join his fellow graduation candidates at MCAA. If he wants a snack or a drink, all he has to do is visit the cafe area. There’s no need to ask for a hall pass to make a trip to the restroom.
Best of all, there’s quiet.
“For me, it’s really the people factor. I have less distraction, fewer people bothering me,” explains Bryce, who hopes eventually to go into commercial real estate. “I can just sit here and do my work. Nobody’s bothering me.”
Marion County Acceleration Academies accepts new students on a rolling basis. For more information, check out the academy web page and fill out an online enrollment form.