By Yuka Noda
Staff Writer
In a country where hard work is rewarded with more opportunities, students at Costa are already well on their way to the top. By taking advantage of the independent studies program at Costa, some students are already pursuing success in their passions.
The independent study program at Mira Costa is offered to students who are considered elite athletes or those with talent and passions outside of school. It allows the students to pursue their dreams without the legal obligation to attend school five days a week.
“It’s harder to be an independent studies student in one way because students have to juggle their passion with studies without any teacher watching them from day to day, hour to hour,” independent studies coordinator Michael McAvin said.
Upon joining, the students are required to complete at least 20 hours of work every week. Because the independent study students are on a different schedule, the students can complete two semesters worth of classes in ten weeks.
“They must be mature enough to know when and how they get their school work done while performing at a high level,” McAvin said. “They have to complete work on their own with little to no interaction with other students. They must fulfill the contract, or they’ll be removed from the program.”
Seniors Mason Silva and Ariana Serrano started the independent study program in their sophomore and junior years respectively. Silva is a skateboarder and Serrano is a ballet dancer and are often away from the Manhattan Beach community.
“We have students ranging from either athletes, professional actors, ballerinas and ballerinas, or circus performers,” McAvin said. “These students have the same requirements and same resources as any other students.”
Silva has been skateboarding for 11 years ever since he first started at the age of eight. He traveled to San Diego for three weeks this past February to skateboard as well as to film others skateboarding. He is sponsored by companies such as Nike, Spyder and Spitfire Wheels.
“The only difficulty would be just managing your time and knowing when to work,” Silva said. “When you start filming with bigger companies, it’s kind of a pressure to be on your best game the whole time.”
With the independent study program, Silva has been able to participate in many skateboarding competitions as well as being able to work as a filmmaker for the sport.
“Skateboarding has always been my passion,” Silva said. “I’m always looking to become better at what I do.”
Ariana Serrano has been dancing since the age of four. In her lifetime, she has taken ballet, tap dancing, hip hop and musical theater. When she was 13 years old, she finally committed to ballet exclusively.
“I’ve always been a perfectionist,” Ariana Serrano said. “Ballet is difficult, but feeling yourself progress makes yourself want to do it more.”
Serrano attends a ballet school in Beverly Hills, where she is taught by a professional Russian teacher Olga Toziyakova. Serrano had travelled to many places, including New York and Germany, for various ballet competitions. She also participated in the Youth America Grand Prix ballet competition in February.
“I will always support Ariana in anything she chooses to pursue,” Ariana Serrano’s mother Ruth Serrano said. “Ballet is an extremely difficult art form and it is really important for our family to encourage her progress during these important formative years. Her driven personality and ability to juggle daily rehearsals and school work have made independent studies a great option.”
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