Kena Lemn-Akutagawa chose online school as a way to be safe during COVID. She has thrived there because of support from her family and teachers.  

“I’d say the best part of attending Tacoma Online (TOL) has been the staff. They are amazing,” she said. “Whenever I needed help with lessons, teachers were always holding support sessions or were quick to respond to emails. And my PACE teacher helped me stick to the goals that I set.”  

Here is what Kena shared about how TOL has shaped her experience and interests:  

Why has Tacoma Online been a good school for you?  
Remote learning let me get a diploma while being safe from COVID. That was a really big worry for my family.   

TOL has been a good school because the classes are unique, and it made me consider different careers. The classes always keep me interested and engaged in what the teachers are teaching. This year, they added a new class that I took - forensic science. It’s one of the careers that I have been contemplating going into, and I feel like I would really enjoy it. I have always been into mysteries. Actually doing things like fingerprints and learning how forensic scientists figure out how to identify the person was interesting to me. On top of that, my nana worked with the government and has the type of degree that would be needed to go into forensic science.  So that was interesting to me.    

What are you looking forward to next year? 
I will be taking a gap year. I hope to research different programs for forensic science and art to figure out which to pursue. For me, forensic science seems like a more stable career, but art seems like something I would prefer to go into as my passion. My art is drawing - pens, markers, pencils. I’ve also been practicing digitally on an iPad. That has been more animation than character drawing or backgrounds. During the gap year I can work on an art portfolio. I also plan to work and save money for my future during that year.   

What is a challenge you’ve overcome? 
Probably moving away from my family and realizing I missed out on making a lot of memories with them. I recently went back home to Kauai because my great grandfather died. And it made me realize how much I had missed out on with him. That was really mentally challenging for me to realize.   

What is an accomplishment you are proud of? 
Sticking it out and graduating. There was a time where I was thinking about dropping out, getting a GED and going into the workforce. My parents helped me stick it out. They talked about the benefits of getting a diploma and encouraged me to keep going since I was so close to the finish line.   

What’s something your biggest fan would say about you? 
I actually asked my mom this question. She said I’m very thoughtful and that I try to make others around me feel comfortable but not at the expense of my own wellbeing.   

Describe yourself in 3 words. 
Passionate.  Authentic.  Compassionate.