Texas Tech K-12 had everything this family was looking for.
CREATORS
Even before her expected graduation from Texas Tech K-12 in May, Adira Edwards is
well on the way to her future.
Adira enrolled in the school during the second semester of her sophomore year. Her
family discovered Texas Tech K-12 via an online search.
Melanie, Adira’s mom, said they were looking for an asynchronous learning program
that offered great teacher and administrative support, access to advanced coursework,
opportunities for clubs and events as well as standardized testing to help with college
admissions.
“Coming from a traditional learning environment, we encountered extreme teacher shortages
in classrooms and a host of other challenges that came along with that,” Melanie explained.
“We wanted Adira to have a fair chance at learning and felt Texas Tech K-12 would
provide her with that opportunity.”
Adira with her younger sister and parents
The Edwards’ younger daughter, Lael, also recently completed middle school through
Texas Tech K-12.
Adira enjoys the asynchronous nature of the program, which enables her to be independent
when it comes to completing assignments. Having a single deadline to complete all
coursework allows her to pace herself and accommodate her other responsibilities and
goals. The school has also helped the senior gain new confidence in her own abilities.
Adira has time to train in track and field, and she takes care of her pet parakeet,
Milo.
“I can more successfully juggle the responsibilities of school while I continue my
research work, build on my training regimen for track and field, serve others at church,
volunteer at community organizations and enjoy my hobbies,” Adira said, enumerating
a long string of commitments and passion projects she has time to pursue.
It is obvious Adira is incredibly driven. She wants to be a part of a leading health
care and research team with the goal of helping forge change in the medical industry
to improve patient experiences and outcomes.
Texas Tech K-12 has not only given Adira the time, but also the tools to nurture her
passion for learning by allowing her flexibility to explore topics in school that
interest her. For example, when learning about different types of graphs in math class,
she can take the time to experiment with their properties to try and find new graphs
and determine why certain equations produce certain shapes on a graph. She also mentions
physics as a favorite class, particularly enjoying the opportunity to design the answer
to an engineering question, both solving problems and inventing solutions to fix them.
Adira’s current plan is to enroll in a good research-based college program that will
allow her to begin working toward helping to meet patient needs, as well as assist
with creating solutions to some of the challenges people face in health care. Melanie
says the sheer flexibility of the program has already opened the door for Adira to
join one of Texas’s leading research organizations to help with digitizing specimens.
“She researches, transcribes and translates specimen details,” Melanie said. “This
has enabled her to receive training and mentorship from her supervisor, a scientist,
on best practices for research and documentation, and how to leverage technology to
help improve outcomes.”
Adira, top left, and her sister Lael, bottom left, pose with student council at the
2025 Raiderpalooza.
A most enjoyable and unexpected part of Adira’s time in Texas Tech K-12 has been meeting
her classmates, teachers and advisors in person through school-sponsored events such
as Raiderpalooza and Spring Fling. She is also grateful for leadership opportunities such as student
council and National Honor Society, which she’s been involved in since November 2024
and February 2025, respectively.
But Adira’s life isn’t all textbooks and nose–to–the grindstone. She has a pet parakeet
named Milo and a wild duck named Janice that she takes care of when it visits her
at home. She enjoys music-making, nature photography, gardening and spending time
with family.
Another pastime is building miniature house sets. She is imaginatively transported
to new cultures and lifestyles through the architecture and artifacts in the houses
that she builds.
“My favorite pieces to create are the tiny food items, bottles, ribbons, bows, trim,
baskets and boxes that usually can be found around the houses,” Adira said, her pride
showing in her smile. “While not usually obvious, they add to the beauty of each house
and help to tell the story of a likely inhabitant.”
Adira’s free time is at a premium lately though, as she’s already well into the college
application process. Melanie says earning national awards and recognition on the journey
is part of how Texas Tech K-12 has prepared her daughter well for that next step.
They’ve already begun receiving college acceptances, merit scholarship offers and
honors college admissions letters; however, Adira has not made a final decision on
what program she would like to enroll in to further her studies.
“I love that Texas Tech’s slogan is “From Here, It’s Possible™,” Melanie says. “Texas
Tech K-12’s coursework has truly prepared Adira to excel in everything from AP exams
and SATs to standardized testing.
“College applications require an all-hands-on-deck approach from supportive parents,
teachers, counselors, registrars and more. When it comes to some of the more competitive
programs, it’s not for the faint of heart. However, the staff, especially her advisor
Taylor Fierro, was there to answer every request with speed and excellence for the
required teacher recommendations, transcripts, counselor letters and more. We are
so grateful for all the help.”
Thinking through and managing all the many aspects of her busy life, Adira reflects
on her “why” and what keeps her motivated every day – to one day be able to use a
career in medicine to improve lives by both helping to find cures for supposed “incurable”
diseases and conditions.
“And also, by bringing people closer to God through Jesus Christ, who is my hope and
my peace,” Adira said with conviction. “I know that if I work hard every day, it will
help me to reach that goal. Faith without works is dead (James 2:26) – meaning, when
faith isn’t accompanied by real actions rooted in love for God and others, it is useless.”