Entries by Ronaldo Gomez

Exploring the Future: Visions Hosts College & Career Fair

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Exploring the Future: Visions Hosts College & Career Fair

It’s never too early to start thinking about your future, and here at Visions we are helping students do exactly that! Visions In Education recently hosted a College & Career Fair designed to introduce high school students to real-world opportunities and give them the tools they need to make confident, informed decisions about their future.

At the fair, students connected with more than 30 vendors, including local colleges, trade schools, potential employers, and military recruiters. These face-to-face conversations helped students learn what different pathways look like, what skills are needed, and what steps they can start taking now to prepare.

Students also had the chance to hear directly from Visions Career Technical Education (CTE) ambassadors, high school students who have participated in Visions CTE pathways. Students discovered how early exposure to career skills can help them make meaningful decisions long before graduation. In addition to academic and career exploration, students learned about Visions’ student clubs and the impact that getting involved can have on their future.

One of the most popular opportunities at the fair was the chance to participate in mock interviews with Visions staff members. Independent Study senior Linda Marie excelled during her mock interview and walked away with experience she can apply to future job or college interviews. “It was a low-stress introduction to interviewing where the interviewer was very nice! After your interview the interviewer shared feedback on what your strengths and weaknesses were, and tips for future interviews,” she shared.

Throughout the day, Visions counselors and staff also provided hands-on assistance with FAFSA applications, resume building, job or college applications, and more. By connecting students with resources, professionals, and practical experiences now, Visions is proud to help them build the confidence, clarity, and skills needed to thrive long after graduation.

A huge thank you to Visions Events Secretary Lisa Adams for coordinating this event, along with all counselors, teachers, and staff who supported. Another thank you to all vendors who came out to empower our students and champion their success: American River College, Woodland Community College, Sacramento City College – Technology & Innovation Division, Build California, Mason Development Center of Northern California, California American Fire Sprinkler Association (CAFSA), California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee, SMUD, United States Air Force, Golden1 Credit Union, EDD Youth Employment Opportunity Program, Folsom Cordova Community Partnership, HiSET, Folsom Lake College, Sierra College, Colusa County Office of Education, CSU Chico – Concrete Industry Management, Western Electrical Contractors Association (WECA), Eaton – Electrical and Industrial Power Management, Solace Enterprises – HVAC, Plumbing & Solar, California Department of Transportation (CalTrans), City of Sacramento, Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts, CPR With Heart, and SCOE – Mental Health & Wellness Career Pipeline.

Celebrating Alumni: Submit a Nomination for the Next Visions Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award!

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Celebrating Alumni: Submit a Nomination for the Next Visions Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award!

We know our alumni are out there changing the world, and we want to celebrate them ALL! Last year, we proudly launched the Visions Alumni Hall of Fame to honor outstanding Visions students who continue to inspire, lead, and make a difference. Now, it’s time to welcome the next class of honorees!

Do you know a Visions alum doing amazing things? Or maybe that alum is you. Nominate someone (or yourself!) for the 2025-26 Visions Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award! The process is easy: share a bit about the nominee and why you think they deserve recognition.

Inductees will be celebrated in lots of ways, including a feature article on Visions’ website, a video about their time at Visions and what they’ve been up to since, a crystal award presented at the annual August Back-to-School event, and more.

“This recognition is a reflection not only of my educational journey, but also of the incredible support, mentorship, and faculty that helped shape who I am today.” – Tanner Zumwalt, Inaugural Inductee, 2025 Visions Alumni Hall of Fame

To learn more about the Alumni Hall of Fame program and nominate someone today, click here.

We are so proud of the impact Visions alumni have had in our communities, and we cannot wait to celebrate the next group of inductees! 

Strengthening Partnerships: Highlights from Visions’ Enrichment Vendor Meetings

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Strengthening Partnerships: Highlights from Visions’ Enrichment Vendor Meetings

Visions In Education recently hosted Enrichment Vendor Meetings with over 20 Visions vendors, offering a valuable chance to connect with long-standing partners and hear directly from the vendors who support our students every day. With 9 vendors attending the in-person meeting and 13 joining our virtual session, these meetings served as an important opportunity to share updates and gather meaningful feedback from our valued partners.

“Our vendors are more than service providers—they’re essential partners in helping our students learn, grow, and thrive,” shared Tania Houchin, Associate Director of Business Systems & Support. “By creating opportunities to collaborate with them directly, we are able to refine our systems, elevate our level of support, and pursue our goal of being 1% better every day.”

Goals and Growth Opportunities

The goal of these meetings was to provide vendors with information on new system functionalities, identify common issues, and better understand how Visions can continue to support vendors in their work with families. Equally important was hearing directly from vendors about what they appreciate most about working with Visions, ensuring that these strengths remain at the center of our partnership approach.

Through these conversations, our teams are now able to identify next steps and 1% better efforts in our vendor services. Take a look at some key themes and successes shared by our vendors:

  • Vendors appreciate the strong relationships with teachers and families and emphasized positive collaboration and support from our school.
  • Vendors shared the efficiency and ease of eVoucher submissions and payments, noting that Visions processes payments quicker than other charter schools.
  • Vendors appreciate the opportunities to share their stories, including highlighting their services and student successes.
  • Looking ahead, Visions will work to increase vendor visibility, improve the Vendor Search Tool experience, and continue streamlining payment and reporting processes.

These meetings reaffirmed the importance of strong, collaborative relationships between Visions and our enrichment vendors. Thank you Tania Houchin, Kristin Shumaker, and Julie Yoder for leading these sessions, and thank you to our 22 vendor partners for participating: New Mettle Farms, Lioness Business Services, Engineer4Fun, My Tutoring Partners, Granite Arch Climbing Center, i9 Sports, Robert Eakin, Skips Music, Vasyl Halaburda Music Lessons, Blackbird & Company, Good2Great Skills Academy, Just For Fun Art, Globetrotters Languages Academy, Miracle Math Coaching, Branches Learning, Meighan R. Endress-Abolins, M.S. Ed., Reading Specialist, Split Second Response, Inc., Total Education Solutions, GymStars Gymnastics Stockton, Oz Academy of Music, Born To Dance, and Growing Healthy Seasons.

We are grateful for the thoughtful insights shared and look forward to implementing improvements that support vendors, families, and students alike.

Visions Graduate Featured on GoodDay Sacramento!

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Visions Graduate Featured on GoodDay Sacramento!

We’re excited to celebrate Class of 2025 graduate Tori B., who was recently featured on GoodDay Sacramento! During the segment, the hosts highlighted the challenges Tori has overcome as a child with special needs and the resilience that has carried her through. Check out the feature here!

 

Tori has been part of the Visions community since first grade, starting in our Home School Academy and later joining our University Prep Academy for high school. A passionate advocate for school choice, she embodies how charter schools like Visions create learning environments that are accessible, equitable, and most importantly – empowering.

“It’s great for unique people like me, or students who want to do more than a standard, one-size-fits-all school,” remarked Tori in her spotlight article. “The flexibility has helped me overcome my challenges and grow.”

Today, Tori is pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Development and working toward becoming a therapist for children with special needs, proving that with the right resources and support, students can rise above any obstacle.

Stay tuned! Tori will be back on the air soon to share more about how her Visions experience shaped her journey and how our programs can help students overcome challenges. We couldn’t be more proud of Tori and are honored to be part of her story!

Visions Indoor Soccer Club Achieves Historic Second-Place Finish

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Visions Indoor Soccer Club Achieves Historic Second-Place Finish

Visions In Education’s Indoor Soccer Club reached a significant milestone on November 21, securing a second-place finish in their league; the highest achievement since the program’s inception in 2023. Under the leadership of coaches Kyle Novak and Alexander Butterfield, student-athletes demonstrated exceptional dedication and teamwork throughout the season, culminating in this historic accomplishment.

The final game took place at the LeFive indoor soccer arena. As players warmed up with stretches, passing drills, and shooting practice, Visions staff and families gathered along the sidelines to support the team in their final competition of the season.

Last year, the Visions team was bolstered by a new coaching addition, Coach Alexander Butterfield, or better known as “Coach B”! Coach Novak highlighted his colleague’s contributions: “I want to praise Coach B who led the Visions 1 team. His experience coaching competitive soccer, his awareness of our players’ strengths, and his constant reminders to the players to defend relentlessly and back each other up on the field is a big reason why we had as successful of a season as we did.”

Read more about our Indoor Soccer Club

Building Connection Through Competition

The Indoor Soccer Club exemplifies how extracurricular athletics foster meaningful student connections while developing valuable life skills. Sergio Fuentes, Regional Athletic Director and Visions School Social Worker, emphasized the broader impact: “Soccer can be a positive outlet for students to manage stress, anxiety, or even depression. The social aspect to soccer helps increase emotional peer support, self confidence, problem solving skills, and communication. These benefits have been linked to academic success, mental health wellness, school attendance, and graduation rates.”

Extracurriculars such as indoor soccer help to build student connection by drawing players together for a similar purpose – to practice and build on their soccer skills while also enjoying their time with the team. 

Standout Performances and Team Excellence

Coach Novak recognized players whose leadership and skills were pivotal to the team’s achievement. Senior players Samuel K. and Faramarz K. exemplified the strategy that became the team’s hallmark. “They were models of the relentless defense mindset and their positivity and physical strength throughout the season and belief in the Visions team carried us through to finish 2nd in the league for the first time ever,” Coach Novak noted. Coach Novak also gave special recognition to eleventh grader Max T.

“Also our goalkeeper, Max T., was a standout this season in helping us to have a strong defense,” said Coach Novak.

Coach B spoke to the importance of working as a true team to accomplish larger goals. “This season we had a wide range of experience on the team, but one thing was consistent: every player was willing to follow the game plan. That might sound obvious, but it’s actually one of the hardest things to achieve as a coach. When players are committed to doing their part within a system, they become far more than the sum of their parts — they become a true team.” 

Celebrating Team Achievement

Following the championship game, players gathered to celebrate their successful season over pizza, reflecting on their hard work and collective accomplishments.

Congratulations to Visions Team 1: Zach Z., Zahra S., Rohan B., Nahum P., Mackenzie K., Sayyed Q., Artem S., Samir D., Joseph P., Samuel K., Faramarz K., Betoul Q., Evelina O., Max T., and Hanan B.

Program Growth and Future Opportunities 

Coach Novak expressed his pride in the trajectory of the Indoor Soccer program: “I am very proud of this program, which grew from 12 players on one team in 2023, to 25 players on two teams in 2024, and now 27 players on two teams in 2025 earning minutes of playing time in league games against other teams in the charter school league.”

The program welcomes participants of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced players, creating an inclusive environment where students can develop their abilities while enjoying team collaboration.

For information about joining athletic clubs and teams, including Volleyball, Basketball, and Soccer, visit the Visions Athletics page on The Wire to learn about upcoming events, practices, and participation opportunities.

Click below to view photos from the championship game

Student Spotlight: Finding His Calling

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Student Spotlight: Finding His Calling

Each fall, we get excited to kick off a new school year with our students through our annual #VisionsFirstDay Back to School photo contest. While we do not gather in traditional classrooms, this has been a way for our school to come together and celebrate the start of school throughout the nine counties we serve. 

A familiar face we have had the privilege of watching grow up through this annual contest, and a #VisionsFirstDay winner this year, is Cole B., one of our seniors in the final graduating class of Visions’ Home School Academy.  

Cole has been a Visionary since the 5th grade, originally enrolling to explore an alternative to the traditional in-person public school setting. Throughout his seven years with Visions, he has found that, “in my experience, the biggest advantage of Visions is its flexibility to work and apply myself to other important roles.” 

He has worked with his teacher, Mrs. Kimberly Oropallo, since initially enrolling with Visions seven years ago. When asked about his relationship with her, he expressed, “She’s been a constant, often like-minded, positive figure who is willing to help in any way possible.”

“Cole really thrived in our homeschool environment, overcoming initial obstacles and achieving goals he set for himself over the years. I am so proud to see Cole nearing the finish line for high school and preparing to spread his wings and begin the next leg of his educational journey at college. Cole has discovered his passion and purpose, and I know he will make a huge, positive impact serving others in the future,” shared Mrs. Oropallo.

Faith-Focused and Future-Ready 

Visions allows students the opportunity to learn at a pace that works for them while also encouraging students to explore their passions and interests outside of their schoolwork. For Cole, this has allowed him the time to work and spend time exploring the Christian religion. Cole is a very devout Christian, and plans to attend Pensacola Christian College in Florida after graduating from Visions to be a Bible major. “I plan to use my life to glorify Jesus Christ,” he shared. 

When asked what advice he would give to other Visions students, Cole shared, “if you can thrive by managing school work on your own time, I would highly recommend [Visions]. The best advice I can give is to take advantage of a wider schedule by involving yourself in extracurriculars and start working as soon as possible! You won’t regret it.”

A Season of Culture, Community, and Connection: Looking Back at LP 3 Events

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A Season of Culture, Community, and Connection: Looking Back at LP 3 Events

Another Learning Period has come and gone here at Visions, and it was full of fall treats and festive fun! As the weather cooled and the season shifted, we brought the energy through cultural fairs, bowling, Topgolf and more!

In the Home School Academy, we honored the rich diversity within our school community at our Around the World Cultural Fairs. Through performances, projects, clothing, art, and more, we celebrated the many backgrounds and traditions that make our community vibrant and unique. Thank you staff, students, and families for connecting, sharing your cultural heritage, and embracing the spirit of inclusivity that makes our school so special!

Meanwhile, our middle school students hit the lanes for a fun-filled bowling event that brought plenty of strikes, smiles, and team spirit! Students enjoyed some friendly competition while cheering each other on, showing great sportsmanship and enthusiasm.

Lastly, our high schoolers embraced the spirit of the season through pumpkin patches, corn mazes, train rides, and more! They also found their game and groove at Topgolf, the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, and our Silent Disco. Check out some pics below!

Hear From Our OMS & High School Events Coordinator Lisa Adams

“We’re thrilled to see so many students joining us again and again, building new friendships, and really embracing the events we offer. The school year is just getting started, and we can’t wait to create even more great memories together!”

Thank you Lisa, as well as the rest of our teams – Events, Teachers, Counselors, Social Workers, Vice Principals, Principals, and support staff – for bringing your energy, enthusiasm, and Visionary spirit to our events!

P.S. – The calendar year may soon be ending, but the fun is just beginning! Check out our upcoming events on The Wire!

Data-Driven Success: Visions 2025 California School Dashboard

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Data-Driven Success: Visions 2025 California School Dashboard

The California Department of Education recently released the 2025 California School Dashboard, and we’re proud to share that this is Visions In Education’s strongest dashboard performance yet!

The California School Dashboard helps families understand how schools and districts across the state are serving students. It brings together important information, including state test scores, attendance, graduation rates, English Learner progress, college and career readiness, and more, to give a full picture of student advancement and school performance.

Our Best Dashboard Yet

At Visions, our mission is to prepare every student to succeed in a rapidly changing world. A key part of that mission is helping students meet grade-level learning standards so they are ready for life after high school. As performance data is reviewed, we invite you to consider the diverse student populations we proudly serve. Many face unique challenges, which may shape how traditional test scores and state measures reflect their progress. 

This year’s results show meaningful gains across core areas. In English Language Arts, Visions students increased 6.4 points toward the learning standard, outperforming the state average by 1.3 points. Visions students outperformed the state in Mathematics as well, increasing 20.6 points toward the learning standard. Students learning English made a 2.7% increase in language development. We are also proud to celebrate our second highest graduation rate in Visions history, at 84.2%.

These achievements reflect the dedication of our students, the support of their families, and the commitment of our staff. Special thank you to our Instruction, Student Services, Internal Data and System Services, and Assessments departments for the collaborative work that makes this progress possible.

Continued Commitment to Progress

While we celebrate these milestones, the Dashboard also gives us valuable information to guide our next steps. Our goal is not just strong performance now, but continuing to get 1% Better each day. We will continue to review and use this data to strengthen instruction, refine our programs, and ensure we are meeting the unique needs of every student.

Learning Life-Saving Skills – Visions Hosts CPR Training for Students

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Learning Life-Saving Skills - Visions Hosts CPR Training for Students

Visions recently hosted a CPR training, giving students an opportunity to earn their certification and develop essential life-saving skills. The session combined instruction, demonstrations, and hands-on practice so students could confidently learn and apply each technique in real time.

Throughout the training, Visionaries explored a wide range of emergency response skills. Students practiced performing CPR on adult and child mannequins, learned how to properly administer an EpiPen, and received guidance on wrapping wounds to stop bleeding. They also worked through scenarios involving choking victims and learned how to respond quickly and safely in a crisis. Instructors walked students through each step, ensuring they understood not only how to perform these actions, but also why they matter in emergency situations.

The atmosphere was focused and supportive, with students asking thoughtful questions, working in small groups, and building confidence as they progressed through each skill. By the end of the training, 56 Visionaries successfully completed the course and left certified in CPR!

A special thank-you to Independent Study Principal Jasmin Patel and Vice Principal David Doyle for coordinating this valuable learning opportunity and opening the door for future CPR trainings and real-world learning experiences at Visions.

View the photos below from the day!

Visions’ Main Office & STS Closed November 25th-28th for Thanksgiving

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Visions' Main Office & STS Closed November 25th-28th for Thanksgiving

Visions’ main office and Student Technology Services (STS) will be closed Tuesday, November 25th-Friday, November 28th, 2025 in observance of Thanksgiving. Students are off Monday, November 24th-Friday, November 28th, 2025 for Thanksgiving recess. We will resume operations during regular business hours on Monday, December 1st.

On behalf of everyone at Visions In Education, we hope you and your family have a safe, restful, and happy Thanksgiving!