NOVA Provides Non-Traditional Approach for Two Teens Who Will Surely Change the World!

Three years ago, NOVA promoted the story of an outstanding student. Then 15 years old, Ryan Bhojwani was working on his second associate degree from NOVA, while also attending high school full time.

Ryan was young for his grade, so for the 2016-17 school year, his parents decided to give him a “gap year” before high school to give him a chance to catch up in some of his verbal communication skills. He spent that year enrolled in NOVA Online completing an A.S. in Science. Who knew that Ryan was practically a savant who could churn through college credits like nobody’s business? By summer 2018, he was 16 and had earned two NOVA degrees, with all A’s, and he had gained a sense of purpose and serenity he had never known before.

His parents watched in awe as their teen ticked off 68 credits in just 15 months in what was then known as ELI, now NOVA Online.

Now, Ryan‘s younger brother Jonathan, who just turned 15 this past October, has also finished his second associate degree at NOVA before starting high school. Jonathan took 113 credits in less than two years; and he is now, concurrently, a freshman at H.B. Woodlawn High School.

The two clearly have a great gene pool. Dad, Roger, is a doctor and on the faculty of George Washington University’s med school and hospital. Mom, Brandi, had a career in marketing, but has chosen to focus on her boys’ academic and extracurricular pursuits—Ryan is an outstanding baseball player likely playing college baseball next year and Jon is a gifted guitar player.

When he finished at NOVA, Ryan went on to become a freshman at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington. He eventually transferred to Yorktown High School as Arlington Public Schools embraced and fostered his nontraditional educational growth.

“He is a confident kid who, most importantly, has a sense of self-worth and keeps himself out of trouble,” said Roger. “We are so lucky!“

Ryan is applying to colleges now, and hopes to attend Rice University to major in computational applied mathematics. He’s not sure of his exact career destination, but he loves all things STEM. Also, he hopes to play baseball for Rice.

Jonathan, three years younger, took the same track as his brother. His folks pulled him out of public school and enrolled him in NOVA Online. More than 113 credits since spring 2018, and nothing but As.

“Jon has also finished two degrees at NOVA—an A.S. in science and an A.S. in information technology – just like Ryan, and he is now a freshman at H.B. Woodlawn High School in Arlington,” said Roger. “No one I know combines his hard work, humility and kindness. Jonathan is also an avid guitar player,” Roger says.

Jonathan is leaning toward the bio medical fields, perhaps a physician like his dad or a biomedical engineer. He is not sure which college he would like to attend, but it’s still early.

Both boys are avid sports enthusiasts. Ryan is serious about baseball and Jon is considering football. For several years, they worked out regularly at a center in Vienna called Perfect Performance and then at The Bull Pen in Sterling. Both facilities are structured for exceptional athletes to hone their skills under the direct coaching of former pro athletes. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, they have not been able to go, so they work out at home.

Their parents say the boys are the nicest kids any parents could hope for. They also say the education they received at NOVA gave them a sense of purpose and direction.

“We are so thankful! NOVA online is the best,” Roger said. “As COVID has shown us, a lot of education can be done online. For better or worse, those students who feel comfortable learning online will have an edge. NOVA online is the future, but it’s available now!”

Bhojwani said that one concern he and Brandi have had is that, since their kids are such high achievers, people will assume their parents pushed them. He says the boys push each other to achieve, and their folks keep things balanced by doing lots of things as a family.

“By any measure, what Ryan and Jon have done is a lot. They push each other to learn more,” Bhojwani said, “There is an excessive number of courses, but the number of courses is not what is important in their story. When both boys realized they could learn anything they wanted, it peaked their interests and had a snowball effect on their self-esteem. It was the early part of the process that was most important. They realized that the only limits that exist are the ones they choose to accept for themselves. There is no substitute for a sense of self-worth. NOVA Online forced the boys to become thinkers, and it became the platform for them to realize their self-worth. Once they had this, they chose to keep pushing themselves.”

(To read our Nov. 2017 story about Ryan, click Here.)