A Second Chance: Emalee Finds Hope and Help at PA Cyber

Special education student receives a scholarship toward education in healthcare management.

September 24, 2024

“Emalee coming to PA Cyber was life-changing,” said her mother, Judy Rindt. “That is no exaggeration. It was absolutely hands down the best decision we've made.”

Prior to enrolling at PA Cyber, Emalee described her educational journey as a rollercoaster when it came to finding help for her learning disabilities. Even though she was diagnosed in seventh grade, the private school she attended wasn’t equipped to help her. Private schools are not required to offer special education accommodations—only public schools, including public cyber charter schools such as PA Cyber, are required to do so.

The Rindt family heard opposition from private school staff when they requested support. Every kid struggles, they heard. In a high school class, one teacher said learning disabilities were merely excuses to get out of assignments.

Emalee struggled with math and writing. “I could barely write a sentence without going into a panic or having anxiety because I just didn't know how to go about it,” Emalee said.

Her confidence was destroyed, and she didn’t see college as a possibility. But three years after attending PA Cyber, she graduated with a scholarship and the confidence to take on college.

Turning Things Around

The Rindt family enrolled Emalee at PA Cyber for eleventh grade after hearing about the cyber charter school from another family. “It all turned around from there,” Emalee said. “I was able to get an IEP. I was able to get the help I needed.”

PA Cyber’s Special Education Association selected Emalee as the 2024 recipient of the $1,000 Lori Conkle Memorial Scholarship after reviewing her application, which included an essay and a letter of recommendation. Emalee had the opportunity to know Lori as her English teacher before she passed away. “She was a wonderful teacher, very sweet,” Emalee said.

Special Education Teacher Janine Coble provided a letter of recommendation for Emalee’s scholarship application. She cited her student’s work ethic, ability to advocate for herself, and utilization of the Special Education Department’s support services.

“Lori had such a passion for students with special needs, and she made such a difference in so many lives,” said Janine. “She would be happy that Emalee won the scholarship in her honor.”

Janine understood Emalee and her struggles from the beginning. She spoke with the Rindt family every week to check in and see how she could help. The collaboration between Janine and the family was key to Emalee’s success.

“It has meant so much not only to [Emalee] but to me as a parent,” said Judy, “to see her flourish and her confidence go through the roof.”

Preparing for the Next Steps

After two years, Emalee’s family and her team at PA Cyber agreed that staying for a third year would be beneficial. They selected classes that would prepare her for success in college.

Emalee’s greatest achievement while attending PA Cyber was completing the College in High School English Composition class. “I had to write a 12-page paper for my final grade, and I passed with a 96%,” she said. “I never thought I would ever be able to do a college class.” She credited Special Education Teacher Kristin Williams for helping her through the paper.

This fall, Emalee began attending Westmoreland County Community College to study Healthcare Management. She plans to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps by working in medical coding and billing. After earning her associate degree, she will enter the workforce and may consider pursuing her bachelor’s.

“My biggest takeaway from PA Cyber was to never give up and to keep going,” Emalee said. “Even though the challenges that you might face are hard, you will get through it. You’ve got to find the right people who will be behind you and support you.”