Growing a Future, Starting with Soil

Riley Rickard fought back nerves as she spoke to more than 2,000 peers and family members at PA Cyber’s Western graduation ceremony last May. In her class representative speech, she shared how taking an out-of-the-box approach has repeatedly benefitted her, such as her parents’ decision to enroll her at PA Cyber and her decision to begin her own farm after graduation. “To everyone here today who might be going through something similar,” she said to the audience, “no matter how different, or odd, or unique your path after graduation may seem to those around you, I know you’ll do great.”

Ever since she was little, Riley has worked on the family farm, which dates back to her great-grandparents. The 6-acre property in Erie County is now owned by Riley's parents who farm flowers. Her mother is a florist, and the crops become floral arrangements for sale.

When her senior year was approaching, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do after graduation until one conversation with her mother in which she explained her interests in entomology (the study of bugs) and farming. Her mother said it sounded like Riley wanted to start her own farm.

“Once she mentioned it, it was perfect,” she said. “It was exactly what I wanted to do. Both of my parents are hardworking, and being able to work alongside them and even build upon their businesses with my own ideas is a really awesome opportunity.”

Prior to graduation, Riley was growing organic tomatoes, peppers, beans, peas, and carrots, and farming worms for compost production. She imagines her farm will eventually include animals, an orchard, bee hives, and more varieties of produce. She is interested in selling prepared foods like jams, baked goods, and salads.

‘I Am Excited for My Future’

Riley was nervous to tell others about her post-graduation plans because she felt she was taking a non-traditional route. “I got some mixed responses from different people, but for the most part, I was surprised at how supportive everyone was. I'm excited for my future.” She adds that many PA Cyber families have farms, and “it's been really cool to have so many people interested in a similar thing.”

At her former brick-and-mortar school, Riley missed too many days because of a chronic health condition. She needed to attend frequent doctor appointments, and sometimes the school sent her home because they mistakenly thought she was contagious. She fell behind in her classes.

Riley’s parents heard about PA Cyber from a local family, so they enrolled her in sixth grade. “I chose to stay at PA Cyber because of how flexible the program was to my needs,” she said. “When I was at a low point with my health issues, I could stay in bed without missing a day of school, and on my best days, I could work ahead and get caught up on anything I might’ve missed. It was perfect for me and my family, and I couldn’t imagine attending school anywhere else.” PA Cyber turned out to be a great fit for Riley—she graduated with a 4.0 GPA.

A Growth Mindset

She says she will be taking away from her education a sense of independence, and she has tackled procrastination. “Before, it was really hard for me to feel confident enough to do things on my own,” she said, “but a lot of my teachers have encouraged me to try new things and be more independent.”

She continued her reflection: “My teachers talked about this growth mindset, meaning every time you fail or do something wrong, it's not bad. It helps you learn and grow to get better, and that's something that I've really taken with me.”

Riley has made some of her best friends through PA Cyber, from all around Pennsylvania. In Mr. Scuilli’s English 11 class, Riley met her friend Abigail Hagopian, and they bonded over The Great Gatsby. They connected on social media and have stayed in touch ever since. They took another class together and joined a couple of clubs, including the Book of the Month Club and Art Club.

We know Riley’s future will be fruitful because she’s not afraid to follow her own path. While tending the family farm may seem unconventional, it is also deeply rooted in tradition—just like PA Cyber.