A Goalie with Goals

While most students can be found in the classroom on a Friday morning, you may find Hillsboro third grader Hunter Penberthy logging into his Zoom course while he’s in the car on the way to a tournament. “I can travel with the class and my team as long as we have internet,” Hunter says. Equipped with his Chromebook and his mom’s hotspot, they’re good to go!

Hunter has been taking Launch courses online full-time since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. When he’s working from home, his grandma often comes over to help him during the day—then he goes to practice in the afternoon. “You can have anyone help you, as long as they have time,” Hunter says. He’s enjoyed working with Grandma, though—especially in his favorite classes. “My favorite subject is math,” Hunter says. “I also like the art we did in class.”

Hunter has traveled as far as Wisconsin for a tournament, and he’s also gotten to play at Notre Dame. “The year before I started with Launch, my team got first place!,” Hunter says. And he likely has many celebrations ahead, as he dreams to play as a goalie in the NHL one day.