Glendale High School (Springfield) junior Jackson Baskins is a fan of consistency. That’s why he decided to become a full-time online student at the start of the fall 2020 semester. “We had the option to go full-time online after the pandemic,” Jackson says. “I chose to because I wanted to be able to work on my own timeline.”

Jackson starts every week by making a list of all of the assignments he must complete, then makes a schedule to ensure he gets all of his coursework done by Friday at 3 p.m.—or, occasionally, by end-of-day Thursday. “If I really focus, I can work it to where I’ll have a three-day weekend,” Jackson says. And it’s on these long weekends when he has time to enjoy his latest hobby—multi-day backpacking trips.“My first trip was at Busiek State Forest,” Jackson says. “It was 16 miles with 21 water crossings.” Since then, Jackson has been on two more trips—one at Hercules Glades where he trekked 24 miles over three days. "I'd say my favorite thing is the scenery," Jackson says. "It's great to get away from your computer and your phone and simply enjoy the outdoors."