She Was Told She Was a Burden. Today She Runs Her Own Career.

Maddie Rutledge was twelve years old when a teacher told her parents she was a burden to the class. She had ADHD, was working as hard as she could, and still could not get the support she needed. Her mother pulled her out of middle school and spent a week weighing every option: a different school, homeschooling, something else entirely. Then she found Utah Virtual Academy.

That decision changed everything.

Maddie enrolled in UTVA in seventh grade and stayed through high school graduation. Today she is a licensed cosmetologist working full time at a salon in Sandy, Utah, building a career she loves and a life she is proud of. Her diploma came from Utah Virtual Academy, and she will be the first to tell you exactly what that meant.

“I joke with people all the time that I would not have graduated if I had not made the switch. It was genuinely that impactful.”

Maddie Rutledge

From Falling Through the Cracks to Feeling Seen

The transition was not without nerves. Maddie had only ever attended a traditional public school, and she was used to being overlooked. At UTVA, that changed almost immediately. On her first day, her school counselor reached out to her mother to check in. Not at the end of the week. Not at a scheduled conference. That same afternoon.

The classroom format was new but made sense quickly. Live lessons ran 45 minutes to an hour, with teachers leading instruction on a shared whiteboard and students able to participate through built-in tools: raise your hand, type in the chat, signal whether you understand or need help. If something was unclear, a breakout room was right there. And every class was recorded.

For Maddie, that last part was transformative. She is the kind of learner who needs to hear things more than once. Instead of struggling alone or waiting to flag down a teacher the next day, she could go back to the source, rewatch the lesson, and keep moving.

“There was never that anxiety about, I'm never going to get this. They just had so many resources. I was never really struggling, even when something was hard.”

Maddie Rutledge

High School, Cheer, and Doing Both

By the time Maddie reached high school, she had found her footing. She had also rediscovered something she loved. Before enrolling at UTVA, she had been a dancer, and she had set that aside to focus on the transition. Going into 10th grade, her mother mentioned dual enrollment: take core classes online and attend a local high school for electives and extracurriculars.

Maddie tried out for her high school cheer team. She made it. So she spent the rest of high school doing both: core coursework through UTVA and cheer and arts classes at her local school. UTVA handled the coordination, communicated on her behalf, and made sure her credits lined up every step of the way.

“Utah Virtual was always super good at communicating with them. If I needed to fit in another class to stay on track, they would figure it out. They were on top of it.”

Maddie Rutledge

A Clear Path Forward

After graduation, Maddie did not take a gap year. She started a cosmetology apprenticeship right away. The program ran two years, extended to three because of COVID, and led directly to where she is now: a full-time stylist at a salon in Sandy, coming up on her second year there.

Her husband sometimes kids her about going to school at home. She sets the record straight.

“My mom was not my teacher. I had certified teachers, live classes, counselors, the whole thing. I just did not have to sit in a building to do it.”

Maddie Rutledge

More than that, she credits UTVA with giving her something that is harder to quantify than a diploma.

“I had the most carefree and safe and easy schooling, and it set me up to be confident in what I do now. I think if I had a normal public school education, I would still be kind of lost. Utah Virtual set me up to know exactly what I wanted to do, and I could just jump right into it.”

Maddie Rutledge

She has already decided something else: when she has kids, they are going to UTVA.

About Utah Virtual Academy

Utah Virtual Academy (UTVA) is a tuition-free, accredited online public charter school serving K-12 students across Utah. With flexible full-time and part-time enrollment options, live instruction from certified Utah teachers, and a curriculum aligned to state standards, UTVA provides personalized, high-quality education that meets students where they are. Learn more at utahvirtualacademy.org.