School can be a very stressful and thus a joyless environment for many students. However, online school and, in specific, AISD Online has allowed many students in the district to take online classes while still participating in extracurriculars at their local high school.

Former full-time Bowie student Luke Fisher is completing his senior year through AISD Online which requires students to log a minimum of 20 hours each week.

“My teacher comes to my house twice each week for one to two hour sessions where she helps me on anything I’m stuck on,” Fisher said. “It could be anything from a math problem I don’t understand to helping me with technical difficulties.”

The switch to online classes provides Fisher with more time to learn at his own pace and complete his graduation requirements in the comfort of his home.

“I actually still have [Musical Theatre Dance] at Bowie, so I still go by the school most days but it’s a lot less anxiety-provoking than a full day of regular classes there would be,” Fisher said. “Honestly, the time I do spend at Bowie is a lot more enjoyable now than it used to be since I’m no longer associating it with the dread of going to class.”

Attending online school gives students more freedom to personalize their educational experience.

“A big advantage to the program is the flexibility it gives my schedule,” Fisher said. “Aside from my two weekly appointments, I have the full freedom to choose when and where I want to work on my courses, sometimes I like to go to coffee shops or cool places around town to do my work which is pretty sweet.”

While completing online classes, Fisher is still participating in Bowie theatre activities as he had done for the past three years.

“Aside from the fact that I really enjoy acting and being in the productions, [theatre] offered an opportunity to socialize and stay connected with my school friends despite the fact that I was no longer in classes with them,” Fisher said. “I think humans have an innate desire to be with others, at least to some extent, so I knew completely shutting myself in wouldn’t necessarily be a good idea.”

Fisher’s friends have noticed the impact that staying in theatre has had on him.

“I feel like Luke is a really charismatic guy and always has a great time when he’s a part of a show,” senior Natalie Haddad said. “He makes acting look so natural and you can tell he’s always having a fun time on stage, so I feel like he just wanted to continue to have that fun.”

Extracurriculars can provide a unique opportunity and exposure that may not be available in an  online school setting.

“Theatre is something that makes Luke happy,” theatre director Cortney Hall said. “Being in the Starlight Theatre Company is a rigorous, yet immensely rewarding activity and I’m not surprised he chose to stay.”

Fisher’s decision to continue theatre despite taking online classes is in part due to his relationship with his peers.

“The friends and mentors I’ve met through high school are large contributors to the person I am now,” Fisher said. “I was lucky enough to stumble upon this community that really invested in me and took care of me, and now four years later I’m coming out of the program as an entirely different person than I was back then and with some of the most meaningful friendships I’ve ever had.”

Being a part of theatre plays a larger role in Fisher’s life than it simply being another after school activity.

“Theatre itself has made me a much more confident and outspoken person, and theatre community is what made that possible,” Fisher said. “I won’t be pursuing it as a career, at least not primarily, but I plan to continue it in college and depending on where I end up living after college, I might pursue it outside of school for my own enjoyment.”

Even Fisher’s teachers have noticed the effect theatre has had on him.

“I have directed Luke in two performances and it has been a pleasure working with him, in my opinion, it’s been an incredibly positive impact,” Hall said. “Theatre is such a great social opportunity for everyone.”

Although he no longer takes the theatre class at Bowie with his fellow seniors, Fisher is able to stay connected with the company.

“It can be kind of hard to keep up with what’s going on in the program since I’m kind of out of the loop but I mostly just go to meetings or ask my friends if I’m not sure about something,” Fisher said. “Really the only part that can be hard to keep up with are dates and scheduling but I do my best to check with people and see what’s going on.”

Besides theatre, Fisher was also a part of FFA for two years and Bowie’s speech and debate team for three years and even semi-finaled in duet acting at the Texas Forensics Association State tournament.

“I inevitably had to leave both because I did not have enough time to manage all of my extracurriculars and school work,” Fisher said. “I’ve also been a youth group leader at my church since freshman year and as of this year I am now the worship leader and social media leader for the student ministry.”

Fisher’s influence on his peers continues through his participation in theatre and his continual connection with them while balancing online school.

“He has always been there for me, and he helped me appreciate everything going on in our lives,” Haddad said. “It’s never a dull time when you’re with Luke Fisher.”