A Legacy of Resilience

By the Burgosrosado Family, COA Learning Coaches 

When my husband retired as an Army officer in 2018, we moved to South Carolina believing we were finally stepping into the peaceful chapter we had earned. We built a brand-new home, full of hope, plans, and dreams for our children. What we didn’t know was that this “new beginning” was filled with black mold. Slowly and quietly, it made my children sick. It made my husband sick. And it left me critically ill, traveling across states for treatment, surgeries, and answers we couldn’t get fast enough. Our dream home became the place that broke our health, our stability, and nearly our spirit. 

Then the pandemic hit. 

With everything collapsing around us, both of my children enrolled in Carolus Online Academy (COA), a K12-powered online public school. What we thought would be temporary online schooling became the one thing that didn’t fall apart. COA, through the K12 program, became the structure holding our family together when our home was unsafe, when hospital rooms replaced living rooms, and when I didn’t know if I would ever get better. While I traveled for treatment, my children logged into class from hotel rooms, waiting rooms, and borrowed spaces. While I recovered from surgeries, they stayed connected to their teachers, their lessons, and their goals. The K12 curriculum provided the academic foundation they needed, and Carolus Online Academy provided the flexibility that made learning possible during survival. Even when my body was weak, online learning allowed me to pour into my children and allowed them to learn without losing the rhythm of childhood. 

My son thrived. He graduated at fifteen years old. He is a sophomore in college. He reached for his stars, and he dances amongst them. My daughter blossomed. She is now in fifth grade, confident, curious, and thriving. Through Carolus Online Academy and its K12 model, my children weren’t just educated, they were protected. COA gave them stability when everything else was unstable. K12 gave them continuity when our lives were anything but predictable. Together, they gave my children a future when I didn’t know if I had one. I will never forget the night my daughter came to me with tears streaming down her face, asking for a laser machine. When I asked why, she said, “Mommy, I need to make money to find the best doctor for you.” 

That moment shattered me. 

I told her she didn’t need to worry, that mommy had insurance and that she was safe. The next day, she came back and said, “Then maybe I can save for college.” In that moment, I saw not just a scared child, but a determined little girl with a mind for solutions and a heart full of love. Because the K12-powered structure at Carolus Online Academy gave her time, flexibility, and space, we were able to say yes to that potential. We helped her open her own small business and register it properly as an LLC. What started as a nine-year-old’s worry became a real, legally registered company. She designs and creates custom mugs, engraved passport holders, keychains, pocket mirrors, tumblers, and more. She studies Monday through Friday, and on Saturdays, she works on her business, never losing her childhood, only expanding it. COA, supported by the K12 program, allowed her to be both a student and a young entrepreneur without sacrificing her education or her joy. During all of this, one person at Carolus Online Academy became more than just a name on an email. Pamela Sieger became our guide, our advocate, and our steady voice. Within the COA and K12 system, she helped us navigate challenges with compassion, protected my daughter’s dignity, and ensured that learning never became another source of trauma. 

Today, my son is living the dreams he once whispered about. And my daughter, the same little girl who once cried because she wanted to save me, now says she wants to become a judge. Not for power or prestige, but because she believes that one voice can be louder than a crowd. She believes in the Constitution. She believes in equality. She believes fairness is not a concept, but a responsibility. 

This is not just a school story. It is a survival story. A story of a military family who refused to break. A mother who fought through illness. A son who graduated at fifteen and is now dancing amongst his stars. A daughter who turned fear into a registered business and a future rooted in justice and hope. It is also the story of Carolus Online Academy — a K12-powered school — that became the lifeline we didn’t know we would need. 

Online learning didn’t just teach my children. Through COA and K12, it gave them safety. It gave them opportunity. It gave them a way to keep dreaming when everything else was falling apart. It helped save us. 

Is Online Learning Right for You? 

At Carolus Online Academy (COA), students experience a tuition-free online education designed for their individual learning needs. Serving K-12^th grade students in South Carolina, COA offers a college and career- focused curriculum, passionate teachers, and a variety of social extracurricular opportunities. Since its founding in 2023, COA has empowered students through flexible learning and personalized support. As a K12-powdered school, COA benefits from 25 years of leadership in online education through K12, a Stride, Inc. portfolio brand. Learn more at coa.k12.com.