When Gemma Bishop asked for a geography course, Crimson Global Academy built her one from scratch. Now 22, she’s applying her education in her role as an environmental consultant, and has plans for her own firm. At 22, Gemma Bishop has the world at her feet.
After completing a degree in Earth Sciences, she’s working as an environmental consultant and has plans to set up her own consultancy in a few years. In the meantime, she’s applied to be involved in a couple of exciting projects – including one in Antarctica – and finds the time to run a digital creative business on the side.
Bishop credits New Zealand online school Crimson Global Academy with helping to accelerate her education and get her to where she is today.
“The one-on-one learning, the fact that they will customise your subjects and timetable, and the flexibility and support you get gives you limitless possibilities,” she says.
Crimson Global Academy (CGA) is a private online school established in Auckland in 2019. Designed to deliver innovative and personalised learning pathways to young people aged six to 18, it now has more than 3000 students around the world.
Its students include academically ambitious young people who want to tailor their education to their specific requirements to increase their chances of getting into the world’s top universities, and elite athletes and performers who fit their schooling in around demanding training and competing schedules.
It also caters to young people who live in rural areas and don’t want to go to boarding school or endure long commutes; those travelling the world with their families who can’t stay in one school for long; and neurodivergent and independent learners who thrive in a flexible, virtual environment free from the sensory overload of the classroom.
In Bishop’s case, CGA appealed because she wanted to be more challenged academically, and it was a practical option given that she lives in a rural part of north Waikato.
“It was a bit of a hike for me to get to school every day, so online learning meant I could spend more time focusing on my studies and having other experiences,” she said.
“But I think it was the flexibility it offered, and the fact the classes were small and you got really good one-on-one support, that sold my family and me on it.”
Bishop spent two years at CGA, starting year 12 in 2021. She did Pearson A levels (globally recognised British curriculum qualifications) in English, biology, chemistry and geography.
In those early days at CGA, geography wasn’t one of the subjects offered – but when Bishop expressed an interest, CGA built a course specially for her.
“It was just me in the class at the start and I wasn’t sure what to expect but it went really well,” says Bishop, adding she’s grateful CGA – which continues to shape its curriculum in collaboration with students – gave her the chance to do geography, as it led to her eventual career.
The course designed for her meant she got to do projects that were both based on her interests and aligned with the curriculum.
“When they found out where I lived they found me a local teacher so I could do field experiences. I went to Muriwai and did a project on coastal erosion, and that was really cool. I got to do self-led projects, and had the kind of experiences I wasn’t getting at a brick-and-mortar school.”
Bishop appreciated that she could attend classes from anywhere, giving her the freedom to fit in her schooling around other activities and interests.
“A couple of times I was down in Masterton at the family hunting block and I could hotspot off my dad’s phone and join in the classes. I had a classmate who was travelling the world playing football, and she could be at a game, then when that finished she’d jump on and do a biology class.
“We had special tablets and our teacher could see our work as we were doing it. My chemistry teacher would be watching me live and as soon as I did something wrong, she’d catch it. She’d say, ‘Hey Gemma, do you want to rethink what you’ve just done?’ I found that really helpful.”
She admits she was a little concerned about losing the social aspect of attending a regular school, “but I think CGA actually got me to be more social because the classes were so interactive”.
“They had people from all over the world and all walks of life. We built this tightknit community, I think because the classes are so small. My biggest one had five people. I’m still in touch with every single person from my classes; we have a group chat.”
Bishop’s parents noticed that going to CGA improved her confidence.
“My parents said I came out of my shell. I think it was because we had really deep discussions and I felt like I was being heard. That helped me to become confident in everything else.”
After leaving CGA, Bishop went to Massey University where she did part of her degree online because she’d thrived learning that way.
That gave her extra time to do part-time consulting work – such as looking at wastewater systems for Palmerston North City Council – which has “definitely made me more competitive in the job market.”
Other bonuses of doing online learning with CGA include becoming adept at time management and understanding that there’s never just one way of doing things.
“As well as giving me a really good education, it’s set me up with skills I need for adult life.”
Bishop is just one of thousands of CGA graduates with bright futures ahead of them. Among the class graduating this year are students who are planning to:
- study chemical engineering in Hamburg, Germany;
- take part-time university courses while pursuing a professional golf career in Australia;
- do molecular biology or mathematics at a US university;
- study criminology in the UK;
- train as a dentist in the UK or Australia;
- do a degree in neuroscience or biochemistry, with a long-term goal of doing neurological research; and
- study psychology at University of Auckland, before hopefully doing clinical psychology at Columbia University in the US.
To find out more about crafting a learning pathway that fits your lifestyle and goals, visit Crimson Global Academy.