Sevenstar’s Flexibility Allows Families and Students to Thrive in New Ways

Some of the names in this article have been changed at the request of the individuals referenced 

Call it a coincidence, or maybe it was much more. Robbie and Linsey Fuller moved from Oregon to China in 2016 for a new job, unrelated to how they had put their son Max in Chinese preschool the previous three years.

“The nearby Chinese preschool was the same price as daycare and he might as well learn Chinese,” Linsey said. “We had no plans at that point to move to China. By the time we arrived, Max spoke conversational Chinese and was our little translator.”

That wasn’t the only Godsend. After trying multiple school options in China, the Fullers began using Sevenstar Academy, giving their two children, Max (now in eighth grade) and Maddie (fifth grade), an online, Christ-centered education at an affordable price.

“When I started them on ACSI’s Sevenstar curriculum, it was for sure higher level than the international school here, which is very expensive,” Linsey said. “My favorite part is the independence it instills in the kids. They need to make their own schedule and use their time wisely.”

Students like Max can take classes ahead of schedule if they’re able, such as his high-school-level Chinese class. Plus, he can eventually earn a U.S. high school diploma even while in China.

“If they decide to go to college, they will be very prepared,” Linsey said.

Since Robbie gets Chinese holidays off from work while the kids get American holidays off, they travel often. Sevenstar allows them to start and stop school when they need to.

“It doesn’t have to happen on a Western timeline or Chinese timeline, which is very helpful for us,” Linsey said. “We’re like weird unicorns that don’t fit in either system."

Sevenstar isn’t just for families living overseas. As a high school sophomore in Texas, Jack Lewis trains rigorously in the hopes of becoming a Division-I collegiate hockey player and one day making the National Hockey League. He typically trains four hours per day, six days a week, with competitions on the road on weekends. 

Balancing school and hockey was difficult, so Jack started using Sevenstar in August of 2023.

“It’s a lot more flexible than normal school,” Jack said. “Before, I’d be booked from 8 a.m. to 2:30. Now, I can get on the ice at 12 if I wanted to.” 

"A huge advantage of Sevenstar is to ensure his schedule is designed to get enough sleep,” his mom, Lisa, added. “Rinks are spread out, plus we travel out of state, so often we are home late at night. Jack counts eight to nine hours and sets his alarm. In bed at midnight? He'll likely set the alarm for 9 a.m. and get his school day started.” 

Sevenstar has an AP and Dual Credit program, which Jack intends to use to get college credit while in high school. 

"We are grateful for a God-focused curriculum,” Lisa said. “I did not grow up in a home where we attended church, so I am particularly interested in following along with his apologetics course.” 

The same was true for Austin Green, another high schooler using Sevenstar who has also taken an apologetics class. 

“He’s brought things up with us that he wouldn’t have if he was going to public school,” his mother, Jan, said. 

Austin moved with his family 13 years ago onto a military base in Japan due to his father’s job and initially attended a public school on the base. He took one Sevenstar class in seventh grade and eventually decided to go full-time. 

“The public school is not very high-level, and it was going to affect my college,” Austin said. “Sevenstar had higher courses that I needed to take in order to be ready for college.” 

Austin plans on attending college in America next year. He has visited five universities with the hopes of studying to become an athletic trainer. 

"The private school options were financially way out of reach,” Jan said. “Sevenstar met our need financially, academically, and had flexibility for a sport team." 

Austin was able to participate on a soccer team while taking classes through Sevenstar. Sometimes, he wouldn’t return home until late or spend an entire weekend at a tournament and would need flexibility to do his coursework. Sevenstar allows a 14-day window to complete assignments after the due date, so Austin could focus on doing his homework at a reasonable pace. 

“Sevenstar and the 14-day grace period allowed him to play the sport and get enough sleep without having to worry about getting schoolwork done,” Jan said. 

“The grace period really helped me when I’ve been sick or not understanding my classes,” Austin added. 

Even though Sevenstar is online, the Green family has gotten the responsiveness they’ve needed. 

“Sevenstar is really helpful when you have questions,” Jan said. “You can get ahold of people, and they offer suggestions and help.” 

For more information about Sevenstar Academy, please visit the website.