Students take part in Oregon Charter Academy's graduation ceremony at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem on June 8, 2024.

JOHN DAY — The Oregon Charter Academy honored its 2024 graduating class on June 8 at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem.

Two of the nearly 320 graduating students were from John Day: Gage McCormick and Keelie Goin.

Oregon Charter Academy is the state’s first online public school, established nearly 20 years ago as Oregon Connections Academy.

The tuition-free, virtual charter school became independent in 2020 and serves K-12 students throughout Oregon with customizable approaches to a standards-based curriculum.

“Graduates, I cannot wait to see where the world will take you. The storms may be dangerous and the waters rough, but if anyone could survive and thrive, it would be you,” said Grace Peterson, ORCA’s student government president. “I am honored to be in the class of 2024 with each of you. We made it through the thorns, now it’s time to shoot off into the stars.”