What did the graduates of the Class of 2023 learn from their high school experience? Mountain Heights Academy graduate Eden Granley, who had a different experience than most students as a hockey star headed for NCAA D-I hockey, shares what she learned:

“Working hard and dedicating your time and your life to something that you love— it really will get you anywhere you want. Making sacrifices for something you love is going to happen a lot, so get used to it and learn to know that it’s okay,” she said.

To achieve her hockey goals, Eden did make some sacrifices, including a traditional high school experience.

Eden started playing hockey at 10 years old, and as she progressed to higher levels, she traveled frequently which caused her to miss a lot of school days. She wasn’t willing to sacrifice her education, so she enrolled in an online charter school, Mountain Heights Academy, which is based in West Jordan.

“I decided to do online school so I didn’t have to worry about attendance or falling behind because I could do it at my own pace and get it done when I needed to,” Eden said. “While playing high level hockey, I’m practicing six times a week and have four to five games every other weekend, lifting three times a week, so it’s very helpful for me to do school on my own time whenever I’m free, rather than being in class six hours a day like every other high school student.”

It was a smart play on her part. She was able to remain enrolled at MHA throughout her high school career. There was no disruption to her education when she moved to play on a hockey team in Dallas her junior year and then moved again her senior year to join a team in Philadelphia.

Eden has been able to earn good grades and maintain a high GPA.

“I’m still learning and gaining knowledge but I’m also able to do something that I love, so I’m not sacrificing or losing my education for doing something I love,” Eden said. “I’m kind of sad that I never got to go to a high school dance or stuff like that, but how I look at it is, I sacrificed that to get something that I really wanted, which was to play college level hockey.”

Eden currently plays center for the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers 19U Tier I team and will remain there for one more year. Then she will advance to NCAA D-I hockey at Holy Cross College, where she received a full ride athletic scholarship.

Eden’s advice to younger students who want to pursue their dreams is to find a way to make it happen.

“If you really love hockey—or any other sport that you play—I would say it’s a good option to do what I did. Because if you’re passionate enough, I think sacrificing having regular high school experiences is okay, because you are eventually going to get what you want in the end.”  λ