Just a year ago (January 2025), wildfires tore through Southern California, devastating entire neighborhoods and displacing thousands of families. Schools were not spared. For students at Palisades Charter High School in Los Angeles County, the fires didn’t just destroy homes. They erased their campus overnight.
With classrooms reduced to ash, students, teachers, and staff were suddenly forced into remote learning, trying to stay focused on school while their community worked to recover.
When John Kent, an academic consultant at Brigham Young University Continuing Education, learned about the destruction, he knew he wanted to help. As he reached out to schools in the affected areas, the situation at Palisades Charter High School stood out. The need was immediate, and the path forward was uncertain.
Kent began working with BYU Independent Study leaders to find a meaningful way to support the students. After receiving approval from administration and the dean’s office, the online course provider made an extraordinary decision: students from Palisades Charter High School could enroll in BYU Independent Study high school courses completely free of charge.
“That was a very generous statement by the organization,” Kent says. “It showed real compassion and a desire to help students in need.”
Since the offer was extended, numerous students enrolled in and completed coursework through Independent Study. For them, continuing their education provided a sense of normalcy at a time when very little felt stable. School became a constant when much of life felt uncertain.
For Kent, moments like this capture the true purpose of education. “If a student really wants to move forward and succeed in their future, education is the answer,” he says. “It opens doors that might not otherwise be available.”
Since 1991, BYU Independent Study has served millions of high school enrollments with accredited, online courses. Its mission has always been to provide high-quality, values-based education that supports students wherever they are.
As Southern California communities continue to heal, BYU’s support of Palisades Charter High School stands as a reminder that education can do more than teach. It can restore hope. And for Kent and others at BYU Continuing Education, it reaffirmed why they do this work in the first place.
“The best part of my job is working with people who genuinely want to help students,” Kent says. “That’s what we’re here to do.”