How VSVA Helped a Rodeo Star Rope Her Goals

With grit, grace, and a virtual learning schedule, Cydney Couch lassoed her dreams and a diploma on her own terms

For Cydney Couch, rodeo isn’t just a hobby—it’s a way of life. From a young age, she’s dedicated herself to the sport of breakaway roping, a high-speed event where precision, timing, and total focus are everything. “It’s just you and the calf,” she said. “You’ve got one shot. It’s over in seconds.”

That drive helped Cydney rise through the ranks in the National Little Britches Rodeo Association, where she was once ranked number one in the nation. She frequently qualified for the national finals in Oklahoma, representing Tennessee with pride. But balancing elite-level competition with a traditional school schedule wasn’t easy, especially when practice often came before dawn and rodeos required long weekends of travel.

“I was sitting in a hard lockdown and was like, I could be at work or practicing right now,” Cydney recalled. “This is not worth it.” She had been asking her mom for years to let her switch to online school. “She begged me for years,” her mom, Charity Couch, said. “I was a public-school teacher. It was against my religion to let her go virtual.”

Eventually, the mismatch between Cydney’s goals and the constraints of in-person schooling became too great to ignore. That’s when they found Volunteer State Virtual Academy (VSVA), and everything changed.

“VSVA gave me a lot of freedom,” Cydney said. “I liked that I could work and do school. I would house sit for people and do school on my laptop. I could do most of it on my time.” That built-in freedom allowed her to maintain her intense rodeo training schedule while staying on track—and eventually ahead—in her studies.

“The schedule helped me a lot,” she added. “I could come home from work, do school at 10 o’clock at night, and then get up and go again.”

Rodeo life isn’t just competition, it’s a demanding lifestyle that requires long days with animals, constant travel, and a tough mentality. “You really learn to be independent fast,” Cydney said. “When I’m on the road, I have to take care of everything—my horses, my gear, my schedule.”

VSVA’s learning model gave her the space to do just that. Whether she was working a part-time job, grooming dogs, or traveling to a rodeo, she could keep up with her schoolwork anywhere. “VSVA gave me a chance to actually live and learn at the same time.”

That freedom didn’t mean a lack of support. In fact, she said the opposite was true: “At VSVA, I got a lot more help. Teachers were very fast at replying. It was pretty much immediate.” That responsiveness helped her stay motivated, manage her time, and eventually graduate early in January.

With her diploma in hand, Cydney is now focused full-time on competing with the International Pro Rodeo Association. She travels across the country, ropes against top talent, and continues building a life centered on hard work and self-direction.

And she’s doing it all on her own terms. “I’ve worked since I was 15. I don’t like asking people for money,” she said. “VSVA helped me be able to do that. It was like my 30-day free trial of adult life.”

Looking back, her mom has no regrets. “It was the best decision we made,” she said. For Cydney, the choice to go virtual didn’t just support her education. It gave her the space to chase a dream and turn her passion into something bigger.

Cydney’s story is a powerful reminder that with the right support, students can thrive both in and out of the classroom. Ready to give your child what they need to pursue their passions? Learn more about Volunteer State Virtual Academy and enroll today!