By: Hailey Lawson, Communications Specialist, Florida Virtual School

Florida Virtual School (FLVS) Full Time senior Savannah Highhouse smiles from the cockpit of her pink dragster car at a racetrack during a recent competition. She balances a full academic course load while pursuing her passion for drag racing.

This Florida Virtual School (FLVS) Full Time student drives the eighth-mile in under 4.70 seconds at speeds up to 145 mph, all while balancing a full course load during her senior year. Meet Savannah Highhouse, from Middleburg, Fla. 

“I got into drag racing because of my dad. He grew up building them and racing them, and I've been going to the track for as long as I can remember, so we like to say it's in my blood,” said Highhouse.

She was 8 years old the first time she got behind the wheel of a race car, reaching speeds of 70 mph. 

“I was very anxious and ready to go. Then after I went, I knew it was a forever kind of thing,” she said.

Highhouse races nearly every other weekend during the season. Last year, when she turned 16, she moved up to a faster car: a 2010 Tackash dragster with a 584-cubic-inch engine her father built, with her help. She picked out the paint scheme herself.

On the Road Every Other Weekend

Highhouse competes at tracks across the country, as far west as Las Vegas and as far north as Ohio. Her family accompanies her, and they travel to races roughly every other weekend except during the hottest weeks of summer. 

Virtual learning has made it easier for her daughter to pursue racing while staying on track academically, according to her mother, Heather Highhouse.

“We do a lot of traveling to different states, and that requires us to leave in the middle of the week, and if she were in regular public school, she wouldn’t be able to, and she would miss out,” Highhouse said.

Her family arrives a day early to check over the car before race day, when they warm up the engine, check tires, and fuel up ahead of a time run, a single test pass that shows how the car will perform. During the race, emotions run high as the excitement kicks in.

“A typical race weekend for me is making sure the cars are loaded, and we have everything we need, and we load our motorhome with food and all the necessities, and then we get traveling,” said Highhouse. “It's just an adrenaline rush and a complete blur, because there are so many cars and you're going so many rounds for large amounts of money.”

Coursework Between Runs

Highouse joined FLVS Full Time during her junior year of high school, age 16, when it became clear that a traditional school schedule didn't suit her lifestyle and left no room for race weekends. 

“On race weeks or weekends, I sit down and do schoolwork in between runs or after the day is over. It's definitely a lot to juggle, but I wouldn't want it any other way,” she said.

She organizes her coursework by reviewing what’s due each week, which helps her stay on pace and plan her workload up to two weeks in advance. 

According to her mother, virtual learning has helped Savannah balance academics with the demands of a competitive racing schedule.

“She’s able to focus on schoolwork during downtime periods of racing and is able to do schoolwork while traveling in our RV as well,” said Highhouse.

Looking Ahead

After graduation, Highhouse plans to attend cosmetology school to pursue another passion: hair and makeup.

“It's something I've always wanted to do, and it's something that will keep me on my feet,” she said. 

Her advice to other students juggling school and balancing a big passion is to stay focused. 

“Follow your dreams and do it for you, and trust in God. Those are the big things that I live by every day," said Highhouse. 

Read more student stories from across Florida Virtual School.