I took a different path early on. At 16, I walked away from school—right in the middle of the pandemic, when everything was flipped upside down. That disruption opened a door. I started working full-time at a boutique consulting firm, diving into research and data analysis. By 18, I was a corporate development analyst at a public healthcare company, tracking markets and chasing growth.
Those roles taught me what scales, what stalls—but one truth stood out above the rest: the education system is broken. It takes your prime years—when you’re wired to learn, build, explore—and offers very little in return. It’s a relic of a world that no longer exists.
The more I looked, the clearer it became: we’re wasting the most formative years of people’s lives. College costs have outpaced inflation by 4x (My eLearning World, 2021), and the average borrower now carries $37,338 in debt (Education Data Initiative, 2023). Yet 36% of graduates say their degree wasn’t worth it (Strada, 2023), and 70% of employers now value skills over diplomas (McKinsey, 2023). It's not just outdated—it's fundamentally out of touch.
That’s why we built Eclipse. It’s a new kind of education platform—one that pulls together real university degrees, flexible credits, and high school acceleration through dual enrollment. Everything’s mapped: credits, courses, outcomes. We optimize the path—cutting time and cost—designed for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the ones shaping what’s next.
But education isn’t just about knowledge—it’s about relationships. Who you meet. Who mentors you. Who pushes you further. Eclipse connects students not just to content, but to mentors, peers, and industry leaders—people already on the path. That’s what made the difference for me. I learned more from the markets and the people I worked with than any classroom ever offered. Most students never get that shot. Eclipse changes that.
It’s not just about degrees—it’s about launching lives. Real credentials. Real experience. Real networks. Whether it's a degree, a trade, or a venture, it’s all aligned with how the real world works.
Higher ed today is bloated and detached. Eclipse strips it down to what matters: clear goals and real outcomes. We’re already seeing it—like the 16-year-old homeschooler I know, on track to finish his bachelor’s by 18 instead of 22. He’s not just done—he’s ready. His coursework, tests, and credits are aligned, mapped, and linked to jobs and opportunities. Compare that to the old way: four years of high school, four more of college, and $44K a year at private schools. Eclipse cuts that to the bone—faster (up to 4 years saved), cheaper (targeting $4.9K/year), and more relevant (tailored and practical).
This is what families want. 70% of teens prefer real-world experience over a degree (Insider Intelligence, 2023). 80% see tech skills as essential (Dell Technologies, 2018). And parents are onboard—73% are actively looking for alternatives (ECMC, 2022). Homeschooling has tripled. Dual enrollment is at 2.5 million students (2022–23). Over half of learners now study online (2024). And college debt is crushing—62% of borrowers say it affects their mental health (Experian, 2023).
Gen Alpha is next—2 billion strong, digital-native, and expecting more. Eclipse is built for them.
We’re not making small tweaks—we’re rethinking the whole thing. Eclipse combines the best of everything: schools, content, mentors, training—all in one platform. I’ve lived it. I jumped early, I thrived, and with my co-founder, I helped others do the same. It worked. But it didn’t scale. Now it does with Eclipse.
Education is changing quickly and we are thrilled to be building opportunities for students to thrive.
