JMHS Celebrates 2020 Graduate of the Year: Donshea Hopkins

James Madison High School is proud to celebrate the achievements of our online learners. We know our alumni are off accomplishing amazing things. Whether it’s continuing their education and launching their careers, they inspire us! The Graduate of the Year submissions we received blew us away. While we were impressed by all of your accomplishments, one alum stood out. Join us in celebrating our 2020 Graduate of the Year, Donshea Hopkins.

Donshea Hopkins

Donshea Hopkins isn’t new to the spotlight. As an actress, artist, and business owner, she needed a high school that helped her follow her dreams without sacrificing her education.

With a demanding schedule, Donshea knew she couldn’t attend traditional high school. An actress for 14 years, she has worked on television shows such as Power, Orange is the New Black, The Detour, The Bobby Brown Story, and more. Donshea knew James Madison High School could keep up with her fast-paced lifestyle and enrolled in 2016.

I decided to enroll in James Madison because I appreciated the flexibility of being able to do my courses on the go, turn in assignments without deadlines, and complete high school at my own pace, said Donshea.

Spending a lot of time traveling for work, press, and meet and greets, Donshea’s schoolwork was able to follow her wherever she went.

I found time to study in the car, reading on my phone, said Donshea. I would take notes and write ideas down…When I got home, I would open my laptop and get to it. [JMHS] is very flexible.

An online, self-paced education allowed Donshea to do what she was passionate about. Aside from acting, Donshea focused on writing and recording music, acted as the CEO of her two companies, Donshea & Co. and TeamDonshea Productions, and attended to her growing YouTube fanbase, all while working her way through high school.

Donshea also focused her efforts on charitable giving. For the last three years, during the holiday season Donshea has performed a free holiday concert hosted by her production company. The audience brings an unwrapped gift or item for local families in need. To date, she’s helped collect over 250,000 product donations.

Now, Donshea is ready to tackle college. She’s planning to attend College of Mount Saint Vincent to study biochemistry.

I think [JMHS] prepared me for college. [Especially] the independent part of [school] and having the opportunity to set my schedule myself, she said. It was a lot of keeping myself on pace, which is a need when headed to college. I had to be there for myself and it prepared me for the next steps of my education.