About Highlands

Highlands Prep Florida was created to support families who value both flexibility and strong academic outcomes.

We provide online courses, academic structure, and pathway guidance that help students progress with confidence — without removing the independence that makes homeschooling meaningful.

Through the Highlands network, families can access additional programs and support designed to help students prepare for college, careers, athletics, and other future opportunities.

We chose Highlands because their team took the time to truly understand who we are. - Sean B

I love doing my school this way! - Nathaniel G

Meet Our Advisors:

Dr. Rachel Gramann — Lead Advisor , Elevation Strategic Network

Dr. Rachel is a homeschool graduate, homeschool mom of four, and a working academic who currently teaches at more than 14 universities, including Lake-Sumter State College in Florida. She holds a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), an MBA, and a BS in Computer Science. She brings rare, real insider knowledge of university admissions, academic expectations, and career-to-degree alignment. When your student asks "will this matter to a college?"— Rachel knows the answer because she's on the other side of that table every day.

Sarah Lewis Student Wellness, Special Populations & Elevation STAR Specialist

Sarah holds a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and brings a background in human services, student advocacy, and personalized support planning. Sarah works with Dr Rachel and serves as a co-advisor for Elevation STAR — Elevation's specialized support track for students navigating ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, and learning differences. Sarah helps families develop plans that work with how their student is wired, not against it.

Michael Gramann Global Studies & Elevation Pro Specialist

Mike holds a BA in International Relations and brings a global perspective and international understanding to the team. He works especially well with students pursuing government, law, international business, mission work, diplomacy, the trades, and many other non-traditional learning pathways. He works with Dr Rachel and serves as a co-advisor for Elevation Pro.

Jill Niess — Administrator for the Elevation Strategic Network

Jill is a homeschool mom of four graduates with more than 30 years of personal and professional homeschool experience. She has guided students into universities across the United States and around the world, including the University of Florida and Southeastern University. She holds an NFHS certification in NCAA Initial Eligibility and specializes in supporting student-athletes navigating the recruiting process, Core Course Worksheets, and eligibility requirements. Jill works with Dr Rachel on the Elevation Program Team and serves as a co-advisor for Elevation Athletics.

Highlands Preparatory Academy Florida was founded by Dr. Rachel Gramann and Jill Niess— two homeschool educators who saw a real gap in what Florida families had access to. Florida's scholarship landscape, NCAA eligibility rules, graduation requirements, and college pathways are genuinely different from other states, and most resources weren't built with FL homeschoolers in mind.

Dr. Rachel Gramann developed Highlands Preparatory Academy Florida's curriculum from the ground up — high quality, standards-aligned, and designed for busy parents. Courses combine online instruction with hands-on offline learning so students aren't just screen-bound. HP FL brings it all together: a curriculum families can actually use, expert pathway advising, and Florida-specific guidance in one place.