Joey Osattin, a senior at Bachman Academy, has been awarded the Dean’s Scholarship at Averett University in Danville, Va. The scholarship was offered based on his academic performance at the academy and will cover almost half of his tuition over the next four years.

Osattin, whose parents are foreign diplomats at the American Embassy in London, is an honor roll student at Bachman Academy, a school for students with learning differences in McDonald.

Achieving this honor is an accomplishment Osattin could not have imagined three years ago. Diagnosed with nonverbal learning disorder at a young age, he struggled to learn in a mainstream classroom.

Since transferring to Bachman Academy in 2009, he discovered his ability to learn, earning him a place on the honor roll and a scholarship at a recognized university.

In addition to his academic work, Osattin is also actively involved on campus and in the community. He is the captain and coach of the bowling team, a lance corporal in the campus Young Marines program and a member of his school’s Student Leadership Council. Osattin also volunteers for a local therapeutic riding center.

An accomplished horseman, Osattin will graduate from Bachman this May with a high school diploma with a focus on equine science. He is also preparing to earn his certification in equine facility management through the Certified Horsemanship Association this April.

“We are very proud of Joey’s accomplishments during his three years at Bachman Academy,” said Eileen Card, director of academics.

The accomplishments include receiving the John Muir Award for Environmentalism, the Bachman Chemistry Award, and several awards in the Young Marines program. Last summer, Osattin was selected by faculty to represent Bachman at the National Student Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C.

Bachman Academy is a day and boarding school for students with learning differences such as dyslexia and ADHD. The school is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Independent Schools and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The academy is located on 210 acres of farmland on Brymer Creek Road in McDonald. For additional information about Bachman Academy, call 423-479-4523 or visit the school’s website at www.bachmanacademy.org.