Our first year as a homeschool family occurred during my daughter’s 7th grade year. She had been a Montessori educated child throughout her elementary years but a relocation to Louisville, Kentucky helped me to decide to homeschool her to keep her out of the public school system. I recall crying a few nights that first year wondering if I was ruining her life and her chances at a sound education. Would she learn enough to be able to get into a good college? I was so afraid of making a mistake and of her paying the price for it.
The following year we found a wonderful homeschool group and continued on with her education at home. During her Sophomore year, we again evaluated if homeschooling was our best fit. My daughter is a competitive USA swimmer and we thought allowing her to enter a traditional high school would allow her more opportunity to swim and we were looking for more specialized classes in technology that were not at our disposal as homeschoolers. She applied and was placed on a wait-list of DuPont Manual as there were no openings for Juniors at the time. She was accepted and offered a $30,000 financial aid package from Louisville Collegiate. We had a decision to make.
After some prayer and long discussions, we both felt that homeschooling was her best choice. We were not convinced that she would receive any better of an education at Louisville Collegiate and would more than likely have to give up her USA swim team for lack of time. She remained at her homeschool consortium group and her Junior year was as full as any with school, athletics, church, family, friends and standardized testing. She has pushed the envelop with her time of additional SAT studying, a summer pre-calculus course, more swimming, college visits, and preparation for college essays. How could we fit anything more in? Homeschooling as been a blessing. It has afforded us more time together as a family and the time she has needed to pursue to be the best God has called her to be.
Homeschooling High Schoolers is not for everyone. Yet, for those of us who chose to make the commitment, it can be done and done well. No longer am I concerned of making a mistake and hindering my daughter’s chances to prepare for college. We are moving forward in preparing for college and she is full of hopes and dreams of college like any rising Senior. We feel blessed to have had the opportunity to homeschool and feel she is prepared to meet the challenges of college.
It is with this excitement of challenging my daughter to strive to be the best that I hope to be considered to work with you and your family. For the same benefit of finding and pursuing their interest and being a sounding board and resource throughout the process. My goal is to help parents and home schooled high schoolers navigate through the college application process.
