I've been homeschooled all my life and so has everyone in my family. My parents believe that they are primarily responsible for the education of their children and for us that means being well formed in our rich Catholic faith. We didn't have the money for private education so my parents took on the responsibility of homeschooling. Like any other schooling, you have to work hard so it's not always "fun". But I can say that without a doubt, homeschooling has formed me into the person that I am today.
Homeschooling enables me to become very close with the people I will always have a relationship with for the rest of my life, my family. And I'm not just saying this. My best friend is my older sister and that relationship would not nearly be as close as it is now without homeschooling. Even with my extremely close friends, although I ignore it most of the time, there is always this tiny seed that I might be judged for what I say or do. And let's face it, some friends come into our lives and leave with no explanation. With my family, I am always free to express myself. I can always trust them. In highschool, there were some ups and downs in my family, especially ailments and family trials. If needed, we took a break from school to sort out the medical needs of the family. As a family unit, we've learned how to get through the good and bad times.
Homeschooling allows for flexibility, but it also teaches the student to be responsible for his own work. I'm enrolled in a curriculum, which means that I have to send my work in regularly to an accredited program to receive an official transcript. I'm also heavily involved in classes outside of my house or online classes. I have homework deadlines. I gained work experience through refereeing, babysitting, and nannying. I am a captain on both of the soccer teams that I'm on now (highschool and travel) so I understand what it takes to be a leader for homeschoolers and public schoolers. I didn't get brilliant scores on my SAT's, but they weren't bad. My GPA isn't above a 4.0, but I still got into the Honor's program at Belmont Abbey  I'm very extroverted, social, and I'm definitely not sheltered. I'm your average teenage girl who thinks one direction is the cutest thing and loves to go shopping and have spa nights with my girls. I think my parents protected me in a good way, but they never withheld information from me.
Most importantly, my faith has been allowed to blossom through being homeschooled and it has definitely been challenged by peers and adults. I am confident in my faith and am able to have charitable discussions with those I do not agree with. I LOVE that
I have grown up with going to daily mass, holy hours, and confession on a regular basis. For me, homeschooling has been the greatest platform for me to be able to grown within myself and develop my talents.  |
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