I was first introduced to the concept of homeschooling about 20 years ago when my sister announced her decision to home school her son Josh. At the time, Josh was 6 years old, the eldest of 3 children. I remember being surprised by her announcement as I knew of no other mothers who homeschooled their children. I also remember thinking what an ambitious undertaking it was. Little did I know that many years later I would be proud to say that my sister has successfully homeschooled 4 of her 6 children all the way through high school. The two eldest boys graduated from state universities and now have good-paying careers, one in IT and the other in business administration. The third and fourth eldest are presently at state universities. And my sister still has 2 more to go, a girl and boy, 13 and 11, one of which has learning disabilities.

I don’t think my sister planned to home school all the way through high school. I think she took one year at a time and made that decision year by year. Looking back I consider her a pioneer who persevered at a time when homeschooling was not accepted by the mainstream because she believed she was doing something extraordinary for her children: giving them a good education in a nurturing environment and instilling in them the love of learning.