LittleDrummerBoy
Senior Member
Right before our daughter's junior year of high school, she suffered a sports-related concussion, and tests showed some significant cognitive deficits. There have been some recurring medical issues related to that injury. A couple years before we also faced a disproportional share of opposition for our decision to home school our children based on two factors: 1) Public schools had become dangerous places with rampant porn on student cell phones, sexual bullying, and teachers looking the other way to cheating, drugs, smoking, and students having sex at school. 2) The academic rigor of public schools was insufficient to meet our student needs in their aspirations to become scientists or engineers.
We knew home schooling was a significant financial gamble. The ACT/SAT thresholds for the Hope/Zell scholarships are much higher for home schooled students than for graduates of accredited public or private school programs. We were betting that our children could perform significantly better with our home school efforts than with other options. I also left a high paying job to become the primary homeschooling parent.
Following the Lord's leading began to pay off a few years ago when our daughter earned both the Zell Miller scholarship and a significant additional scholarship from the American Chemical Society. After the concussion and financial sacrifices, that was a significant blessing paying almost completely her tuition, room, and board - especially with two younger brothers heading for college in the following years. But the cognitive struggles continued, with both semesters of Organic Chemistry requiring multiple attempts.
But by the grace of God, our daughter has overcome these challenges and more, and graduates today debt free with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Georgia. She's deciding between accepting a job at a major government laboratory and accepting admission into a well-regarded graduate program. My wife and I especially appreciate the great example she has set for her younger brothers, her hard work and perseverance, her faith, her love, and her generosity.
Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
We knew home schooling was a significant financial gamble. The ACT/SAT thresholds for the Hope/Zell scholarships are much higher for home schooled students than for graduates of accredited public or private school programs. We were betting that our children could perform significantly better with our home school efforts than with other options. I also left a high paying job to become the primary homeschooling parent.
Following the Lord's leading began to pay off a few years ago when our daughter earned both the Zell Miller scholarship and a significant additional scholarship from the American Chemical Society. After the concussion and financial sacrifices, that was a significant blessing paying almost completely her tuition, room, and board - especially with two younger brothers heading for college in the following years. But the cognitive struggles continued, with both semesters of Organic Chemistry requiring multiple attempts.
But by the grace of God, our daughter has overcome these challenges and more, and graduates today debt free with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Georgia. She's deciding between accepting a job at a major government laboratory and accepting admission into a well-regarded graduate program. My wife and I especially appreciate the great example she has set for her younger brothers, her hard work and perseverance, her faith, her love, and her generosity.
Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Last edited:
