A homeschool grad looks back
Paige Coker Rekers (homeschool class of 1999) answers the question, “How has homeschooling prepared you for life?”
At 15 my life revolved around one person – me. On the way to school one day at the end of my sophomore year, my mom gave me the ultimatum of either staying at the Christian school I was attending or be homeschooled with my two younger siblings. I scowled and said I would stick it out at school (I am sure eye rolling was involved and a slamming of a van door). However, as the day progressed, the Lord made it very clear to me that I needed to be educated at home for the remainder of my high school career. I was apprehensive at first but God gave me such a peace that I could not ignore it.
As I began my first year of homeschooling in 11th grade, I was stunned to see that children of all ages were interacting with adults, and each other in a positive way. While attending conventional school all of my life, it was very uncommon to see a younger student conversing with an older student even if they were a mere one grade apart. Very quickly I felt welcomed into a small community of people. That year was so pivotal in my young life. Always shy and introverted, I finally felt at home.
Opportunities to socialize and interact with others abounded. Without the stress of classroom settings, grades, teachers and peer pressure, my creativity flourished through sketching, creative writing classes, and discovering museums. I made friends with whom I am still close, even to this day. After graduation in 1999, I pursued Interior design at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. College became an opportunity to deepen the confidence I had gained in myself and in my abilities through homeschooling.
Now, 15 years later, I am able to grasp the importance of relating to others of all ages. I learned how not to ignore the innocent voices of the little ones. I also discovered how to respect the adults involved in my teaching which overflowed into my relationship with my parents. With two children of our own, my husband and I believe the Lord is leading us to teach them at home, and I hope they will learn these things. Homeschooling is just an illustration of life — people of all ages interacting with each other, learning from each other.
Paige, the daughter of Neil and Beth Coker, resides with her family in Murfreesboro, Tenn.