I was always homeschooled (kindergarten through twelfth grade).

I then went on to study at a university, achieving 2 bachelors degrees and my masters in Social Work. I wanted to mention this only to emphasize that homeschoolers can definitely be successful in higher education. I loved school both at home and beyond.

I now work for HomeLife Academy and I am the director of Enlightening The Dark Theatre Arts Company, a student outreach program of the Homeschool C.A.R.E. Foundation.

As I reflect on my own story, I consider homeschooling to be the greatest gift that my parents ever gave me. Here are just a few of the reasons that I feel confident in proclaiming my above statement.

Homeschooling allowed for:

  • Time spent as a family unit.
    Mother Teresa said, “If you want to bring happiness to the whole world, go home and love your family.” I have seen the love in my childhood home overflow in life-giving ways.
  • Opportunities in the social realm outside the home that I would not have had time for otherwise. I was very socially active. (I also wrote a more detailed blog all about my various social opportunities throughout my homeschooling years: https://homelifeacademy.com/but-youre-not-awkward-at-all-confronting-the-stereotype/?wpse_action=search )
  • Time to delve into the things I was passionate about. This grew my interests and further developed my natural abilities. This also allowed for more self-awareness and confidence in making my decisions as I pursued higher education.
  • The exploration of truth in a safe environment. Values were instilled in my heart in such a way that they weren’t forced upon me but that I learned truth and held it close. I witnessed my parents living out their beliefs and I was challenged to think critically about my own faith. I took ownership of my convictions and learned to live with integrity and joyful confidence.
  • Time with my little sister when we could have been at separate schools all day. My relationship with my sister was a priority and also one of my greatest blessings. She passed away a few years ago and I’m so thankful for all of the memories that homeschooling allowed us to make. 
  • Learning outside of the classroom. We took the time to learn on a LOT of field trips and also had extra hours in the day to play, when bookwork was done. I have so many amazing memories of various ways we learned outside of the house! My mom was creative and my dad loved adventure. This allowed for a lot of fun and discovery. We had many meaningful bonding experiences beyond our doorstep.

I could go ON AND ON. Homeschooling set me on the right path and I treasure the memories more than I could ever express. Of course, there were plenty of bad days (my family wasn’t perfect) but we worked through the hard moments and did it together. Homeschooling really solidified the definition of “family” in my heart and my mind. I plan to homeschool my own children in the future and it is a well known statement that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

I now do a podcast, along with a friend of mine, where we talk about the value of homeschooling as alumni. If you’d like to listen to some of our crazy antics and our love for the foundation that homeschooling provides, you can check out our episodes here: https://anchor.fm/homeschoolcarefoundation  

MEET OUR AUTHOR

BRYANNA RUESCHE

Bryanna Ruesche is the communications manager for HomeLife Academy and a CAREgiver with the Homeschool C.A.R.E. Foundation. She holds her Masters in Social Work, helping families connect and thrive.