Homeschool High School
Vicki's Experience

My high school experience? Well, that is an interesting question, and I am glad to answer it! First, I will give you a little background on myself. I am a seventeen year old girl and the oldest of six children. I have been homeschooled from preschool to my junior year, where I am now. I am going to be homeschooled through my senior year as well, and then I hope to enter the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio. Now that you know a little bit about me, I will enlighten you as to my thoughts and experiences of being homeschooled through high school.

Through 9th and 10th grade, I was enrolled with Kolbe Academy. It is important to note here, especially for those considering homeschooling, that not every curriculum is going to work for you. You have to search for the right one, and that is one of the beauties of homeschooling: being able to choose whatever curriculum you want.

Kolbe focuses on the classics, Greek and Roman literature and history. For some that may be the match, although it wasn't for my family. For my 9th and 10th grade years, I studied Roman literature and history, early Church history, Spanish, physical science and biology, pre-algebra and algebra and English.

For my junior year, and for my upcoming senior year, I am going through Seton Home Study. My mom has pretty much tried every Catholic program and curriculum out there, excluding Mother of Divine Grace, and she has finally found her home at Seton. I will not go into why Seton is so great because that would take a whole book!

In my junior year, I am taking American literature, American history, biology, literary analysis, algebra II, and Baltimore catechism three. For my senior year, I will be taking American government, English 12, geography, religion 12 (apologetics), and geometry.

Do I think I am missing out on anything by not going to a "real" high school? Frankly...no. Why should I feel that I am missing out on peer pressure, proms where kids get drunk and then die in car accidents, immoral behaviors, profanity, drugs and alcohol, immodesty and sex-education classes? Should I miss that? I don't think so.

I have always had a homeschool group to interact with, and I have been in 4-H for seven years. 4-H is an excellent program to learn good skills and development of character. There are many programs and activities available for homeschoolers.

Additionally, if you are worried about being prosecuted for homeschooling, Home School Legal Defense Association is an organization to protect home school families. My parents have been with them for about twelve years.

I love being homeschooled, and I have not, nor will I ever regret not going to a "normal" high school. I thank my parents for choosing to educate me in this way.

God Bless.