I was homeschooled from the 1st through 12th grades and never once desired to go to the government schools. At the time, I couldn’t imagine being confined to what looked like a prison system—bells telling me where to go, cutting short the time I wanted to spend on certain subjects; standing in line to have food dumped on a tray for me to eat; wearing the same clothes as everyone else; and truant officers hunting me down if I went rogue! None of that appealed to me. I was very happy with the freedom that homeschooling provided. Not only was I able to spend as much time as I needed on a subject, but I wasn’t forced to wait for others once I mastered it. This allowed me time to spend on things I enjoyed, such as reading history books or being involved in extracurricular activities.

While many parents and teens place importance on having friends, I didn’t. Through leadership in both local and state 4-H clubs and involvement with the Young Marine program, I naturally cultivated many friendships. I also actively participated in the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association and Teen Pact. In fact, there were times when these activities cut into time spent on math and science, which was fine by me! Because of the unique flexibility that homeschoolers have, I was able to build relationships with individuals in my community that greatly helped my future career.

I owe so much to my mother and father for taking the time to homeschool me even though it was a financial burden. I know I was quite difficult at times; but because of my parents’ faithfulness and steadfast love for me (and my siblings), I am the man I am today. Now I have the great privilege to work for the Home School Legal Defense Association and assist families as they seek to make the right choices for the upbringing of their children.

When the Lord blesses me with a wife and children, I plan to homeschool them. In addition to all the reasons above, the most important reason for homeschooling is because children need to be discipled. Who will do the discipling and shaping? Will it be friends and peers, who are just as confused about life? Will it be the atheist teacher who receives her instructions from a union 1,000 miles away? Or will it be the parents? I believe that God gave responsibility to teach to the parents, and I don’t want to relinquish that responsibility to anyone else. It is an honor to raise children, so why would I want to give to another that honor?