It is a common misconception that homeschooled students don’t have the same amount of opportunities as those who attend a private or public school. In reality, homeschooled students just have different opportunities which are beneficial to their distinctive education. Sage Grenier—a senior—has been homeschooled since early on in her education, with her mother making the decision to educate her from home due to the family not having access to a stable school district where they lived at the time. Many people assume that families who choose to homeschool their children always planned it but the reasoning for Grenier being homeschooled shows that sometimes there are outside circumstances that make a family choose an alternative type of education for their children.
When Grenier was in fourth grade, her family moved from Massachusetts to New Hampshire. In the following year, Grenier started attending a large variety of events for homeschoolers where she ended up meeting a few friends that she still has to this day. “I was able to connect with them and learn more about socialization through my friendships.” Grenier recalled. Homeschooled students are often more socially involved in their community than people think. Through her community involvement, Grenier had the chance to be a part of all of the activities which a private or homeschooled student would. To pursue her passion for music, Grenier was a member of her church’s choir for many years and also participated in many community theatre productions.
As a result of the different type of education she experienced, Grenier had a more personalized school environment than a typical high school student. On weekdays, Grenier typically works on later on in the day and gets most of her schoolwork done in large periods of time that are spread out. Unlike private or public-school students, Grenier gets to choose which assignments she wants to do, rather than having an assigned schedule, she usually ends up studying the subjects that interest her most first and then moves on to other subjects. This approach to school is one which is catered specifically to Grenier, which allows for her to learn in the way which suits her best. “One very good thing I can say about being homeschooled is that I have always been pushed to pursue my dreams.” Grenier commented.
Despite the many benefits of being homeschooled, it doesn’t come without its difficulties. When asked about the challenges of being homeschooled, Grenier expressed her feelings of otherness which came from growing up homeschooled. “Sometimes I still find it hard to connect with people out of fear that I’ll be seen differently than my peers, or as an outcast of sorts,” Grenier revealed. In contrast to Grenier’s feelings surrounding socialization as a homeschooled student, her boyfriend, Noah Place stated that she’s just like other teenagers her age and that “There are no huge differences between us.”
Through the extensive exploration of education for which homeschooling allowed her, Grenier has substantial dreams for her future. She plans on continuing her studies in college through majoring in Psychology—her greatest passion—while also still pursuing her interests by minoring in Creative Writing. “I have been drawn to the idea of a college experience for as long as I can remember,” she remarked. Grenier is looking forward to the life which is waiting for her after she is done being homeschooled, but she appreciates all the doors homeschooling has opened for her and feels if she had taken a different path, she wouldn’t be the person she is today.
