Even after ordering my cap and gown and not signing up for classes next semester, writing this senior column might be the only thing that has made me realize I have barely a month left here on the Hilltop.
After reflecting back on my time here at Bradley, I’ve decided to write about a different topic – homeschooling. This may or may not surprise you, but I was homeschooled right up until I came to Bradley. That’s right, mom and dad taught me, and no, neither have a background in education.
Attending Bradley was the first time I could finally talk about things other than high school. I could talk about things like, “yeah, I’m from Texas!” Getting to know people on campus there’s a lot of the same initial questions like what dorm you live in, your major, where you’re from and how classes are going.
No more having to explain that yes, I got to go on vacations during the school year, and no, I didn’t grow up on a farm. Yes, I had friends outside of my siblings and church, and no, I never had to take a standardized test. Yes, I completed all the education requirements for the state, but no, I don’t have an accredited high school diploma or GED.
A lot of people have an idea in their head of what a homeschooler is like, and it’s become pretty much an inside joke in the homeschooled community. But really, just because I didn’t go to a private or public school doesn’t mean I wasn’t socialized or didn’t gain an equivalent education.
I think I stand as a pretty good testament that a homeschooled education can be as good as public school. I’m not saying that public schools are necessarily bad, but I want to help open your mind and remove some of the stigma. While here at Bradley I’ve been president of an organization, had several internships, held a job on campus, maintained A’s and B’s, taken a May-term course in Rome and have been awarded outstanding advertising student. Not to brag, but those are some pretty cool things.
Bradley has given me so much, and I’m glad I chose to come here. It’s going to be weird not coming back here in the spring, so all y’all better send me lots of pictures of the campus bunnies (bunnies > squirrels). I’ll miss Bradley, but it’s as the saying goes, “don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
