About Me

I’ve been blogging for three years now, and I’ve never bothered to write anything on my “About” page about myself.  I never really thought it mattered.  However, I notice that many visitors check this page, so I might as well write something.

Homeschooling has been the most rewarding challenge of my life.  I blog mainly so that I can look back on these times – both good and bad – so that I can remember them years from now.  I also blog because we have many relatives and loved ones living outside Ohio, and this is the best way to keep them a part of our lives.  Finally, I blog to help share information and resources with other moms.

Homeschooling has been my greatest challenge, and I’ve had many.  I graduated from a large, state university Magna Cum Laude with University Honors.  I then earned a master’s degree in school psychology, and decided to pursue a Ph.D in that field.  I applied to three of the top 5 programs in the nation, and was accepted in all three.  However, I was appalled by what I saw in the public schools, and vowed I’d never work in one.  Besides, my real interest was in research, and I “didn’t really like working with children.”

So, I dropped out of my Ph.D. program, and earned a second master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago instead.  I received a generous scholarship from the U of C, and attended nearly for free.  During my last year of my program, and for a time afterward, I conducted research in public policy issues.  I was a Senior Research Analyst at the Chapin Hall Center for Children, an international policy and research institute affiliated with the University of Chicago.  I loved it.

Now, I am “just” a mom.  However, I think there’s nothing more rewarding and more challenging than spending time with your children, and caring about “how they turn out”.  I sometimes feel insecure around mothers who have chosen a prestigious career path, but when they tell me they “could never homeschool”, I know that I’ve made a good choice.

I homeschool mainly so that my children know and love their faith, but also to give them the best education possible.  When I was young, I attended a public grade school, and a Catholic high school.  I have often thanked my parents for sacrificing their hard-earned money to give me a Catholic education.  I know I would not still be Catholic today without such a solid Catholic foundation to brave the world.  I have so much respect for any parent who makes sacrifices so that their children may be educated in the faith – either by homeschooling or by private religious schools.  Homeschooling isn’t for all families, but a Christian education is.

I know that all my homeschooling successes are not my own doing.  On the other hand, I take sole responsibility for my failures.  I am amazed at how often my prayers have been answered, and I’m amazed at what God has done with me.  I am the most unlikely person to homeschool.  I do not have any of the personality traits – patience, creativity, flexibility, or “mushiness” – that befits a person for working with children.  I have also had my share of health problems that have slowed me down.  However, now I’m a homeschooling mom, a catechist, and soon a Little Flowers Club leader.  It is amazing what God has done with me.  Homeschooling has been the most challenging and most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.