Michael Smith:
Home schooled graduate Andrew White tried to enlist in the Navy in 1989. The recruiter was able to get him an "educational waiver" because of his excellent math scores. After his first tour of duty in the navy, Andrew was accepted to Officer Candidate School and commissioned as a Naval Officer. Now 13 years later, Andrew has served as a nuclear engineering instructor and a submarine officer. He is currently working on his master's degree at the Naval Post-Graduate School.
Andrew gives home schooling a lot of the credit for his success. He says that home schooling taught him to be independent, to structure his life and to manage his time properly. The fact that Andrew had ambitions for his life seemed to set him apart from many of the recruits surrounding him.
The new pilot program designed to make it easier for home schooled graduates to enlist also includes a plan to track their progress.
In 2001 17-year-old Christopher Rudow, who was home schooled all his life, enlisted in the Navy. After reviewing his high school transcript a recruiter told Christopher's mom it was the best transcript and education he had ever seen. Even though Christopher was the youngest man in his boot camp, he went on to win an Academic Excellence Award in his division of 80 other recruits.
Home schooling families in the military face unique challenges. "Called to Serve" is a powerful article in a recent Home School Court Report. And we'd like to send it to you free. Just contact us and ask for "Called to Serve." Call us toll free at 866-338-8614. That's 866-338-8614.
