Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

As homeschoolers, we encounter many obstacles. It's not always easy to train our children in the midst of financial struggles and difficult circumstances. Today on Home School Heartbeat, Mike Smith talks about how George Washington Carver responded to similar frustrations.

Mike Smith:


George Washington Carver had an insatiable thirst for knowledge. But satisfying that thirst wasn't always easy.


When George was 10, attending school meant leaving his hometown, where there were no schools for black children. Even after he found a school to attend, he outstripped his teacher's knowledge within two years. After that, he moved from one town to the next, working odd jobs to support himself and attending school wherever possible. Despite the constant setbacks, George persevered and obtained a complete high school education.


In 1885, George applied to attend a small Kansas college. But when he arrived at the school to register, the college officials saw he was black and refused to let him attend. After this cruel disappointment, George could have given up. Instead, he reapplied to another college several years later—and was accepted. He went on to receive a degree in agriculture, followed by a master's degree—becoming the only black man in America with such advanced training in his field.


As homeschool parents, we may not face exactly the same disappointments that George Washington Carver did. But juggling schedules, managing finances, and dealing with inevitable distractions can be just as frustrating. How did Carver stay focused on his goal? One of his college teachers later said, "George Carver came to us with a satchel full of poverty [but] a burning zeal to know everything." Our burning zeal to do what is best for our children can carry us through the obstacles that appear in our path.


And until next time, I'm Mike Smith.