Homeschooled Children Succeed – What Are They Doing?

As more and more people realize the value of homeschooling in our growing society, the number of homeschooling children increases. A study from the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) indicates that their number has grown at a rate of 2-8% per year since 2010.¹ However, home education has existed long before then. In fact, many homeschooled adults have affected our lives without our knowledge. Thomas Edison, the inventor of the phonograph and the light bulb, was home educated.2 The writer of The Chronicles of Narnia and many other books, C.S. Lewis was tutored by his mother and his governess.3 The field of nursing was also influenced greatly by Florence Nightingale, who was brought up under the tutelage of her parents.4 Many others, such as George Washington, Alexander Graham Bell, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and J. R. R. Tolkien, were also instructed at home.5 The fact that these homeschooling families have left a large mark on our society is undeniable.

The homeschooled children of this day and age have assimilated into society exceptionally well. Like their predecessors, the legacy they are leaving behind speaks louder than the best pro-homeschooling debate ever given. Their lives bring forth a message that homeschooling is more than just a secondary way of education. Arguably, it is a better way and certainly has moved into the mainstream.

Maybe you’ve wondered what those who were home educated pursue after graduation. Are they impacting the world for the better? Do they achieve great positions of employment? Whether or not the names of homeschooled adults have been thrown around in everyday conversation is of little importance. Although many gain popularity those who continue on behind the scenes deserve just as much credit as those who hit the front page of the local newspaper.

Perhaps you have heard of Jamie Anderson (1990 - ), an Olympic gold medalist from South Lake Tahoe. She was homeschooled along with her seven siblings throughout her life. Although the focus of most families was reading, writing, and arithmetic, the focus of Jamie’s mother was for her children to learn to get along and let life be their teacher. Instead of sitting at a desk, the Anderson clan played outside, ran, and jumped, allowing their natural energy to be expelled.6 As a result, Jamie was able to pursue her fascination with the sport of snowboarding. And pursue it she did!

Arran Fernandez (1995 - ) was homeschooled by his father, Neil.7 At age five, he achieved the highest grade in the foundations math paper and made the headlines. And at only fifteen years old, he was accepted into Cambridge. Currently, his goal is to solve the Riemann Hypothesis, an unsolved theory about the patterns of prime numbers that has puzzled scientists for 150 years.8

Another winter Olympian who happened to be homeschooled was Bode Miller (1977 - ), the most successful American alpine skier of all time. Until the third grade, Bode was homeschooled on a 350-acre farm in New Hampshire. This allowed him to focus on his hobby of skiing while still staying ahead of his studies. Currently, he has one Olympic gold medal, thirty-three World Cup wins, and four World Championship wins in the sport of alpine skiing.9

Ruth Elke Lawrence-Naimack (1971 - ) was homeschooled by her father in the field of mathematics since the age of five. At the age of nine, Lawrence gained an O-level in mathematics and a Grade A at A-level Pure Mathematics. She became Associate Professor with tenure at the University of Michigan in 1997, and later became the Associate Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1999.10

Tim Tebow (1987 - ) is another well-known sports figure who was homeschooled. Since his parents were missionaries, they chose to homeschool because of their faith. As he was growing up in Florida, Tim was able to participate in public school sports. During this time, he improved tremendously. Later in his sophomore year of college, Tebow won the Heisman trophy, being the first homeschooled person to do so.11

The political activist Gloria Steinem (1934 - ) was also brought up under the education of her mother. In the peak of her career, she wrote as a journalist, worked as a columnist for New York magazine, and co-founded Ms. magazine.12

The Polgár Sisters (1969 - ) are another great example. Their father, Lazslo Polgár, homeschooled the girls and taught them chess from a very young age. At age five, Susan Polgár won a chess tournament 10-0! By the time she reached age fifteen, she was known as the top-ranked female chess player in the world. Although all three of the sisters are considered chess masters, Judit Polgár soon exceeded her siblings and took the title of the strongest female chess player in the world.13

Dr. Condoleezza Rice (1954 - ), the former U.S. Secretary of State, was also educated at home. She also served as National Security Advisor to President George W. Bush. Before her time in political affairs, Rice was appointed as Provost of Stanford University from 1993-1999.14

Erik Demaine (1981 - ), named “one of the most brilliant scientists in America” in 2003 by Popular Science magazine, was educated by his father at home. Erik earned his bachelor’s degree at the young age of fourteen and continued to pursue his interest in math with a master’s degree and later a Ph.D. At age twenty, Erik was hired onto the M.I.T. faculty, making him the youngest professor ever hired by the prominent university.15

Along with his three brothers, Dr. Grant Colfax (1965 - ) was brought up by David and Micki Colfax, authors of the book Homeschooling for Excellence. He graduated cum laude from Harvard University and became an infectious disease specialist in internal medicine. In 2012, Dr. Colfax was appointed as Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy by President Obama, and later was given the title of Director of HIV Prevention and Research for the San Francisco Department of Public Health.16

The physicist Samuel Chao Chung Ting (1936 - ) was homeschooled throughout the Japanese invasion of China during World War II. He later received the Nobel Prize in 1976 for discovering the subatomic J/ψ meson nuclear particle. In 1977, Ting became the first Thomas Dudley Cabot Institute Professor of Physics at M.I.T. He later became the principal investigator for the cosmic-ray detector in space.17

Reid W. Barton (1983 - ), one of the most successful performers in the International Science Olympiads, was homeschooled since the third grade. At only ten years of age, Barton scored a ‘five’ on the AP Calculus examination – the maximum score possible! As a result of his work on packing densities, Barton received the 2005 AMS Morgan Prize for Outstanding Research in Mathematics by an Undergraduate Student.18

Racing prodigy Joey Logano (1990 - ) was homeschooled during his pursuit of speed. At age eighteen, Joey became one of the youngest competitors to officially enter the national racing circuit. Logano’s achievements currently consist of fifty wins, 322 top ten finishes, and fifty-six poles accumulated.19

The homeschool life of Jacob Barnett (1998 - ) consisted of sitting in on college physics courses at the age of eight. He has been featured in the TEDxTeen talk “Forget What You Know” and has a YouTube channel where he explains concepts like quantum mechanics, scientific notation, calculus and linear algebra that gather viewers of all ages. While still a teenager, Barnett expanded on Einstein’s theory of relativity and submitted his master’s thesis.20

A third-generation American artist, James Wyeth (1946 - ), attended school until the sixth grade, when he began homeschooling with a focus on art. At age eighteen, some of his paintings were already in the museum of his hometown. Wyeth also served as a member of the advisory committee of the United States Postal Service, produced the White House Christmas Cards for 1981 and 1984, and created a portrait for the 1995 Special Olympics World Summer Games Commemorative Coin.21

The prodigy Sho Yano (1990 - ) was homeschooled through the age of eighteen. At age eight, he scored 1500 out of 1600 on the SAT. Ten years later, he was awarded a Ph.D. in molecular genetics and cell biology from the Pritzker School of Medicine. He became the youngest person to graduate with an M.D. from the University of Chicago, graduating at age twenty-one.22

The homeschooling lifestyle allows the opportunity for children to discover and develop their abilities, gifts and strengths. This lifestyle, once only a fringe movement, has moved boldly into the mainstream. Homeschooled children are contributing to modern society in huge and profound ways.

Mari Almon
Founder, President 

 

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1. Ray, Brian D. “Research Facts on Homeschooling.” National Home Education Research Institute, 7 Jan. 2019, https://www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/. Retrieved 11/1/19.

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3. Olsen, Teri Ann Berg. “C. S. Lewis.” C.S. Lewis - Famous Homeschoolers - Famous Homeschool Parents, http://famoushomeschoolers.net/bio_cslewis.html#.XbzMP25FzIU.

4. “Meet Famous Homeschoolers-Florence Nightingale.” HSLDA, 24 Jan. 2006, https://secure.hslda.org/docs/hshb/65/hshb6507.asp.

5. Evinger, Amanda. “27 Famous People Who Were Homeschooled.” Seton Magazine, 22 Jan. 2017, http://www.setonmagazine.com/latest-articles/27-famous-people-who-were-homeschooled

6. “30 Successful People Who Were Homeschooled.” Top Education Degrees, Mar. 2018, https://www.topeducationdegrees.org/successful-people-who-were-homeschooled/.

7. “25 Modern Science, Math, and Technology Leaders Who Were Homeschooled.” A Magical Homeschool, 7 Jul. 2016, http://magicalchildhood.com/homeschool/2016/07/07/25-modern-stem-leaders-who-were-homeschooled/

8. Davis, Anna. “Boy who broke GCSE record at five is off to Cambridge.” Evening Standard, 2 Sept. 2010, https://www.standard.co.uk/news/boy-who-broke-gcse-record-at-five-is-off-to-cambridge-6509443.html

9. “30 Successful People Who Were Homeschooled.” Top Education Degrees, Mar. 2018, https://www.topeducationdegrees.org/successful-people-who-were-homeschooled/.

10. “Super Humans – Ruth Elke Lawrence-Naimack.” Awake the Genius Within, 10 Jan. 2016, https://awakethegeniuswithin.blogspot.com/2016/01/ruth-elke-lawrence-naimark.html18.

11. “30 Successful People Who Were Homeschooled.” Top Education Degrees, Mar. 2018, https://www.topeducationdegrees.org/successful-people-who-were-homeschooled/.

12. “Steinem, Gloria.” Prejudice in the Modern World Reference Library, Encyclopedia.com, 21 Sept. 2019, https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/journalism-and-publishing-biographies/gloria-steinem.

13. Dsouza, Maxim. “The Astonishing Success Story of the Genius Polgar Sisters.” Productive Club, 23 Oct. 2019, https://productiveclub.com/polgar-sisters-story/.

14. Fobbs, Leslie. “Homeschooling Hero: Condoleezza Rice.” HOMESCHOOLING HEROES®, 23 Apr. 2018, http://www.homeschoolingheroes.com/hackschool-blog/homeschooling-hero-condoleezza-rice.

15. Olsen, Teri Ann Berg. “Erik Demaine: Math Wizard.” Erik Demaine - Famous Homeschoolers - Famous Homeschool Parents, http://www.famoushomeschoolers.net/bio_demaine.html#.Xb4R125FzIU.

16. Clark, C E. “Home School Update: Whatever Became of the Colfax Boys?” WeHaveKids, 4 Oct. 2016, https://wehavekids.com/education/Colfaxboyshomeschool.

17. “Samuel Chao Chung Ting Biography, Life, Interesting Facts.” Famous Birthdays By SunSigns.Org, https://www.sunsigns.org/famousbirthdays/d/profile/samuel-chao-chung-ting/.

18. Olsen, Teri Ann Berg. Reid Barton - Famous Homeschoolers - Famous Homeschool Parents, http://www.famoushomeschoolers.net/bio_barton.html#.Xb4s2m5FzIU.

19. Yeager, Christina. “Homeschooling Hero: Joey Logano.” Homeschooling Heroes®, 12 Oct. 2018, http://www.homeschoolingheroes.com/hackschool-blog/homeschooling-hero-joey-logano.

20. Yeager, Christina. “Homeschooling Heroes: Jacob Barnett.” Homeschooling Heroes®, 5 Oct. 2018, http://www.homeschoolingheroes.com/hackschool-blog/homeschooling-heroes-jacob-barnett

21. “Brief Biography.” Biography of Jamie Wyeth, http://www.jamiewyeth.com/biography.html.

22. “Sho Yano: American Physician.” People Pill, https://peoplepill.com/people/sho-yano/