2022 CHAP Memorial Scholarship Given for First Place

The essays for 2022 focussed on the students’ homeschool journeys and hopes for their futures. Here is the essay of the first place winner, Daniel Parry. 

My Homeschool Experience

By Daniel Parry, First Place Winner, Leigh A. Genasevich Scholarship

There are many things I have enjoyed in my homeschooling journey. One of my favorites were all the field trips we would take, especially those having to do with history. My family and I love history; I especially love military history. Because of this, we would travel to different museums and historic sites such as Mount Vernon, Jamestown, Yorktown, the National Museum of the United States Air Force, U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center, and more. I have really enjoyed these educational trips with my family.

I also enjoy sports. Around when I was nine or ten, I joined our homeschool tennis team, which was run by a homeschooling mom. It was fun, and I learned a lot, not just about tennis but how to be a good sport as well. This past year, I was able to join a Christian school’s soccer team. Unfortunately, our team didn’t do so well, but I had a ton of fun. Unlike tennis, where it’s just you against your opponent, soccer is a team sport. It was a bit of a learning curve. I also had the opportunity or forced opportunity (my parents really liked music education, so I didn’t have a choice) to join our homeschool band started by a retired public school band director. While I’m not a huge fan of practicing music, it was fun to be part of an actual band.

I also enjoyed taking lessons at Sue Hand’s Imagery. From a very young age, my mom saw that I had artistic talent. When I began high school, she acquired lessons for me with Sue Hand. Mrs. Hand is a very well-known and experienced artist; it was a great privilege to take lessons from her. Art changed the way I look at the world. For example, when you look at a butterfly or a beautiful mountain scene, you may look at it and say “that’s beautiful.” But when you’ve spent hours trying to duplicate it in a picture, you have a renewed respect for it. Art has given me a greater appreciation for God’s creation as well. The beauty and complexity of our world is simply amazing.

As far as my regular subjects go, I wasn’t a huge fan of science or English. Math was okay, but my true love was history and reading. But the most important subject was Bible or Scripture reading. From a very young age, my parents taught me about God and His Son, Jesus Christ. I’m not sure exactly when I became a Christian, but I can say without a shadow of doubt that I am saved by God’s grace because of what His Son did for me on the cross. My faith is the most important entity in my life and governs how I live. This is one of the reasons I am so thankful that my parents chose to homeschool me; my parents made sure I was taught a biblical worldview that would encourage and strengthen my faith. This laid the foundation for challenges that I may face later in life. With a growing secular culture, it is imperative that we as believers stay strong in our faith. This is done by reading the Bible and spending time in prayer with God. Reading the Bible and prayer were a very important part of our education. We would read and pray together as a family. As I begin to make my way in this world, I will rely on God and His grace to guide me.

Another great aspect of my homeschooling journey was being able to take CLEPs and college courses online that not only counted for college credits but also high school credits as well. CLEPs are college level tests that can be taken by anyone looking to take that particular course in college. If you pass, you won’t have to take that course. My mom decided that if they count toward college, they could count toward high school, too. I was basically hitting two birds with one stone. Because of this, I will have earned almost half of an associate degree in business by the time I graduate.

As far as future plans go, I aim to finish my associate degree in business with Thomas Edison University. I also plan to take a Foundation Year from Reformation Bible College in Florida, if I complete the year, I will receive a Certificate in Theology. I’m particularly looking forward to taking their course in apologetics. I’m not sure what I’ll do after this. I really don’t like school and studying, so I don’t think I’ll continue college. But I know God will direct me. As Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.”

My dream would be to go out west and become a wildland firefighter. It’s a very dangerous and strenuous job, but with the recent increase in the number of fires and fire intensity, the job is in high demand. Like I said before, I love military history. But at this time, I’m not looking to join the military, but wildland firefighting is very similar to military life. In fact, it’s highly recommended as a civilian job for veterans. The reason for this is because you are part of a crew of around 18–20 firefighters. During the fire season, from late spring to fall, the crew lives together and works together for weeks at a time. This is very similar to military life. Also like the military, there is the need for every member of the crew to make sure that their tools are in excellent condition, except in this case instead of a gun, you have shovels, rakes, and chainsaws. Firefighting crews also work in conjunction with air crews such as helicopters and air tankers, which is also similar to the military. This is just a dream, but it’s a dream that I pray will come true, even if it’s just for a couple fire seasons.

To wrap up, I am very grateful that my parents chose to homeschool me. Being homeschooled was an amazing experience. I plan to homeschool my kids as a result of my experience and would highly encourage any families that are interested to also give homeschooling a try.