She Made Me by Harley

She Made Me by Harley - January 2025 Scholarship Essay

Without my parents, specifically my mother, my education would not be what it is. So many people told her that she was crazy to keep me from the public school system, that she was going to ruin me and my education, they said that I would be weird, and more. In 2012 homeschooling your children was not a radical idea, but it was not very common.

At six years old I was withdrawn from the public school I was attending for many reasons. When the next school year came, I started first grade, and my mother was my teacher. While the first few years were not difficult as I was learning a very simple curriculum and going on lots of field trips, when I hit fifth grade my mother could no longer teach me as everything was getting harder. Fifth grade was the year I was introduced to an online homeschool program, it had videos to show you what to do and questions to answer. This program was self-paced and easy to get behind on, I had to learn how to be time efficient, get my work done, and overall have self-discipline. I kept doing this program until tenth grade.

Once I hit tenth grade, I applied to Houston Community College as a dual credit student as I wanted to start my associate's degree. I started taking online classes through the college while still doing bookwork for my homeschool program. I spent two full semesters at Houston Community College. I then transferred to Lone Star College for more class options. Both of these colleges have taught me many new skills. While still focusing on my school I have been involved in many extracurricular activities. From six to sixteen years old I played T-ball/softball, I did Girl Scouts for a few years, I did Brazilian Jiujitsu for four years, I have been in 4-H from eight to eighteen years old, and more. All of these programs are because of my mother, she not only pushed me to do these things, but she also volunteered her own time to these programs. My education was not just schoolwork, all of these activities have taught me so much more than what I would have learned in a public school.

Now here I am, a senior in high school and I am almost done with my associate's degree. I will graduate high school in the spring of 2025, and I will complete my associate's degree of science in the fall of 2025. I am currently working on my applications for Blinn College and Lone Star College. My goal is to get accepted into Blinn’s dental hygiene program and Lone Star is a backup.

Overall, my mother was my teacher from kindergarten to fifth grade and made my education possible. Everything that I have done is because of my mother, she has always pushed me to strive for bigger and better. She, along with all of these things that she has pushed me to do, has made me a better person and the person I am today.