My son, Chuck, was 14 years-old when our neighbor and friend started an Explorer Scout Post with the local volunteer fire department where he was a member. "Sure, I'll join," Chuck told him, always eager to help out his Boy Scout troop.

The immediate life-altering effects were readily apparent
as I chauffeured Chuck to the fire department for 3 AM calls. What I didn't realize right away was how seeds that would blossom into a career were being planted at the same time. Chuck had discovered a passion and he pursued it with gusto, signing up for every class and training session within 100 miles of home, putting his homeschooling-cultivated abilities to find learning opportunities he needed into high gear.

His presence as a volunteer fireman at rescue calls revealed a need for more trained medical help, so he branched out to include emergency medical technician (EMT) training, too, which forced him to sharpen math skills. When he got his driver's license he wanted his own car to get himself to fire and rescue calls (hooray!), and so needed a source of income. No problem - with all that training he found paid work as an EMT for the nearby Olympic venues, followed by a stint as a technician in our hospital's emergency room.

When the county offered a Civil Service exam to qualify for one of its rare paid fire department positions, Chuck agonized while waiting weeks for the results only to discover he had, indeed, made the highest score despite having taken very few tests in his lifetime.  He was at the top of the list when a fire driver's retirement created an opening in a town not too far away, and within three weeks he resigned from the hospital, packed, moved, and was training with a new fire department.

As a 21 year-old he has 7 years
of training in a job he loves under his belt.
I sometimes wonder what he would be doing today if homeschooling hadn't allowed him the time to pursue his interest so thoroughly.   Then I hear a fire call. I know he is serving his community, an important lesson from his homeschooling days, and making a living doing what he loves. I know he is right where he belongs.

Faces of Home Education

Interview with Author
Linda Dobson
more Homeschooling Books
more Educational Videos

• Homeschoolzone Main Menu
• Home Ed FAQ
• Home Ed Help Center
• Featured Education Authors
• Events-of-the-Week
• Home-Ed Help
• Special Needs Kids
  • ADD
  • Dyslexia
  • Gifted
• HomeWork Help
  Need help with your homework?
  Take a look at our help groups for:
  • Math
  • Science
  • Language Arts