Education Degree With Homeschooling In Mind

Piedmont Baptist College in Winston-Salem has a unique course description for this degree program:

The purpose of the Elementary Education, Missions Emphasis is the same as elementary education, but additionally has as its purpose to prepare teachers for a mission field context, either in a national school, school for missionary children, or home school situation. The program maintains the biblical studies, general education, professional studies, and elementary education courses, but includes missions courses.

Young homeschool grad receives two degrees at 14

Julia Nepper was homeschooled for seven years. Although she spent a semester each in junior high and high school, the schools "wouldn't agree to promote her according to her abilities", so her parents enrolled her in community college at age 11.

Now 14, Julia is graduating with two associates degrees, a 4.0 GPA, and admission to UNC-Wilmington. She told Chelsea Keller of the Wilmington Star-News,

"I don't feel that this is a great achievement, because if you don't do pointless teenage things and care about doing well, you can go to college ... It's not that hard."

Wingate football team included two homeschoolers

This year's football team at Wingate University included two area homeschoolers. Running back Samuel Pittman, a senior from Concord, and linebacker Daniel Hearn, a sophomore from Charlotte, were members of the 2008 NCAA Division II team.

Gardner-Webb recruits homeschooled athletes

The Charlotte Observer reports:

Benji Jackson, a home-schooled student who played outfield for the Cabarrus-Rowan Stallions last spring, signed with Gardner-Webb.

GWU also attracted Kimberly McKenney of Flint, Michigan, for the women's basketball program. Kimberly was MVP of the Michigan Homeschool State Championship, according to GWU's press release, and is a "very talented" player for "one of the top AAU teams in the country", Faith High.

N.C. Homeschool News 10/12/08

Charlotte's Belmont Abbey College welcomes homeschoolers


Belmont Abbey College in Charlotte is enthusiastic about homeschool graduates:

We recognize the extraordinary talents and achievements that home-educated students bring to our campus. We know for example that home-educated students are excelling academically, outperforming their public school peers by 30 - 37 percentile points across all subjects. We also know that home-educated students are involved in an average of 5.2 activities outside the class. We have a great number of success stories from our home-school students ... We look forward to enrolling more ...

It probably doesn't hurt that college president Dr. William Thierfelder is a homeschooling father of ten.



Thirteen-year-old homeschooler is youngest member of Asheville jazz ensemble

Will Newman, a 13-year-old homeschooler, plays keyboard, violin, and guitar for a young Asheville band, Jazz the Ripper. "Marv D" at The Urban Music Scene gives a great review to the group, saying the five musicians, ages 17 to 13, "are beginning to make their mark on the jazz scene, and in a serious way":

For a group of young men still in high school, the rawness and freshness they bring to their own compositions is to be commended. ... [W]hatever they do, the musical possibilities are endless for them. Somehow all this talent must reach the masses.

N.C. Homeschool News 10/05/08

Perdue ad opposing McCrory on vouchers leads N&O fact check

Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue's ad, "Difference on vouchers" is the first on the list reviewed by the Raleigh News & Observer. She claims McCrory "supports taking 900 million taxpayer dollars away from public schools to pay for kids in private schools." The N&O points out this assumes a much broader program than McCrory supports, including vouchers for homeschoolers, and would exceed voucher programs found in any other state.

N.C. family combines homeschooling and gospel singing

Jeff and Susan Whisnant of Morganton are part of the Southern gospel quartet, "The Whisnants". Their family goes on the road with them as they sing for church events all over and recently, at the annual National Quartet Convention in Louisville, KY. Jeannie McPail, herself a gospel singer, profiles the family in a feature for the Morganton News Herald.

2008 homeschool graduate leads Greensboro College golf team

The Winston-Salem Journal reports:

Freshman Ben Nihart (Forsyth Home Educators '08) led host Greensboro to a sixth-place finish this week in the Greensboro College Invitational golf tournament at Bryan Park.

Nihart, the 2007 Forsyth Junior champion, shot 73-72 to finish at 1-over-par 145 and tied for sixth overall.