2018 Emmett Comer Scholarship Winner Rebecca Gelzer

How would my life be different today if I had never been homeschooled? As homeschooling is all I have ever experienced in my education, I can’t say for certain. But I can predict several things: I would not have the deeply rooted relationships I have with my dad, mom, brother, and sister; I would not have pursued my now-career-path-then-passion of theatre with as much gusto as I have; I would not have as strong a faith in Jesus Christ as I do. Homeschooling has brought so many opportunities, experiences, and relationships that I would have missed if I had not been given this experience.

From biking around the neighborhood with my siblings in the middle of the day to family game nights in the middle of the week, homeschooling has deepened my relationships with my family. Because I was the youngest of three and got to see my siblings learn at home, I was more motivated than ever to learn the next thing and take the next step. I wanted to be just like them! If Linda and Ryan were learning to spell and type, why shouldn’t I? Granted, I didn’t know how to read yet. Because of my siblings, I saw learning as a joy!

Besides my relationship with my family being impacted by my homeschooling, my future has been impacted by my education. Theatre has been a part of my life from seventh grade to now. Late-night rehearsals many times a week guided me to find my passion and God’s plan for my life in theatre. If I had gone to public school, I would never have been pushed to step out into real community theatre, nor would I have had the time to do so. Because of my homeschooling, God opened doors in my life to show me the path He set out for me.

I have as a homeschooler, I have had the time and desire to make daily devotional time with God a priority.

In addition to my future career being influenced by my homeschooling, my walk as a Christian has also been influenced. Because of the different schedules, priorities, and relationships I have as a homeschooler, I have had the time and desire to make daily devotional time with God a priority. In the middle of a school day, it’s not a rarity to hear my mom and me discussing theological topics. In fact, last year before my sister left for college, she, my mom, and myself created a class called “Tea and Philosophy” where we sat down for an hour or so and had conversations about God, the Bible, our country, etc. These were precious times of growing in my faith that homeschooling allowed me to enjoy.

From my integral relationships with my family, to my discovered passion for theatre, to my enriched journey with Jesus, homeschooling has influenced my life in amazing ways. So, yes, I’m sure my life would be different if I hadn’t been homeschooled. And I wouldn’t change my experience for the world!