Leading the March – Why I’m Grateful to be a Homeschooler

Jacinta Hamilton: Grade 11-12 – 1st Place Winner
2018 What Homeschooling Has Helped Me Achieve Essay Contest

As I approach my senior year of high school, I realize how different my life would be without the benefit of the past twelve years of Seton Home Study School.

The impact of homeschooling on my life—and Seton, in particular–is so huge that an 850 word essay can only scrape the surface! I have compiled some of the highlights of homeschooling that have helped shape me into the person I am today.

I will always be grateful for the formation of mind, body, and spirit that a Seton homeschool education provides. Homeschooling has allowed me to enjoy my schoolwork, integrate my Faith, and have the flexibility for activities and quality time spent with my family. I hope more people will seriously consider homeschooling as a real possibility. In my opinion, it is not only an amazing school lifestyle, it’s the best!

The thoroughly orthodox Catholic education that Seton provides is incredible. The substantive and rich Catholicism that is in each of the textbooks is inspiring.

I am amazed by all that I continue to learn about the Catholic Faith in every course I take. In the end, our spiritual life is the only thing that is going to matter, and I am forever grateful that my school reflects where I want my soul to be for all eternity.

Homeschooling has allowed me to do schoolwork at my own pace. In most cases this involves being able to do things faster and use my time the way I want. Our community allows dual enrollment, which means that I have been able to take a couple of classes at my local high school. To be candid, the amount of “wasted” time we have locked in our seats seems crazy.

I appreciate that with homeschooling I am able to take the initiative to plan and complete my schoolwork on my own. This discipline has transferred well into other areas of my life.

Homeschooling has also given me the time and flexibility to pursue interests outside of school. I have been very active in ballet for the past 12 years, for example. It has been nice to be really invested in something that I enjoy without feeling that I would have to sacrifice my education. I really appreciate that homeschooling has allowed me to enjoy the beauty of dance and the comradery with my classmates.

I am also very active in Band, playing the Euphonium since 5th grade. Opportunities that I have been able to pursue include various honor bands at the district and state levels, solo and ensemble competitions, playing almost the entire school year in the Symphony Band at my local high school, playing at church, and being chosen to be Section Leader for Marching Band this coming fall.

My other interests include cooking and baking with my four younger sisters, making casseroles once a month for the free lunch program at my parish, writing a Saint article for my parish’s teen newsletter once a month, and playing basketball with my competitive brothers and sisters. All these things I am able to do–and with time to spare–thanks to the flexibility of homeschooling!

Homeschooling allows me to spend the most time with the most important people in my life: my family. This is a real blessing since my siblings and I are very close. I am the oldest of the seven kids in my family, and being the “big sis” is my favorite role. I am particularly grateful that I get to hang out with my 9-year-old brother Gabriel every day.

Gabe has Down Syndrome and reminds me every single day what a huge blessing he is to our family. Homeschooling allows me the flexibility in my school day to be the “big sis” by sharing a variety of activities with my special brother. I am able to go along to his speech, occupational, and physical therapy appointments; this has made me seriously consider these as career choices.

I am also able to share Gabe’s favorite activities with him, which include listening and dancing to music, playing on the swings outside, anything to do with water and roller coasters, selfies with his sisters and brother, and hugging! I know that Gabriel appreciates homeschooling because he gets really sad when his siblings are away at activities. Homeschooling has allowed our family to spend much more time getting to know each other and to become best friends!

I am grateful to Seton for a homeschool education that has allowed me to grow daily in my Catholic Faith, to have the flexibility to pursue a variety of interests, and to spend more time with the most important people in my life.

About Jacinta Hamilton

Jacinta Hamilton is a senior in high school and lifelong Seton homeschooler. She is the oldest of seven kids in her family, five girls and two boys. When she’s not taking online tests or writing book reports, Jacinta enjoys taking ballet classes, playing euphonium in band, going to Iowa football games, playing basketball in the backyard with her brothers, and baking with her sisters.

Jacinta is involved in Best Buddies, which is an organization that pairs kids with special needs with their peers and makes them feel included in schools. She also enjoys being involved in her parish by volunteering at Vacation Bible School, baking casseroles for the local crisis center, and writing a monthly “Lives of the Saints” article for the Parish Teen Newsletter. Jacinta really enjoys writing about the Catholic Faith and sharing the positivity of homeschooling!