This week’s “Student of the Week” is Emily, a 13-year-old homeschool student who lives in the Lykins neighborhood.

She has been homeschooled since Kindergarten, with the exception of 5th grade, when she attended Whittier Elementary.

After completing her 7th-grade studies later this year, she is looking forward to attending Crossroads Academy this fall, to take advantage of their Early College Advancement program so she can graduate with not only her high school diploma but an Associate of Arts degree as well.
Being homeschooled has its advantages, she said.

“I can do school in my pajamas. And there’s no pressure to complete my work within a certain time period.”

“The disadvantage is that there is a lot of seclusion,” she admitted, but added she attends a homeschool co-op once a week that provides various educational and social activities. 

“We do nature hikes; I really enjoy being outdoors, it’s refreshing and recharging.”

Her mother and teacher, Christine, said she chose to homeschool Emily because she had issues with public schools when her eldest daughter was attending school.

“We’ve been able to build a good mother/daughter relationship with the time we spend together.  I give her some leeway scheduling her work, but we discovered if I let her sleep in, well, we can’t do that anymore because one day she didn’t get up until 3:30!”

Emily has a strong love for animals, with a particular interest in sea animals. She would love to work as a marine biologist, but also has a deep resolve for animal rescue.

On the other hand, she has an affinity for creating special effects, like replicating scars, wounds, and rashes that look realistic, and thinks that working in the theatre or in movies would be a good career choice also.