These same character traits of motivation, curiosity and personal responsibility are paving the way for homeschoolers in their careers, as well.  When asked about the benefits of her education, Sara Lewis, homeschool graduate and co-founder of The Learning Umbrella, an internet mail-order company for homeschool curriculum, describes the character her parents instilled in her.

I have my curiosity intact, which a lot of people seem to lose in school.  I know how to be self-directed, and that applies to a lot more than just school or even learning.  Homeschooling really taught me to approach life as a project, and dig in to whatever I’m doing at the moment.  Entrepreneurial activity comes naturally to me, because it was a part of my life and my education growing up.

Despite these qualities in homeschoolers, not all employers welcome homeschool graduates in the workplace. Progress still needs to be made in this area to gain complete acceptance. Sometimes prospective employers are simply misinformed about what the law actually states with regards to diplomas, falsely believing that the diploma must be state certified.  More often, hiring a homeschooler would require the manager to change internal policy to allow for the acceptance of alternate forms of education.  In 2004, two homeschool graduates applied to PepsiAmerica, Inc.  The company refused to recognize a diploma signed by a parent, however, so neither applicant was hired.

[Editor's Note: This is part 1 of a 3 part series. In the next part Dana continues to address how homeschoolers are entering the workforce with courage and determination.]

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Dana Hanley is a homeschooling mother of three.  She holds a B.S. in Education from the University of Kansas, but feels like her true education began when she began preparing to homeschool.  You can join her on her journey and learn more about her thoughts on education and family life at her blog, Principled Discovery, at http://gottsegnet.blogspot.com.

This article was originally published in the Sep/Oct ’06 issue of Home School Enrichment Magazine. For more information, visit http://HomeSchoolEnrichment.com