“You know, these volunteer hours are helpful when you’re getting into college,” a non-profit business owner told me as I worked beside her.
“I’m working toward two hundred hours,” I replied.
“Oh, I guess you don’t need them for college then?”
No, ma’am. I am volunteering simply because that is something in my heart to do. I love interacting with people in every scenario possible, and I find fulfillment in giving my time and energy to causes I believe in.
And that’s one way I am breaking the mold. Most people assume that a young person is under some obligation if he or she is seen working in the community. But I sort books at the library because I believe in the power of literature. I take care of kids at homeschool events because I want parents to be empowered to educate their own children. I believe in true love so I cook or decorate at weddings.
I also believe that life and education are inseparable. In fact, the moment you stop learning, you stop living, and vice versa. In a world that views the first 20 years of life as “school” and the rest of life as “work” and “retirement”, this perspective is earth-shattering. It makes me look at each experience in a whole new light. Life has never been about grades and how you as an individual measure up to the average human being. You are unique; you have your own style of learning; it’s up to you to find it.
I never stressed out about not finishing my 8th year of school. What was I doing instead? I was building a business. I jumped right into high school without a beat the next year and never missed the science and math tests I skipped. My education did not fit the traditional model by any means, but I grew in ways my textbooks could never have increased me.
And now, in what would be my senior year of high school, I have taken another step that goes against the grain of traditional ideas. I have chosen to skip college.
The education experience I wanted was a fast-paced, self-directed one. But I wanted mentors and other people who were as passionate about self-directed education as I was. But was there any such thing? I didn’t know, until one day I found Praxis. It is a bootcamp/ apprenticeship program specifically for young people looking to build their career from the ground up.
In addition to building my career from the ground up, I spend time doing what I love: learning anything new, playing music by the hour, cooking and baking, reading, writing, and working out. And I still have time to invest in the education of my younger siblings, working side by side at science projects, playing football, challenging each other at Math games, and being generally awesome.
I’m not chained to professors, class times, and college campuses. I am learning what I love by a method I am passionate about. We’ll see what the next couple years bring, but I can promise you this: there are a lot more molds that need to be shattered.