Krisann Robles and her husband Cris had only been homeschooling for a short time when they agreed the best thing they could do for their children was teach them how to be self-directed.
Fast forward almost 30 years, and their youngest son Patrick has traded in his entry-level job for a professional position with a federal defense contractor. His new employment includes a commensurate salary, which is especially impressive given that Patrick has yet to reach the official age of adulthood. He is 17.
“Homeschooling gave all of our children the freedom to pursue their interests and become successful in a way that they can enjoy what they do and not just work to make ends meet,” said Krisann. “Our main goal was to teach them how to find the information they wanted and never stop learning.”
New Way of Learning
Though Krisann is certainly happy to reflect on how all seven of her children have been empowered to follow their passions, she recognizes that their family’s homeschooling approach took some time to develop.
Their two oldest children, John and Ali, began their education in public school. But by the time John completed 1st grade, it became apparent that traditional schooling was not the best fit for him or his sister.
The behavior of other students raised concerns about safety, and some of the teachers seemed overly critical. Krisann and Cris began looking at different options.
Inspired by a book she read on Catholic homeschooling, the Robles began homeschooling in the mid-90s. They began by using a standard curriculum, but Krisann observed the rote learning style did not engage her kids’ unique interests or fit their varied learning styles.
“I felt like we were just doing school at home,” she said. “It seemed like the same thing over and over. The kids were bored to tears.” So she decided to focus on providing the academic fundamentals, and then let her children determine what else they wanted to study.
Getting a Head Start
“We did a lot of field trips and other fun things,” Krisann said.
This new approach soon proved successful. All of their children finished high school early to get a head start on a wide variety of interests.
John served in the Army, went to college, and now works as a physicist. Ali also served in the Army, has earned several degrees, and is currently training for a career in nursing. Emily has two degrees and owns her own business. Kira has a degree and manages her husband’s custom welding business. Their daughter Julia and her husband are expecting their fourth child later this year, and next-to-last is Samuel, who is training to work in security services through Job Corps.
Patrick developed an affinity for work early, and followed the path blazed by his siblings. At age 12, he was a paid video game coach and earned enough to buy his first computer. By age 16, Patrick wanted to work full-time, so he paved the way by earning a General Educational Development certificate to formally conclude his homeschool program.
Patrick Robles (middle) with his brother Samuel (right) and niece Sarah (left) during a family trip to the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza, Mexico.
Moving Forward
It didn’t take long for Patrick to realize that with a little extra training he could quickly advance from his entry-level position to a more rewarding job. “I kind of realized that I wasn’t making enough money,” he said.
After helping his brother-in-law study for a certification exam in cyber security, Patrick asked himself whether he was capable of completing similar training.
The answer came when his sister Kira reminded him of his mom’s primary intent in her approach to homeschooling. “She put the idea in my head that I should aggressively learn things,” Patrick said.
So, just after his 17th birthday, Patrick enrolled in online courses on information technology (IT) with a focus on computer networks and security. After completing the coursework, he earned certification in both these areas by passing a competency exam on his first try.
He then applied to the same contractor his brother-in-law works for, which entailed obtaining a security clearance. He was hired, and last week he launched his career as an IT professional.
Other Business Ventures
Patrick said he’s especially excited about his new job because the additional salary should help him start a personal business project. Using his newfound skills, he’s also been building a retail website.
“It blows my mind,” Krisann said of her son’s rapid development as a computer specialist. She added that his success validates the notion that homeschooling boosts students’ confidence and self-motivation.
“It’s like I told my children,” she recalled. “You need to find out what you want to do and then go do it. No one is going to hand it to you unless you put in the work.”
Photo Credit: Photos courtesy of the family.