Mary Rose Walsh
Mary Rose Walsh, an intelligent and grounded young lady, grew up in a Connecticut suburb of New York City. She is currently a freshman at the University of Dallas. As a child, she attended public school. In high school, her parents chose to begin homeschooling her since her two younger siblings were already successfully being homeschooled. They believed homeschooling would be a stronger education to prepare Mary Rose for college than what the local schools could offer. Her classes were self-taught, and consisted of all upper level and/or AP classes. In addition to her self-taught curriculum, she participated in some online forums to contact teachers and view lectures. Additionally, she attended courses at Sacred Heart University.
Throughout homeschooled high school, Mary Rose partook in numerous volunteer activities, including those at hospitals and pediatrics, and did other charity work as well. Additionally, she tutored and held internships at local organizations. As a freshman at the University of Dallas, she works at the Campus Clinic as a Medical Assistant.
While Mary Rose does identify homeschooling as a source of tension within her family, she attributes the majority of the tensions to being a teenager. She recognizes that homeschooling served the purpose intended. She became closer to her family, was educated well, and grew to greatly enjoy it. She advices not to be guilty of stereotyping homeschooled children as "antisocial creeps". She emphasizes that in her homeschooling experience, she realized that people who choose to homeschool do so because they believe they can provide a better education for their children. She identifies her homeschooling education as the foundation for her success thus far at the University of Dallas.
When I asked Mary Rose to compare her experiences in elementary and middle school to her high school experience, she responded by stating that she doesn't believe homeschool and public school are in any way comparable. She learned very different things from each method of education. She asserts, "I took away people skills from public school, and life skills from homeschool".
In terms of learning style, Mary Rose has always primarily been a visual learner, so homeschooling didn't really influence her study habits to a great extent. At the University of Dallas, she has been reassured about her homeschooling education since it is clear she has a superior educational background than her peers who attended public school. Additionally, since she was homeschooled, she believes she is better prepared to be an independent student in college. She knows how to prioritize and manage her time. She doesn't recognize any inherent disadvantages to her homeschooling education, although she does admit that she hasn't had the same experiences as her peers. Mary Rose views this as a learning experience and recognizes that it offers her a variety of new experiences in college.
Mary Rose really loves being in class with other students and being able to interact in an academic setting. She also notes that sharing a class with someone serves as a great ice-breaker when talking with new people. In class, she is not afraid to participate, and often finds that she answers and asks questions when no one else wants to participate.
Mary Rose is truly an academic. When given a choice between attending a conference or a small college party, which she prefers over a more rowdy party, she would choose to attend a conference. She feels more secure in this context. That being said, she loves being with friends, wether it be at a movie or going bowling. Either way, she knows she is bound to have fun. Her dream job is to become a doctor. While she identifies the desire to live the "American Dream" in the future, she also hopes to live an exciting life during which she will leave her mark on the world. Her ideal husband would be a gentleman of similar morals and equal intellect. In regard to her children, Mary Rose would only choose homeschooling if it is the best choice for them. She presently believes, however, that private schooling would be her first choice for her children [1].
