What we're reading

The Everest Academy Ambassadors have cracked open The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey.   Pull up a chair and join us over the next few weeks as we share what we're learning about who we are, what we think, and how those truths affect everything we do.  Feel free to snag your own copy of the book and read along.  We'll be discussing the book as a group and you, our readers, will have the pleasurable opportunity to read what we have to say about what matters.   We invite you to live vicariously through the lives of 8 homeschoolers who have dared to invite you along on the journey.  So, get comfy.  We're here for the long haul. 

Alex

Hi, my name is Alex McAnnally. I'm 18 years old, and I'm a senior in high
school. I've been homeschooling for 6 years now, and this is sadly my
last year homeschooling. It's been quite a journey, I must say. I plan
to attend Beville State Community College when I graduate to study for
my 4yr. Nursing Degree and then transfer to UAB to work towards a
Master's Degree and studying to be a Nurse Practitioner. I'll probobaly
be a traveling Nurse for a few years; although, I just don't know when
yet.


I've been playing the piano for 2yrs, and I play in the Youth Group at my
church; Victory Christian Fellowship. I've recently included playing
the Keytar in my range of musical playingness. I took Yoshukai Karate,
of which I'm currently on hiatus, but I made it to 4 Kyu rank. I have
also earned the rank of Eagle Scout in Boy Scouting.


The one thing I love about homeschooling, especially this year, is I can go
back on what I've already done, like Algebra 2 or AP Biology for
example, and re-take the course without a lot of hassle and go through
it at my own pace or go over the parts I didn't quite understand or just
sped through too fast.

Dalton

My name is Dalton Spradlin, and I am 17. I've been homeschooling since my
sixth grade year. I am now a Senior, and am looking into what college I
wish to go to in the near future to get a degree in nursing. Something
that I love about homeschooling is that I have been able to school at
my own pace instead of having to wait on curriculum. I love the
educational freedom of homeschooling. For example, maybe one day I
don't want to work out of a history book, so instead I may go to an
exhibit at the museum. Another thing I love about homeschooling is that
whenever I'm hanging out with friends, there really aren't any cliques,
and anyone who wants to hang out is welcome to. I love my mom who made
it possible for me to homeschool in the first place. Thanks Mom!


I am a 1st Dan black belt in U.S. Yoshukai karate. My Sensei is also the
Pastor of my church, Victory Christian Fellowship. I love running,
swimming, fighting in karate tournaments, playing football with friends,
and playing guitar.




P.S. ROLL TIDE!!

Noah

Noah Wentworth is in the 10th Grade. He is a self-proclaimed funny guy
and weirdy, generally doing things that make others laugh out loud/stare
in an odd fashion. To quote himself, "There's very little I won't
do."

He has been homeschooling almost
his entire life, with the "almost" stemming from a brief period he
spent in a private school during 1st Grade. He prefers homeschooling
immensely and enjoys the much looser structure.

His hobbies include reading,
writing, drawing, playing video games, hanging out with friends,
swimming, and eating, among others. He likes writing self-biographies
for the sole reason that it gives him an excuse to write about himself
in the 3rd person.

Jamie

My name is Jamie Tooley, and I am 17. I've lived in Alabama for three years now. I began homeschooling in
the middle of my Freshmen year. I am now a Senior, and I feel more
prepared for college than if I went to public school. After I graduate, I
hope to attend UAB to become a nurse, but that will be where I start. I
hope by the end of my college education to be a plastic surgeon. I enjoy doing missionary work with my church (Sharon Heights Baptist Church). Just this year I went to New Orleans on a
mission trip to help rebuild and clean-up. My life wouldn’t be the way it is without the help from my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I have so many things I want to do with my life that I couldn’t begin to talk about. I love Alabama Football (ROLL TIDE!). I love to watch soccer. My favorite team is “Real Madrid” (CR7). I love to play softball. I look forward to meeting new people and serving as a Teen Ambassador.

Chandler

My name is Chandler Taylor, and I am a 14-year-old homeschooler. I love
to fish, hunt and hike; mostly anything that can be done outdoors. I
play guitar, and I'm learning to play the fiddle. I enjoy studying Shinsei Hapkido. I also love animals. I
love studying animals, but I also enjoy caring for them. I have two
Shihtzus and four chickens. I am also a member of the Boy Scouts of
America, troop 159 of Locust Fork, Alabama. I love being homeschooled.
I mostly love that I get to study things I love, and I also like that I
can move ahead when I am ready to instead of keeping the same pace all
year. I love music, Braves baseball, Alabama football, camping and
swimming. I am glad to be an Ambassador for homeschooling because I
really think that homeschooling is a wonderful thing. I am proud to
tell people that I am homeschooled and I love answering their questions.

Zac

My name is Zac Carden, and I am 16 years old and a junior in High
School. I have been homeschooled since I was in seventh grade. I live in
Northport, Alabama. Some of my hobbies include: snow skiing, playing
trumpet, doing film photography, playing video games, and playing table
tennis. I have lived in Alabama; Columbus, Mississippi; Corpus Christi,
Texas; and Las Vegas, Nevada. I love to travel and some of my favorite
places to go are: Maggie Valley, North Carolina; Sedona, Arizona; Las
Vegas, Nevada; and San Antonio, Texas. I like to listen to music and
have really eclectic taste, but my favorite band is Reel Big Fish. I
have been a vegetarian my whole life and my favorite type of food is
Indian food. I am currently training for the Mercedes Marathon in
February, which I am doing with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team
in Training. This is my first year to be old enough to do an official
Team in Training marathon but I have already done two half marathons
(the St. Jude's Half Marathon and the Nashville Country Music Half
Marathon). This year I am also doing the Early College Program at the
University of Alabama.