There is no formula for success, so this title is tongue-in-cheek, but the ‘recipe’ is also intended to reassure parents who are not following conventional paths and finally, it’s a little bit of a brag post too!
In our home, we follow an eclectic style of home education, with a very relaxed and flexible approach. We don’t hammer academics, but emphasise the need to become self-motivated. As the oldest of six children, Lucille had many years of home educating, with babies and toddlers in our home and all the chaos and interruptions that they bring!
Every child, in every family, will follow a unique path and timeline, but because you want to know what has worked for other families, I am sharing the major ingredients of Lucille Erwee’s pathway to success so far.
In her first year at university (2020), Lucille was the top student in her class, made the Dean’s List and was awarded the CJM Prize for Marketing, Communication and Advertising. In 2023 when she graduated, she was in the top% of her graduating class.
Scroll down to see the academic “ingredients” which contributed towards her success from preschool to the end!
Update: June 2024 -Lucille completed her Bachelor of Business (Marketing) degree with an 85% average over all 3 years. She was working part-time for a marketing company while studying and they offered her a full-time position starting in January 2023, at the salary she requested. In January 2024, she accepted a position as a digital marketing analyst for an international airline.
Preschool years
- large doses of daily reading aloud of stories
- outdoor play, sandpit, trampoline, plastic scooter biking
- chores in the home
Primary years
- large amounts of daily reading aloud together and even more reading alone
- Eclectic home education: Math-U-See, Footprints On Our Land, Sonlight, Exploring Creation, Artistic Pursuits for a season, BBC Dancemat Typing, Latin Big Book for a season, Excellence in Writing’s Structure and Style programme, for a season, Afrikaans workbooks
- sport and music to develop perseverance and self-motivation
- scooters, skateboards and
- camping trips
- a limited number of friends
- chores at home
High school years
- Math-U-See, Sonlight, Footprints – The Last Century, Apologia Science, Typingtrainer.com, Structure and Style,
- starting two businesses (both sold and still going)
- large amounts of reading alone
- a pinch of accounting
- serious commitment to competitive sport that leaves no time for teenage nonsense or naughtiness
- sporting friends with the same commitment
- chores, cooking and babysitting younger siblings
School exit exam/ Matric option: American GED® (and SAT) The GED was the first exam she ever wrote and she aced it!
2 Gap years
- Working overseas in Europe as an au-pair first in Switzerland then in Belgium
- studying French and Dutch
- continuing to read stimulating books about the world and politics
- travel
- time alone to reflect and make important life decisions
University
- self-motivation, diligence and a will to succeed in a field of study you enjoy
- working two part-time jobs to help pay for it
- leadership positions in classes and sports clubs
- bought her own Golf Polo car and paid it in full
- approached a top company in her final year, asked for a job and got it!
If you are looking for a homeschool recipe for success, the best thing you can do is to make your own one as each child is unique!
Click here to read more GED Success Stories from South Africa and more about why homeschoolers love the GED.