A family with seven kids is defying the odds by not just homeschooling all their kids, but sending them to college at the age of 16. The Henderson family, a black family living in Colorado has done things their way for many years. Wayde and Janelle Henderson have seven children, and have homeschooled them all for the past 21 years.
Making education a priority
As homeschooling is just now becoming more acceptable, the Henderson’s were doing it in the early 90s. At one point Janelle worked at night and homeschooled in the day, and Wayde currently works three jobs to provide for their family.
Their seven children: Jayde, Jeven, Jhia, Jarec, Jake, Jenna, and Jordan, all share a love of learning in addition to the letter “J.” All are expected to get college degrees, and all are excited about it. Jarec, now 18, said, “I’ve been excited for college since I was probably three or four.” In the meantime his mother is studying for her masters degree in mechanical engineering. Yes, this family is about their business!
Not letting anything get in the way
Now, you are probably thinking, how in the world does a family send seven kids and mom to college? They’ve even gone against the grain in this area as well. A method Janelle believes is not only a natural transition from homeschooling, but is also saving them “hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Going against the odds like this takes a special resolve. Our family homeschools, and we’ve face many doubters, haters, and just inconsiderate people. Sometimes that is the toughest part, dealing with the negative feedback of those closest to you. This doesn’t seem to bother the Hendersons though. Janelle just doesn’t listen to them, saying,
“What people say is impossible really isn’t.” [Tweet this]
I couldn’t agree more!
Below is an excerpt from a news article covering their story:
Janelle tries to play the role of mom and teacher while drilling her kids on math equations and spelling tests. She says the homeschooling happened by accident. While shopping at a school supply store, she heard the store owner talking about it, which piqued her interest. That’s when she decided, homeschooling could work for her family. “I just took it very seriously that I really have to make sure they’re getting everything they need to know,” Janelle said.
Read the complete article and watch a TV interview of them at NBCs Affiliate Station, 9 News in Colorado.
BMWK — What do you think about the Henderson’s homeschooling all seven of their children?