May 20, 2010- Back in December, I wrote a post about the difficult time we had been having with Nick, our oldest son. The condensed version is that once he turned 18, he decided to not continue with his homeschool high school classes, and was very disrespectful, causing a lot of trouble in the home. We moved him outside to a trailer, and applied for Job Corps, with the idea being he would start Job Corps in January. So, here is the wonderful update:
January came and went, with Job Corps not ready to take him. We found out that there were some delays in the system, and that Nick may not even be able to go to Job Corps. After jumping through some hoops and praying a lot, we finally received the call with his departure date. He moved to Clearfield, Utah on April 6th. After the initial things they need to do to get him settled and acclimated, they started working on figuring out how far along he was in High School. They had his transcripts, but they can pass them off by exam on sections of courses. So, they started giving him his tests,and he kept passing them! This went on for several days, until he finished the year's tests. If the student can do this as well as pass the GED, they can get a regular diploma. He then took the GED and passed it in all areas with flying colors! We were flabbergasted! This child, whom I have homeschooled for most of his life, and I *thought* didn't pay attention to anything, actually was paying attention! It feels good to know that, and we are so very proud of him. It was a big confidence booster for Nick as well. The funny thing was that graduation was five days away! Unfortunately, this ultra-short notice meant that no family or friends could make it, but the four of us went up to Clearfield for his graduation on April 22nd. He looked so grown up in his cap and gown, and had a huge smile the entire time!
After graduation, he worked for a few weeks on career preparation. Basically they go through the different careers available and educate them on all aspects of that career. Initially, Nick had chosen Health occupations (CNA), electrician, and computer rebuilding as possibilities. Then he found out about Composites material technician, and got very excited about this career path. It is only open to students who scored high enough on math, which he did. So last week, he started travelling each day to a technology center up near where he is living to train in this field. He has passed off three packets and taken three tests, and has straight As so far!! He is just today beginning the hands-on part of the course. He is so excited about this, and as we listen to him when he calls at the end of the day, it is amazing to listen to this child have so much knowledge and enthusiasm!
He seems to be enjoying life away from home. It appears to be a strict but fun atmosphere, and he has made lots of friends. He is in a dorm with two other young men in his room, and the campus is huge and full of activities. He swims at the pool, and they have stores and a theatre to name a few things. He can stay the weekend or come home Friday evening to Sunday evening. They work through the summer except for a 2-week break in July. We've been really impressed.
We are very pleased and proud. This is certainly a lesson in how things can get better when you think they never will!
January came and went, with Job Corps not ready to take him. We found out that there were some delays in the system, and that Nick may not even be able to go to Job Corps. After jumping through some hoops and praying a lot, we finally received the call with his departure date. He moved to Clearfield, Utah on April 6th. After the initial things they need to do to get him settled and acclimated, they started working on figuring out how far along he was in High School. They had his transcripts, but they can pass them off by exam on sections of courses. So, they started giving him his tests,and he kept passing them! This went on for several days, until he finished the year's tests. If the student can do this as well as pass the GED, they can get a regular diploma. He then took the GED and passed it in all areas with flying colors! We were flabbergasted! This child, whom I have homeschooled for most of his life, and I *thought* didn't pay attention to anything, actually was paying attention! It feels good to know that, and we are so very proud of him. It was a big confidence booster for Nick as well. The funny thing was that graduation was five days away! Unfortunately, this ultra-short notice meant that no family or friends could make it, but the four of us went up to Clearfield for his graduation on April 22nd. He looked so grown up in his cap and gown, and had a huge smile the entire time!
After graduation, he worked for a few weeks on career preparation. Basically they go through the different careers available and educate them on all aspects of that career. Initially, Nick had chosen Health occupations (CNA), electrician, and computer rebuilding as possibilities. Then he found out about Composites material technician, and got very excited about this career path. It is only open to students who scored high enough on math, which he did. So last week, he started travelling each day to a technology center up near where he is living to train in this field. He has passed off three packets and taken three tests, and has straight As so far!! He is just today beginning the hands-on part of the course. He is so excited about this, and as we listen to him when he calls at the end of the day, it is amazing to listen to this child have so much knowledge and enthusiasm!
He seems to be enjoying life away from home. It appears to be a strict but fun atmosphere, and he has made lots of friends. He is in a dorm with two other young men in his room, and the campus is huge and full of activities. He swims at the pool, and they have stores and a theatre to name a few things. He can stay the weekend or come home Friday evening to Sunday evening. They work through the summer except for a 2-week break in July. We've been really impressed.
We are very pleased and proud. This is certainly a lesson in how things can get better when you think they never will!
1 comment:
Way to go Nick!
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