From “I hate school” to doctoral studies: why I maintain unshakable hope

To all the parents who fear their kid’s present challenges will never go away… 🫶🏼

To all those who dry their kid’s tears about school day in and day out… 😢

And to any whose kids seem a bit aimless after high school... never lose hope! 🕊️

All those statements describe me. We tried everything from private schools and co-ops to online schools and even home school.

One reason we moved across the country 8 years ago was to find a school where she could focus on what she enjoyed (art) without being bogged down by strict academic graduation requirements. Thankfully, that was what she needed to finish high school well.

She was accepted into art school, but the pandemic robbed her of an in-person experience. So she dropped out and swore she’d never go back…

Until God gave her a new purpose and she became a 20-year-old college freshman… studying clinical psychology, of all things!

My “I hate school” kid just graduated magna cum laude!!! 👩🏼‍🎓🎉🙌🏼

And, guess what, she’s headed back in the fall to begin her doctoral studies! Here’s what her graduate research assistant bio says:

Caeli’s experiences living in both Nicaragua and Colombia have given her a personal appreciation for the challenges of cultural adaptation. Her research focuses on equipping missionaries with the cultural competence necessary for long-term effectiveness and resilience in the field. She is also deeply interested in the broader effects of globalization and the growing generational divides within communities, particularly as they influence identity development and intercultural communication.

DUDE… this was my kid who received multiple diagnoses affected her studies, and who cried every single day of the first six months of 5th grade. This is the same student who attended seven different school programs over three years, before finding what worked for her. And, it’s the same strong and capable woman who thought her dreams evaporated as a result of the Covid shut down.

We never gave up. SHE never gave up. And it is my firm belief that, as a result, we and so many others will be helped through her research and care in the years to come.

Hope never fails. (Rom. 5:5)