At the age of fourteen, I began teaching piano lessons. I started small, simply taking a handful of students off the hands of my already-booked piano teacher. As time went on, however, I found myself teaching almost every day after school.
During my senior year, I went to a college audition, never expecting to be offered anything. I just thought I’d give it a try and was shocked to receive a full music scholarship. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that a music degree wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to teach. While it was difficult leaving behind a full music scholarship, I still know that it was the right decision. I wanted to teach elementary school.
Giving Up Piano Music
I was definitely musically talented though, even though it was something I had to work on. It didn’t come naturally. Thankfully, I loved working on it.
Many years after my last piano lesson, I found out that my piano teacher had planned on telling my mother to save her money and take me out of lessons. After a few months, she could see no natural talent in me. However, that particular week when she was going to inform my mom, something clicked inside me. From that lesson on, I made a continual progression upward. By the time I finished my senior year of high school, I was playing some of the most difficult classical music.
My husband and I married when I was just 19. Teaching piano lessons helped get us through our poor college years, and I soon found myself with my own overwhelming wait list. I taught lessons every single weekday right after school until 7:30 each night. It was both exhausting and wonderful all at the same time.
However, when college ended, I secured a teaching position at our local elementary school and decided to stop teaching piano lessons.
It was a difficult decision.
I loved my students dearly, and I knew that many of them may not find another teacher, but I also knew that my first year of public school teaching would be one of my most trying. Not only was I a novice teacher, but I found out that I was pregnant.
And that was essentially the end of my piano playing.
Once my sweet baby arrived, there was no time to play piano. As he got older, I found snippets of time, but I always had more than two hands on the piano, so playing anything formal was frustrating, to say the least. As more babies arrived, more hands joined me on the piano until eventually, the piano collected dust.
A Perspective Shift About Losing My Gift
As a young mother, I remember lamenting the death of my piano-playing to a coworker, and was surprised to find that instead of commiserating with me, she offered me one of the best pieces of wisdom I’ve ever received.
She said, “You haven’t lost your gift. You’ve just tucked it away in your toolbox for a season. One day, you’ll find a reason to use it again, and when you do, you’ll open your toolbox and pull it out. With a little practice, you’ll shake the rust off and move on without missing a beat. Until then, just think of all the skills and gifts you are adding to your toolbox now.”
As I thought about this, I realized how right she was. I wasn’t losing my gift of music. God was simply busy developing new gifts in me. With my new motherhood and my new job, He was stirring up compassion and patience, stretching my selflessness and pushing the limits of my endurance.
What a perspective change.
A New Meaning for My Gift
Thirteen years later, I’ve found myself pulling out my musical gift once again. Oddly enough, this time it isn’t for service to others.
It’s for me.
And what an incredible gift it is now, especially since it’s a personal gift God gave to me to help me through a tough time.
In the last year, our adopted son has entered into a particularly difficult season. It has been a trial for the entire family. I have found that the piano is my escape. I go sit at the piano and spend time with God when I'm feeling frustrated . When I rise from the bench, I felt refreshed and ready to go again.
I didn’t even recognize it as a form of therapy until my grandmother grew sick, and we found out she was dying. The next thirteen days were hard on my family. I grieved so hard for her, and the only solace that I found was playing the piano. Her death was difficult enough, but in addition to my grief for her, I found that I also grieved again for my grandfather, who passed away seventeen years ago. It’s so strange to find that wounds that you thought were healed are still actually quite fresh. They both loved to hear me play.
So, during that season of life, I sat and I played through my tears.
When the notes grew too blurry to see, I let the muscle memory in my fingers take over and play for me. There was definitely a little rust to shake off, but it didn’t matter. It was very much like riding a bicycle. It was as if God had impressed on my parents decades before to pay for years of lessons for this moment in life when I would need my music to help me cope.
It was a gift from God, just for me.
A Renewed Passion for My Gift
Since then, I am still finding my way to the piano when I am frustrated or on days when grief strikes again. However, I am also noticing myself being drawn to the piano more often to play just for fun again—just because I love to make music for the Lord.
Yes, these days, I’m keeping the dust knocked off the piano pretty regularly, and it feels so good.
An Encouragement to Weary Parents Who Think They've Lost Their Gifts
I really thought I’d never play again. And I assumed if I did play, it would be a sad reminder of what it once was. I was so wrong, and I’m so glad that I didn’t give up.
Those wise words, spoken by my coworker that day have played over in my head millions of times since then—not only about piano playing, but about the myriad of other gifts and skills we acquire throughout life.
We spend time learning how to do something, just to wonder later if it was a waste.
It’s never a waste.
You are constantly adding to your toolbox, tucking things away and waiting...and at just the right time, you will use those gifts and skills again.
Don’t lose hope! Simply tuck your gift safely into your toolbox. It will be there when you need it.
Join the Sonlight Connections group on Facebook where other Sonlight parents understand the unique challenges of homeschooling.
For years the Sonlight team has thought about a kindergarten American history program for ages 5-6. But we couldn't find a quality textbook or spine (a book that runs through the entire program as the foundation), that was interesting, age-appropriate, engaging, and people-focused.
A Kindergarten Curriculum Based on the Best Picture Books
After
almost two decades of seeking the perfect book, we finally had an
epiphany.
What
do young readers enjoy that older children tend to pass over?
Picture books!
Over the years, Sonlight’s book reviewers would fall in love with gorgeous, nonfiction picture books. But Sonlight doesn’t include many standalone picture books, because that would quickly become cost-prohibitive. At $10-$20 each, and each book easily read in a single sitting, a single Sonlight program built around picture books would end up costing over $3,000. It might be marvelous, but would certainly be out of most families’ budgets.
And
yet those picture books continued to call out, “Read me!”
What if we could build a textbook (a spine) that was a springboard to all the amazing picture booksavailable for American history?
So we created a book that introduces students to an enormous range of heroes and events from American history.
Heroes and Happenings, the History Spine
We are thrilled with the end result and you will be too! Sixty chapters, across two volumes, introduce children to a wide range of people and events. Some of them are well known, like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Some are far more obscure like Dave the Potter, an enslaved African American who inscribed rhymes on his pots at a time when the enslaved were forbidden from learning to read, or Temple Grandin, the autistic professor who transformed how people manage cattle.
Heroes and Happenings, the 2-volume history spine of Exploring American History AVAILABLE APRIL 1, 2020
Each chapter is approximately 1000 words, which takes around 10 minutes to read aloud. If all you do is read through these chapters, you’ll have an excellent introduction to American history.
You’ll cover American icons and and treasures such as
the four presidents on Mount Rushmore
the Declaration of Independence
the Constitution
the American flag
the Star-Spangled Banner
the Statue of Liberty
An inside look at Heroes and Happenings, the history spine
After Amy Lykosh did the original writing, a team of illustrators brought her words to life. Brianna in Product Development designed each spread in a beautiful layout. A team of editors suggested changes.
You’ll learn about events in almost every one of the 50 states. You’ll learn about people from a range of religions and ethnicities, with diverse skin colors and contributions. For animal lovers, we have a chapter focused on horses and a chapter with an amazing dog.
Many chapters include call-out boxes to explain something in greater depth. For example, when you cover Leif Ericson, the Viking explorer who reached North America back in 1001 CE, you’ll also learn about the Viking women who created the sails of those ships, using a drop spindle.
The Suggested Picture Books
And at the end of each chapter in Heroes and Happenings, you’ll find a box that asks, “Want to know more?” Some chapters suggest a single nonfiction picture book. Some have a half dozen or so. But if a character captures your attention, you can seek out those recommended picture books.
At the end of each volume, you’ll find dozens more recommendations, so if this program whets your appetite, you can read even more picture books.
If you don't have access to any picture books, that's fine. The textbook itself has enough information, illustrations, maps, and detail that, even if you are overseas, you will still get a solid biographical understanding of these different characters.
But
if you love the library, you have room to explore even more.
That’s the story behind the Sonlight book Heroes and Happenings, a two-part volume with 60 biographies of characters and events from American history.
A Jeopardy! Champion's Secret Strategy
It gave us a level of validation when, during production of Exploring American History, we read that Jeopardy! star James Holzhauer, the most winningest contestant ever, used children’s books as his secret weapon to become a game-show millionaire. He headed to the children’s section of the library to look for books “tailored to make things interesting for uninterested readers.”
The 4-day schedule includes timeline figures and seven additional history books. The 5-day version includes another three!
Enjoy a deeper dive into the Revolutionary War, Westward Expansion, the time of the Pilgrims, and more. As a complete program, this history curriculum is stunning.
Bible
The Bible portion of Exploring American History includes an album of memory songs and The One Year Bible for Children, an excellent overview of the stories of the Scriptures.
Readers
For the Literature portion of the program, pick the Readers according to your children’s needs. The collection of Fun Tales is the most obvious choice for K, but you have additional possibilities. Contact an Advisor if you need help choosing.
Read-Alouds
The Read-Alouds are a tremendous treat! There are seventeen marvelous books in the 4-day program, plus four additional titles in 5-day. Even if you opt for the 4-day schedule, these four additional books are well worth adding to your order.
Enjoy animal books, adventure books, and books about life in interesting places. With beautifully written, age-appropriate, and often humorous plots and appealing illustrations, this is a kindergarten homeschool curriculum to celebrate.
NEW FOR 2020 Sonlight's Kindergarten Program: Exploring American History
The Sonlight team has carefully curated the Exploring American History collection over many years. Early elementary is one of the hardest ages to find good books—children still have limited vocabulary and prefer short chapters, and not many authors are up to the task.
And if you are feeling a little bit sad because you do not have any children who are young enough for this new program? Honestly, for the price, just order this program, even if you don’t have a child aged five or six. It's a beautiful, beautiful program. You will be encouraged, and you'll be blessed.
Once I started using The Timeline Book and Timeline Figures regularly, I began to see their purpose. Then I came up with several methods to make timeline figures a meaningful part of our homeschool routine. To our surprise, timeline figures have become a fun, fast, and simple way to boost learning, just as Sonlight always intended.
What Are Timeline Figures?
Timeline Figures are black and white drawings of famous people and events printed on paper with a removable backing to reveal a sticker layer underneath, so they can easily be placed into The Timeline Book after cutting them apart. They can be colored in if you choose to make them appear brighter and more fun. The Timeline Figures are selected and identified in your Instructor’s Guide from the books you read throughout the year in your History / Bible / Literature (HBL) program.
One copy of The Timeline Book will take you through all levels. Our family likes to have one copy of The Timeline Book per child; others enjoy having one book per group of children doing the same level, or one book per family. In HBL 100 and up, timeline figures are suggested, but not provided.
Sonlight also include suggestions for other Timeline Figures from other levels. Not all historical figures that are discussed are placed in every year, so each year you are ensured a new batch of timeline figures to affix. These will be indicated by a different symbol in your Instructor’s Guide. You will notice those figures do not have stickers included. The timeline stickers for those figures can usually be found in a different HBL and will be added in another year. If you don’t want to wait that long, you can always write them in.
Why Use Timeline Figures?
Timeline Figures help my children sense how much time is passing. Younger children often have a hard time visualizing how far away ago the year 1612 was. They many not have realized Catherine the Great from Russia and George Washington lived during the same time period. Over the years, as you add more Timeline Figures, you can see your children actually forming connections between people they’ve read about in past years and people they’re currently studying.
Each time they look through The Timeline Book to find where a new figure goes, they create a new visual memory of people and events they’ve already discovered. This helps keep those names and events fresh in their memory banks instead of forgotten by the wayside.
Added Benefits of Homeschool Timelines
Not only do the Timeline Figures create reminders of what you are learning, but they also juxtapose a variety of learning styles and techniques, helping transfer short-term references into long-term knowledge.
Auditory: Your child hearswhat you are reading to them. They listen to stories about people, places, and events, and how they all tie in together. Then, they match the figure to the story.
Interpersonal: You and your child discuss the story. Your child may confer with you over which timeline figures to use and where to place them, and review about what else is happening in the world, where events took place and who was there.
Kinesthetic: Placing timeline figures helps learn events through movement and touch. Positioning timeline figures in The Timeline Book and paging through to find the right spot provides further stimulation.
Reading and Spelling: As children read the names and events on the timeline figures, they are further familiarizing themselves with often unique or hard-to-spell names and places. They are seeing how the words are spelled and used together to form titles such as King Henry VIII, Sir Galahad, and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Tips for Using and Remembering the Timeline Figures
Daily Enhancement: Look at the Instructor’s Guide ahead of time, and note where Timeline Figures are mentioned. Little symbols have been placed there to aid you. If you find these don’t stand out enough, consider highlighting them or using colored sticky flags to help them stand out on the page. This will make it harder for you to skip or forget them. Keep The Timeline Book and Timeline Figures in easy reach with your other books. You might consider getting a pocketed page divider or hole-punching the Timeline Figures so you can easily store them in your Instructor’s Guide, making them more convenient and less likely to interrupt your flow.
Regularly Scheduled Review: At the beginning of each year (or semester, week, or any given period of time), cut out the Timeline Figures you will need and identify where they go. Put them in a plastic baggie, or paperclip them to the top of the page. If you use a plastic baggie, poke a small hole in it, so it easily slips onto the loops of your binder, holding it in place on the week they will be used.
Sporadic Review: On the back of the figures, jot down which book and which week the Timeline Figures are mentioned in. Whenever you like throughout the year, or at the end of the year for a review, pull them out and place them in. See how much your children can remember. If you have trouble remembering where they were mentioned, you can refer to the back of the figure to help you find its place in the Instructor’s Guide.
Activities and Games to Help Timeline Figures Come Alive
Play a Map-Matching Game: Before placing the Timeline Figures in The Timeline Book, first place them on a map in the country of their birth, the country they had the most influence in, or move them around as you read to follow their travels. When you are finished discussing them, stick them into The Timeline Book.
Create a Timeline Game: Cut off or fold under the dates of the Timeline Figures and have your child try to see if they can place all the Timeline Figures in the correct order. Have them try again to see if they can beat their time. They can also tape or paste them together into a long line to create a different type of timeline.
Make it Meaningful: Keep the activities fresh by adding events and people that are meaningful to your family. Add pictures of relatives and ancestors to The Timeline Book on their birthdays to help show where they fit into history. Draw lines to keep time periods together. Add in current events that are meaningful and little-known historic events you discover along the way.
Keep it Visible: The Timeline Book can sit in a prominent area to increase visibility. Hang a simple strip of adding machine paper on the wall for a visible timeline. A wall timeline, however, is prone to fingerprints, and can be hard to move with you. Thus I prefer Sonlight’s notebook style timeline instead. But just seeing The Timeline Book can help make it easier to remember to do it and provide those extra benefits.
Timeline Figures are such a small part of your homeschool history curriculum, they might seem insignificant in light of all the other things your children are learning. However, these figures can bring together many key points and ideas and are a great way to provide more references for historical figures and dates without having to memorize. These simple figures provide a huge value!
Let us walk you through your curriculum selection process. It's easy!
If I listen really hard, I can hear the sound of dominoes being mixed up on a wooden dining table. I vividly remember my parents, aunt and uncle, and grandparents having regular game nights. The dominoes game of 42 was usually the game of choice, and though I never quite understood how to play, I loved watching. From my grandfather’s cheating followed by his staunch denial, to my memory of laughter filling the room, game night was a time when I felt loved and safe.
Most homeschoolers read a lot. This is especially true for those of us using a literature-rich curriculum like Sonlight. So much reading takes place that we may overlook an important aspect of our reading life—reading for pure enjoyment!
Reading for pleasure has a host of benefits that only grow as our children age. Studies show reduced levels of depression and stress in recreational readers. There is also significant data pointing to a reduced risk of dementia later in life for those who are avid readers. We can also add the benefits of increased
academic success
social skills
self-awareness
and general well being
While the reasons to read outside of school time are plentiful, the methods for encouraging children to read for pleasure are more debatable. Reward systems in place to encourage reading offer everything from a free book to a personal pan pizza to encourage reading. But do these programs really work long term?
In some cases, sure. The reward system is in place until the passion for reading takes over. For others, the reading is simply a means to an end, namely the reward.
So how do we as homeschoolers get our kids on board with reading as an enjoyable pastime?
While there are no guarantees, there are three things that, when used together, can help kids fall in love with reading:
a good story
a shared experience
a desire to know
1. A Good Story
Stories have existed long before our language was written into books. They are a means by which we share our traditions and our heritage. We are fortunate to have Sonlight—a homeschool curriculum that offers stories to stimulate our hearts and minds. Sonlight books spark big questions and even greater conversations.
Think of the books in your life that really made an impact and share those with your children. As you read in your everyday life, share your excitement over books:
Share exciting tidbits from your latest bedtime novel.
Read aloud an expressive passage that really moved you.
Recount the plot of a biography on a car ride.
These moments communicate to our kids that reading isn’t just for school time and is worth doing for pleasure.
"I love how my girls enjoy their Sonlight literature so much and enjoy telling me all about it! From my youngest, Emma, telling me about King Arthur and the knights of the round table…my middle girlie getting excited telling me about Albert Einstein and the building of the atomic bomb…to my eldest telling me about the Cultural Revolution in China…I learn alongside my girls with this lovely layout of history."— Lacey D. of Bennett, CO with daughters Emma (8), Isabella (15), and Arianna (17)
2. A Shared Experience
Books are often better when shared. Homeschooling families benefit greatly from a family culture of reading aloud from preschool to high school graduation.
In my family, we are already in the habit of sharing great books. Here are a few of our favorite ways we deepen the experience.
Create a Book Club Culture at Home
Get together to discuss books and have fun doing so!
Avoid quizzing and instead aim for open-ended questions.
Encourage kids to express their feelings about books and then listen to and value their opinions, especially when they are different from your own.
Cook a meal or take a trip that fits the theme of a favorite book.
Keep the Experience Going
Find sequels or books by the same author. We love that Sonlight homeschool curriculum provides books that are first in a series. My children love the sequels to My Father’s Dragon, The Boxcar Children (both from HBL A), and Henry Huggins (from HBL B). Sonlight also features several Newbery Award Honor books, which have inspired us to read more award winning titles.
Consider movie or audiobook formats of the stories you love most. Dr. Dolittle (from HBL A) and Charlotte’s Web (from HBL B) were wonderful opportunities for family movie night! The Penderwicks (from HBL C) is fabulous as an audio book and the first in a series that has seen us through many a car trip.
3. A Desire to Know
As homeschoolers, we are committed to raising lifelong learners. Reading for enjoyment is a great way to pursue unique interests and dig deeper into topics in our curriculum that arouse curiosity.
Even the most reluctant readers are tempted by books on topics about which they are passionate! Star gazers, equine enthusiasts, and chefs all read to obtain information and increase their skills. When your child finds a passion (however short-lived), capitalize on it by providing stacks of non-fiction, biographies, and historical fiction on that same theme. The passion for the topic may be enough to move hesitant readers to pick up a book in their free time.
A love of reading grows through doing. Invite your children to share a reading life with you by offering good stories, sharing the experience of reading with them, and finding ways to help them feed their need to know.
Yes, occasionally this means that you might be subjected to the storyline of a science fiction novel that bores you to tears or a long, long tirade on global warming. Yet with so much to be gained through pleasure reading, it’s worth it—for them and for us!
Language Arts includes so many pieces. How can you see the big picture? How do you know what to teach and when? This free guide will lay it out simply.
Please meet and join us in congratulating these remarkable Sonlight-educated students poised to make a difference in the world. As the winners of our annual Sonlight scholarship competition, they have each been awarded each with $20,000, $10,000 or $4,000 for college.
Many of these students have used Sonlight since they were young. They’re headed into careers in engineering, arts, education and more. Most are headed to their college of choice, and many have superb SAT or ACT scores.
But they are also kind, big-hearted young adults. Through ministry and volunteerism, they live life with Jesus in their hearts and long to share God’s kingdom with the world.
$20,000 Scholarship Winner: Mattan Tseng of Hoffman Estates, IL
Students awarded $5,000 per year.
Mattan Tseng
Mattan Tseng of Hoffman Estates, IL, used Sonlight through his entire education and has excelled academically, receiving an ACT score of 34. In addition to his academic success, Mattan has a heart for service. The Student Ministries Director at his church describes him as an “extremely diligent” volunteer and notes that he has given over 2,000 volunteer hours in the past three years. Between his job as a weekend lighting assistant, his volunteer work on the lighting and production team, and sorting donations at the food pantry, Mattan spends a total of 25 hours a week serving at his church.
Mattan’s desire to serve has taken him on two mission trips to El Salvador and an 8-week trip to Zambia. While he was in Zambia, his mother was diagnosed with cancer. Once he returned home, his mother says, “At every turn…Mattan served his family, from driving me to chemo, to helping his brothers with math and science.”
Science and math are Mattan’s favorite subjects, and he is happiest when working through a long calculus problem or a new electrical experiment. He will graduate from high school with 30 college credits and 4.0 GPA. A science teacher describes Mattan as “curious, motivated, and inspiring…an exceptional student.”
More importantly than academics, Mattan wants his “life to be lived in a way that reflects the love that I have received from Jesus.” He plans to pursue his goal of serving those in need of Christ with a future career in civil engineering.
$10,000 Scholarship Winners: Lydia Golden, Hendrick (Henry) Raquet, Lydia Rech, Emma Ross, and Kelly Vivanco.
Students awarded $2,500 per year.
Lydia Golden
Lydia Golden of Colorado Springs, CO, is described by a mentor as “one of the great ones! Capable, faithful, confident, humble, and loves Jesus in word and deed.” Lydia has used Sonlight throughout her entire education and has been able to develop her skills and giftings in many extracurricular activities. Serving as both a member and the chair of her local chapter of the Institute for Cultural Communicators, she has developed a skill for public speaking and competed in several tournaments. Her gift for speaking is also used in her church, where she volunteers with younger students and competes in Fine Arts and Bible Quiz competitions. Lydia has brought home the Fine Arts gold medal in public speaking twice. A mentor says that “her creativity shines through her motivating and inspiring speeches. She has the ability to bring to life the story she is telling.”
Since she was only 6 years old, Lydia has been a lover of figure skating. She currently competes in theatrical skating, and mentors younger skaters in a weekly Learn to Skate program. Her love for theater also led her to spend her summers volunteering at a children’s discipleship camp on the drama team.
Lydia plans to attend Oral Roberts University and pursue a degree in Journalism. Through this degree, she hopes to be able to communicate truth and be a voice for those cannot be heard.
Henry Raquet
Hendrick (Henry) Raquet of Beavercreek, OH, has been a Sonlight student since 3rd grade. Henry serves on the audio-visual team at his church, where the team leader describes him as “without a doubt one of the most talented problem-solvers I have ever met.” Henry’s aptitude for engineering is evident in a story shared by his father, remembering a time when Henry built a working speaker from wire, plastic wrap, and magnets.
In addition to his giftings in problem-solving, Henry is a talented musician. He developed an interest in composing in early grade school and plays the piano and French horn. He plays in a local youth orchestra, where he is the section leader for the horns. He was also hand-picked to be a member of a brass quintet and participates in piano performances every year, where he has continually received the highest rating of “Superior” from judges.
In addition to his work with the audio-visual team at his church, Henry was asked to be a representative on the church youth council. A mentor from his church notes that “I have often remarked to my husband that Henry Raquet gives me great hope for the future…and what God can do in the life of a young man who is wholeheartedly pursuing Him.”
Henry hopes to pursue a college degree in Electrical Engineering.
Lydia Rech
Lydia Rech of Almond, NY, began using Sonlight in Pre-K. Since she was young, Lydia has shown a talent for music and acting. She began piano and voice lessons at the age of 12 and serves as the assistant director for a Christian youth choir. Her choir director says that Lydia “exhibits a rare maturity far beyond her years.” Lydia also volunteers on her church worship team and directed and organized a concert fundraiser to raise money for an adoption aid program working with an orphanage in China.
In addition to music, Lydia enjoys acting and theater. She has held a wide variety of stage roles, including Belle in a community theater production of Beauty and the Beast.
Lydia’s education with Sonlight has helped her stand out academically, and she has already been accepted into the college honors program at one of her top university choices. She hopes to be a piano teacher, and someday be a homeschool mom to share Sonlight and the gift of music with her own children.
Emma Ross
Emma Ross of Rosamond, CA, is described by her father as a student that “doesn’t read books [but] devours them.” She loves learning with Sonlight and has a personal goal of reading 200 books every year.
In addition to her academic success, Emma is a talented musician and plays both harp and piano. She’s the principal harpist for the West Coast Classical Concert and Symphonic Orchestras and has played in many performances and competitions. She also plays harp professionally through her own business, which she started and manages herself – including the website, business cards, and advertising. She works 1-2 events each month, playing the harp for weddings and special events. She also teaches piano to several younger students. Emma is part of a continuing legacy: her harp teacher was a Sonlight scholarship recipient herself several years ago!
Emma excels in more than just school and music. She has been active in several sports, including swim, track, soccer, and volleyball. She is also the editor for her homeschool organization’s student yearbook.
Emma will graduate high school with a 4.0 GPA and hopes to double major in Piano Pedagogy and Harp Performance at Cedarville University.
Kelly Vivanco
Kelly Vivanco of Tecamac, Mexico, is part of a long-term missionary family serving and pastoring in southern Mexico. As a bilingual and bicultural student, she has appreciated Sonlight’s global and biblical perspective throughout her education.
Kelly has shown herself outstanding in academics, graduating with a 4.0 GPA and 1410 SAT score. She is especially gifted in writing and communication and has written a historical fiction novel that she hopes to someday publish. A confident public speaker, Kelly teaches in her youth group, leads Bible studies, and has shared several sermons with the entire church congregation. She is also gifted in music and volunteers on the church worship team. Inspired by the Sing the Word CDs included with Sonlight, she would someday like to put Bible verses to memorable music for Spanish-speaking children.
In college, Kelly plans to study Elementary Education. She feels called to be a missionary in India, and has already begun learning to speak Hindi in preparation for her future vocation.
$4,000 Scholarship Winners: Mary Grace Spoelman, Annika Wiener, Carina Anastasio, Micah Shannon, Isaac Stiles, and Kira Zook.
Students awarded $1,000 per year.
Mary Grace Spoelman
Mary Grace Spoelman of SE Asia, has lived in Southeast Asia nearly her entire life and has completed her entire homeschool education with Sonlight overseas. She is passionate about art, and in her own words, “…[desires] to glorify the great Creator through creating. I seek to highlight the beauty of His Creation in a world that sometimes seems dark…” She has sold her original artwork in several craft fairs and donated her earnings to local charities that work with low-income families and trafficking victims.
Mary Grace is very involved in volunteer work at her church and leads worship for the children’s church as well as leading and teaching small groups of younger children. She also volunteers at a local language center where she acts as a teaching assistant for children struggling with literacy and learning challenges.
Those who serve alongside Mary Grace comment on her selfless service – and the delicious baked treats that she enjoys creating and sharing with others. She is described as leading with “integrity of heart, serving willingly and steadfastly.” Mary Grace dreams of becoming an illustrator and intends to study art at Calvin University before returning to her home in SE Asia.
Annika Wiener
Annika Wiener of Scottsdale, AZ, has used Sonlight Curriculum all the way through her schooling. She is accomplished academically, and a talented pianist. She uses her musical gifting to serve on her church worship team. A church mentor describes Annika as someone “intentionally focusing her musical talents to spread the truth and love of Christ.” In addition to her service on the worship team, Annika displays leadership as a student leader in her youth group and volunteers with preschool and kindergarten classes. She has a desire to connect with other students that may feel lonely or overlooked, and those who serve alongside her recount many times that she befriended someone who may have otherwise been on the outskirts.
Annika is a member of a competitive speech and debate club, where she serves as a student leader and helps mentor new and younger students. Her director comments “While [Annika] is an accomplished speaker…her greatest gift is her attitude of service and caring.”
With the goal of teaching music in the future, Annika hopes to study Piano Performance at Arizona Christian University after graduation.
Carina Anastasio
Carina Anastasio of Albuquerque, NM, has seen academic success through her schooling with Sonlight, receiving a 33 on the ACT. She is interested in engineering and robotics and acted as the team captain for an all-girls robotics team that she helped organize. Her mother, also acting as the robotics team coach, says that “Carina [was] instrumental in creating and driving the team since its inception.” The team received the highest honors at state competition two years in a row. Since then, Carina has continued to see success in competition on another robotics team and was even recognized at a national level as a finalist for her individual contribution.
Carina enjoys sharing her gifts with younger children and taught a six-week course introducing elementary students to robotics. She has also led the children’s ministry programming at a homeschool family retreat for a statewide homeschool event.
In her young teens, Carina attended a summer camp at multiple colleges and universities and encountered biomedical engineering for the first time. She plans to attend the University of New Mexico and receive a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, followed by a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. She dreams of developing medical technology using her interest in robotics. Her robotics mentor believes that Carina has a “bright future ahead of her as an engineer.”
Micah Shannon
Micah Shannon of Syracuse, NY, spent 8 years of his Sonlight education in Ethiopia as the child of a missionary family. He has excelled in academics, with an SAT score of 1420 and an ACT score of 33. Micah has also conquered subjects like physics and calculus. He has a love for photography and ran a small photography business when living in Ethiopia with the goal of providing affordable portraits for missionary families.
Having returned to the US, Micah is now involved in a local camera club, where he participates in workshops and is the leading member in his competition level. He is a student leader in his church youth group and a student council member in a local homeschool group. He was selected to attend a youth servant leadership training program that focused on developing leadership skills and community service.
Micah works for a property management company performing maintenance tasks and has also interned with a design studio. He views college as an opportunity to receive “the necessary training and education to do my absolute best for God’s glory.”
Isaac Stiles
Isaac Stiles of Souderton, PA, showed an aptitude for mathematics early on in life. His mother remembers a time when he enthusiastically explained to her his method for squaring any number in his head. He used Sonlight Curriculum all throughout school and learned to read at the age of three. Isaac received a score of 1500 on the SAT, placing him in the 99th percentile. Isaac’s mother believes that Sonlight was a perfect fit for him; his sensory processing challenges made textbooks and worksheets difficult, but engaging literature was an enjoyable way for him to learn.
Isaac exhibits gifts in music as a piano student at a community arts academy. He serves on his church worship team through singing, playing piano, and working as a sound technician. He is a black belt in Taekwon-Do and works as a junior instructor, training and practicing with younger martial arts students.
Isaac’s pastor shares that Isaac is “beloved by the entire church and recognized for his maturity, courtesy, kindness, and faithfulness…not to mention his high level of intelligence.” Isaac intends to further his education in mathematics in a college setting, spurred by the belief that mathematics isn’t just a secular pursuit, but can be used to bring glory to God.
Kira Zook
Kira Zook of Broadway, VA, has spent nearly her entire life living in a remote village in Papua New Guinea, accessible only by helicopter. Her parents are linguist Bible translators, and remark on how Kira’s support has enabled them to dedicate even more time to their translation work. Kira uses her skills in cooking, carpentry, cleaning, and more to assist her family in managing the household and furthering their mission work. Her mother is grateful that Kira “serves with a willing and cheerful heart.”
Kira used Sonlight Curriculum through all her years of schooling and is described by her parents as a voracious reader. She scored 1380 on her SAT and has developed a distinct skill in writing. Each year, she compiles a book of her best pieces of poetry and other writing. Lately, she has begun to share her work online. Her language skills continue to develop and have allowed her to connect with a local young woman in her village, with whom she has built a friendship and discipling relationship.
Returning to the US for college will allow Kira to pursue a degree in English. She believes this degree will equip her with valuable skills for any vocation that she chooses, including missions and translation work.
Could Your Young Learner Win a Sonlight Scholarship?
From preschool through high school graduation, Sonlight prepares your students. We have the big picture in mind, and we help you raise students prepared to launch into any career God calls them to. We share your desire to help your children succeed, and we’ll walk alongside to help you create the long-term educational experience you envision.
Each year, our charitable foundation offers a number of college scholarships, ranging from $4,000 to $20,000, spread over four years. Each year, the Sonlight Foundation offers the following scholarships:
$5,000/year
$2,500/year
$1,000/year
We offer scholarships on two tracks: one emphasizes academics, and the other creativity, missions-mindedness, and service. Got a perfect score on the SAT? Got average test scores, but served overseas during summer vacation for the last three years? In either case, you may qualify.
The Sonlight Foundation recognizes that academic giftedness is only one type of giftedness. If your student is gifted in academics, service, music, art, or has a heart for missions, we encourage you to submit an application.
