Home-schooling proves its merit with scholarships

by Katherine Kersten, Star Tribune

Star Tribune


Last week we learned the names of the 53 outstanding Minnesota high school seniors who won 2007 $2,500 National Merit Scholarships, arguably the top academic honor in the nation. More than 20,000 Minnesota students took the test that begins the intense competition, and the 53 winners emerged at the end.

National Merit Scholars are often the product of our state's most elite private and public high schools. But as I stopped by the school of one winner, John Molitor of White Bear Lake, I saw no gleaming laboratories or cutting-edge computer labs. John's teacher opened the door. She's also the school's principal, lunch lady and head janitor. She's Joyce Molitor, John's mother.

During the past 10 years, an increasing number of home-schoolers like John have won National Merit awards, according to Eileen Artemakis of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Read this article by clicking on the title.