Homeschooling Heroes: Stefan Merrill Block

by Christina Yeager

We are oftentimes familiar with the authors’ that we are fans of. Their work captivates us and we become invested in their lives, in their journey. Stefan Merrill Block is an American author whose very first work was an international bestseller. This international bestseller was homeschooled as a child by his mother. The relationship he had with his mother cultivated and inspired some of the written works that he has gotten significant recognition for. Block often tells people he was homeschooled and states he tends to receive pity and concern on the opposite end of that statement.
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Homeschooling
The same relationship with his mother that he attributes the inspiration of his novels is what encouraged him throughout school, as she was his teacher. Being homeschooled is not a bad thing to consider, and the relationship between parent or guardian and student can flourish even more due to the amount of time that is spent together on a one-to-one basis.

Stefan knows there are many common misconceptions as it pertains to being homeschooled, all of which he knows are just not correct. These assumptions, he believes, are some of the reasons why homeschooling in California cannot reach its fullest potential.

Achievements
Despite people’s common misconceptions concerning being homeschooled, Block still became a successful author. Not only is he an author, but he is an author who has received:

• The Best Fiction Award at the Rome International Festival of Fiction
• The Ovid Prize
• The 2009 Fiction Award
• The 2008 Merck Serono Literature Prize

His novels’ have also been successfully translated into ten other languages!

Currently
All of these accomplishments have been made by a gentleman who was homeschooled by his mother throughout the course of his earlier years of education. Contrary to judgments’ and misconceptions, he has turned into a thriving member of society and has become extremely accomplished.

Encouragement
Being a homeschooled student, or even a homeschooling parent, does not automatically put you in some category of individuals who never succeed or have no thriving social skills. Instead, it provides a unique opportunity for knowledge and learning to be cultivated in an environment that is encouraging for both the teacher and the student. Individuals like Stefan Merrill Block prove that there is no reason that individuals who are homeschooled cant be talented, creative, or successful. Don’t allow yourself to be drawn into the misconceptions, but instead, like Block, address them for what they are, misconceptions.

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