‘At first, I thought my parents were being tyrants’

Looking back, he now believes his parents made the right decision about his schooling.

“I got into the wrong crowd. My mom didn’t like the people I was hanging out with and who I’d become over a year or so. She wanted me to be influenced positively instead of negatively, so she took me out of public school to be home-schooled. She got me into sports, reading and stuff like that.

“At first I hated it and thought my parents were being tyrants. But after a while, when I saw what I was doing in terms of progressing, I liked it. I came to appreciate it, especially now that I’ve graduated.

“I’m 16, working and saving up for a car and then college. I like the outdoors and enjoy hunting and fishing. I want to study to become a game warden.”