Homeschooled College Graduation Reflections

College Graduate

Sigh.

After homeschooling from birth to high school graduation my son, Ian, has now also graduated from college.

Graduating in December feels odd in every way. There is no graduation ceremony in December. There is no college diploma until it arrives in the mail. Add to that the busy holidays. It’s just strange.

I arranged for a yard sign to be set up that day so it would be there when Ian pulled into the driveway after that final class. It helped mark the finish line. It was a tangible COMPLETE!

Somehow, on the last day of his undergrad classes, I was finally ready to pull out all the boxes of workbooks, reports, textbooks and art which I have been holding on to since our very first days of being homeschoolers.

I knew it would be difficult. I knew what feelings and memories opening those boxes would bring up. I was ready. With college done, only graduate school ahead, it was time.

We dragged the boxes up from the basement. They sat for a day or so until I felt ready to open one. Almost immediately I was crying. Our favorite curriculum, which we used until the publisher had no more for us to buy, was right there, one of the first items I touched. So bittersweet. I could feel the feels like it was yesterday, all the joy of those workbooks, the memories of our heads literally smushed together as we worked through the puzzles together. My heart was so full. How could I throw that into the trash can? It wasn’t just a bunch of bound pages, it was our relationship, our educational choices, our life and values that was bound in the workbook.

The storage boxes themselves were the symbol of what led to that day, the final day of the final undergrad classes. 21 years of Ian’s life since birth all leading to this moment.

Read more about the homeschool boxes here: Sorting Through 12 Years of Curriculum.

The Wrap Up

Would I have changed anything? No, not really. Life and learning always has some “holes” and I’m not going to worry about this hole or that hole because if I had focused on those things there would have been others that were pushed aside. We only have so much time and energy.

Our homeschooling and family life focus was always learning how to learn, critical thinking, a love of learning, problem solving, understanding a topic instead of being able to rattle off facts, experiences over objects, learning to mastery and joy.

What I will always remember is Ian sitting in my lap as we “did school” at 6am, then growing a bit older and sitting next to me his thigh pressed against mine as we looked at lessons together, then an even older Ian across the table or working as I moved around the house, which transformed into the years where I had very little to do with his education other than support (homeschool classes, community college classes, a bit of online learning).

Sometimes I was Ian’s teacher, sometimes Ian taught me, and most often we were learning together. I will never look back on my life and think “I wish I spent more time with Ian” because I am so grateful that I DID spend my time with him. We laughed, we cried, we played and we learned. Enjoying the journey. Sounds like a pretty great way to be a family and definitely homeschooling has been the best part of my life. No regrets.

What’s next for Ian? He’s planning on law school. He has started prepping for the LSAT. Law has long been his goal but he is open to life taking him in a different direction if that happens.

What’s next for me? Life is good! Ian’s finished homeschooling 3 ½ years ago, so I had hung up my homeschool-mom hat a while ago! Yet, homeschooling is where my heart is so I have no plans on walking away from supporting the community any time soon.

It’s been a magical ride and I look forward to everything still to come!

Written by Melissa Robb

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Learning Through Travel: Why Homeschool Families Will Love The Capitol Collection

By Melissa Robb • February 12, 2026

Some of the best learning my family has done didn’t happen sitting at the kitchen table. It happened walking through old buildings, asking questions, and seeing things with our own eyes. State capitol buildings are among our favorite stops, we learn so much about a state by visiting these unique and beautiful buildings. If your family likes to travel—or even just take day trips— The Capitol Collection is a wonderful way to turn those outings into something meaningful and memorable. It is a souvenir passbook ($15) that helps families keep track of visits to state capitol buildings. Each visit becomes more than just a stop along the way—it becomes part of your family’s story. Turning Trips Into Adventures Kids love having a purpose, and visiting capitols gives them one. Instead of just passing through a city, they’re exploring, noticing details, and looking forward to marking another visit in their book. Over time, those pages fill up with memories, and the learning happens naturally along the way. It doesn’t feel like “doing school”—it just feels like life. That’s one of the things I’ve always loved about homeschooling. Learning doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful. Our Family’s Story This means a lot to me because of our own experience. Our family has visited 22 state capitols so far. Our first recorded visit was Pierre, South Dakota in 2009 when my son was 10 years old , and at first it was just something fun to do while we traveled. I never imagined how much it would shape him. One of my favorite memories is a tradition he started. Whenever a capitol had a rotunda, he would lie down on the floor and just look up at the dome. He would study the paintings, the shapes, the light—just taking it all in and thinking what that epic element represented. Those quiet moments often turned into some of our best conversations later. At the Oregon state house we were even able to go up INTO the dome, what a climb! Over the years, those visits led to many talks about history, government, and how laws are made. The experience stayed with him so strongly that he even wrote about it in his law school application essay . Visiting state capitols has expanded to exploring government building internationally such as the Reichstag in Germany and Canada’s Parliament in Ottawa. As a parent, it’s an amazing thing to see something that started as a simple family outing become part of your child’s future. Most recently, we visited Maryland’s capitol during a trip to Annapolis. My son is a young man now and living on his own, but when we travel together, this is still something we do. That’s what makes experiences like this so special—they grow with your children. Why Capitol Buildings Are Such Powerful Learning Spaces State capitol buildings offer a unique blend of subjects all in one place: Civics and government come to life when children see legislative chambers and learn how decisions are made. Local history becomes tangible through exhibits, memorials, and stories tied to each state. Art and architecture surround you, often reflecting the values and culture of the region. Critical thinking and curiosity grow naturally as kids ask questions and make connections. Best of all, these lessons don’t feel forced. They happen through exploration and conversation—often led by the child’s own interests. A Journey Worth Remembering Looking back, I’m so thankful we took the time to stop, explore, and learn together. Those capitol visits weren’t just educational—they were time spent together, sharing discoveries and building memories we still talk about years later. Whether your family visits one capitol or dreams of all fifty, the important part isn’t the number. It’s the time spent learning side by side. (There is a Facebook group for this hobby. It’s small but would be a great way for families to share their experiences!)