Before I dive into this article, I need to make something clear: I love finally being able to have a Christian education. I also love homeschooling. I was homeschooled for a year, most of my best friends are homeschool graduates, I would homeschool my children if given the chance, and I've been told that I am essentially a public school graduate with a homeschooler mentality/personality (which is probably true).

Now that you know where I am coming from and my heart towards homeschooling and my Christian university, I would like to address some common misconceptions that those who have not received public education have towards it-- and towards those who did grow up in the public school system.

I will be the first to admit that public school has its problems; however, it is not the most horrible trial in the world as some people tend to believe. As much as I joke and complain about how problematic it is, I personally had a wonderful experience with my education; my school was respectable and known for being a good school, and most of the teachers and administration truly cared about the well-being and success of their students. I was pushed to be the best I could be both academically and creatively, and graduated with a few achievements to look back on and be grateful for. Was it perfect? No. Was it terrible? No.

Was I brave and strong for getting through public education? Absolutely not! I know that this sentiment is meant in kindness and as a compliment, and I appreciate the thought behind it, but it's just not a true reflection of my experience. It is indeed possible to emerge from public school as an intelligent, creative, nonconformist, Christ-following individual who has never fallen into the wrong crowd or been offered drugs or alcohol. And it's really not as unusual as it's been portrayed to be. There are so many of us public school graduates out there who are just as strong in our faith-- and our uniqueness-- as those who came from private or home education. It's really not hard, not from my own experience and observation, and I don't want to be considered brave for something that didn't take much bravery at all.

And no, public school was not out to destroy my Christian faith. I grew up in middle Tennessee; my school was as open to Christianity as it was allowed to be. Were all of my teachers believers? No, but many were. Was I taught creation science? No, but the only class in which that was an issue was biology, and it was good for me to see how secular scientists attempt to explain the world's origins. Was I encouraged in my faith in academic settings? Not always, but the only time I felt somewhat attacked and belittled as a Christian was when we read Mark Twain's Letters From The Earth and had a class debate over the problem of evil and other such complex, weighty issues people have against Christianity.

But you know what? As much as I hated that particular experience when I was sitting in that classroom lamenting my lack of prowess in debate settings, and as much as I hated reading that book that made fun of everything I believed in... I can look back and see that rather than causing me to doubt my faith or be discouraged, it actually strengthened my faith by challenging me to face tough questions and opposition and, as Peter says, "be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15, NIV).

It's been said that a faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted. If I had gone through high school in an environment where I was never challenged in my reasoning and faith, would I be as confident in the inerrancy of the Bible and in the hope that I have today? Probably not. Would I be as passionate as I currently am about apologetics and sharing truth as I am today? Probably not. This is one of the reasons that I am grateful for public education; while Liberty helps me learn to defend my faith through giving me tools to do so, high school, and that experience in particular, helped me learn to defend it through facing opposition (mild though it actually was). Both of these types of education have strengthened my faith, and I am equally grateful for them.

Please hear my heart on this, friends: I am in no way saying that public school is the best form of education there is. I'm not qualified to say such a thing, and even if I were, it's probably not true. That being said, public education is not some dark trial that sucks the individuality and the joy out of a person. It is not an inferior education. It is not an education that is guaranteed to undermine someone's faith and turn them away from God. It is not an environment where it is impossible to be unique and innocent.

Someone can have a very bad experience with public education, yes. I won't deny that. But as bad as it could be, someone can also have a very good experience with it. People can also have very good or very bad experiences with homeschooling or private education; this isn't limited to public schools.

Ultimately, it depends on the person rather than the form of education they receive. Yes, that is a factor to consider, but we cannot simply assume that everyone who has a particular education background had the same experiences with it and emerged the same type of person. I think that, especially among Christian circles (which is where I have noticed these misconceptions appear so strongly), we need to let go of our stigmas about various forms of education, and instead try to learn more about each person's experiences with them before we assume what it was like for them and how they feel about it.