A young spelling bee champ and basketball star is winning the hearts of Americans everywhere.  Zaila Avant-garde is the first African-American to win Scripps National Spelling Bee, and she has already been in the Genius Book of World Records 3 times! She hopes to one day attend Harvard University and play in the WNBA. She’s also dreaming of a career at NASA. With a 14-year-old this motivated, my first question was, “Where does she go to school? Who is coaching and encouraging her?

And at this point, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Zalia is a homeschooler, following her passions and interests. She studies 13,000 words per day while also finishing other school work and practicing basketball. For many students who choose homeschooling, one of the major benefits to opting out of traditional schooling is the ability to study at their own pace and follow their interests. Without as much time spent on classroom management, the time efficiency can leave significant time for focused attention on subjects like spelling.

In fact, according to Parent Magazine, a study done by the National Home Education Research Institute reported the average standardized test score for homeschoolers in the 87th percentile while the average score is in the 50th percentile for children in public schools. And it is not uncommon for homeschoolers to be a grade or two ahead in various subjects.

In the past year, as homeschool numbers have increased, much of the media and spokespeople for the unions claiming to represent teachers have portrayed the “perils” of homeschool. One Ivy-league professor even argues that “homeschooling families are a threat to American society!”

But Zalia tells a different story. She reminds America that there are students that thrive when they are allowed to learn in an environment that fits their needs and temperament. It might not be the right fit for everyone, but I’m glad it was an option for Zalia. And it should be an option for every family.