Veterans Day for Americans in Germany

Not many 10-year-olds know the importance of Veterans Day, but Sebastian Taylor sure does. Sebastian, a Bridgeway Academy student living in Germany, has a long family history of military service.
Sebastian’s father, paternal grandfather, and uncles were all in the military, and his maternal grandfather was a Colonel.

This year, Sebastian, along with mom Terri and dad Ken, will celebrate Veterans’ Day in Ramstein, Germany. Ken is working as a civilian contractor in Germany. He left the military in 1999. Both careers have taken him – and now his family – all over the world.

“I like the U.K. a lot,” says Sebastian, referring to when Ken was stationed near London a few years ago. “I saw Big Ben, the Tower Bridge, and Stonehenge!”

Because the Taylor family was living outside the United States, they needed a good school for Sebastian. English-speaking schools were available, but the Taylor’s wanted more.

“We were actually looking for a Christian school,” Terri remembers. “We did an Internet search and Ken liked what Bridgeway was offering. It was our first time homeschooling and we were a little bit terrified about how we would teach him, but our advisor Angela — we have her for the third year in a row — has been great to us. We don’t know you all personally, but when we talk with anyone there, it feels like we’re talking with family.”

Ken sees homeschooling as a great option for military families.
“A lot of guys go on temporary duty to a place,” he says. “If you’re homeschooling, you can bring the whole family with you. Here in Germany, there is a community of military parents who homeschool and get together. They do social gatherings. It’s popular, and it even works well for overseas civilian contractors. I know in my office alone there are two other families doing homeschooling.”

Sebastian, an aspiring swimmer who practices three days a week, gets all his schoolwork done by 2 p.m. On the days he doesn’t have swim class, he joins a group of other children in an after-school club where they can participate in arts, technology, and sports.

And if they want to make a day trip and take advantage of the history, culture, and sights of being in another country, Sebastian simply has to pack up his laptop computer and go. He isn’t confined to one building or one area. Sebastian can go on a trip with his family and still complete his assignments and schooling. And there is plenty of history and culture throughout Europe.

But Veterans Day is a big deal where they live, too.
“Being a veteran and living around military bases, is really nice because you get recognized on Veterans Day,” Ken says. “A lot of people say thank you. It’s a special thing when you get recognized for doing something for your country.”

Bridgeway is extremely proud of our military families and their dedication to protecting our freedom. We salute them, all our brave Veterans, and our active military men and women every day, not just on Veterans Day. We are happy to partner with our military families by providing them with scholarship opportunities and the best homeschool education available that is never treated as a one-size-fits-all solution.

Bridgeway Academy has empowered a cadre of qualified academic advisors to support, assist, advise, and keep records and transcripts for its homeschooling families. We can do it for you! Learn more about how to join the academically accredited programs that allow Bridgeway families to homeschool with confidence.