Meet Your Neighbor: Lessons Beyond the Classroom
One Kinderton Village Family's Journey of Growth, Discovery, and Learning Together
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Kinderton Village resident Amy Koontz, who dedicated more than 20 years to homeschooling her two children. Like every parent, Amy simply wanted the very best for her family. She envisioned an educational experience that nurtured not only academic success but also her children's social, emotional, and creative development.
While homeschooling may not be the right path for every family, Amy's story reminds us that there are many ways to educate and inspire our children. For the Koontz family, it became an opportunity to create lifelong memories, cultivate curiosity, and instill a genuine love of learning.
To learn more about her experience, I asked Amy three questions about her family's homeschooling journey.
Tell us a little about your family and how long you've been homeschooling.
*"Our homeschooling journey started when my older son, Oliver, was born in 2003. Homeschooling wasn't quite as well known in rural Pennsylvania back then. We sought out as many resources as we could find and decided to homeschool 'as long as it was working for our family.'
Oliver graduated from Western Carolina University with two degrees, magna cum laude, and a semester early in December 2024. He now works in accounting. Silas graduated from high school in May 2025 and is currently working while preparing to pursue his future interests. I'd say homeschooling worked for our family."*
Can you share a favorite memory that reminded you homeschooling was the right choice for your family?
*"Our family has been fortunate enough to travel fairly extensively, both for personal vacations and with my husband's work. 'Learning on the road' was my favorite part of homeschooling. The countless field trips across the United States and Canada were probably just as beneficial to me as they were to the boys.
I like to remind Silas that he learned to swim in a Marriott swimming pool in Tennessee—a pretty worthwhile life skill! Many people were eager to give us private tours or insider information when they discovered we homeschooled. One unforgettable experience was meeting a man in Arizona who had discovered and named a dinosaur—and we even got his autograph!"*
What are your children doing today, and how do you think homeschooling prepared them for this stage of life?
*"The one thing homeschooling gave my children above all else was a love of learning. Because our education was somewhat student-led and filled with hands-on experiences, learning was fun. There was a lot of laughter in our home.
Homeschooling brought our family closer together—sometimes quite literally as we traveled across the country. I'm incredibly proud of the young men my boys have become and look forward to celebrating each new chapter of their lives. I truly miss homeschooling and wouldn't trade those years for the world."*
Amy's story is a beautiful reminder that education isn't defined by a single path. For the Koontz family, homeschooling became an opportunity to grow together, explore the world, and cultivate a lifelong love of learning.
Thank you, Amy, for sharing your family's inspiring homeschooling journey with the BR Stroll community. Your story is a beautiful reminder that there are many paths to learning, and it's sure to encourage and inspire many of our neighbors.