Today we’d like to introduce you to BJ Reed.
Hi BJ, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Some of my earliest memories were dreaming of being a teacher when I grew up. When I had to settle down and select a major in college, I chose to complete my bachelor’s in business administration. When our daughter was a toddler, I knew I wanted to homeschool her. My family joined a local homeschool group in 2009. After a couple of years, I was asked to assume the position of Director. I then realized a completely new way to use my college education and still teach children. Because the name of our co-op was the same as another local business, we knew that we would have to change our name. We allowed our students to vote on our new name, school colors, and mascot in 2012, and officially became the Zion Preparatory Academy Lions. Go Blue and Gold!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Participating in a homeschool group is always full of bumps in the road! We have so many different households with different needs, work hours, ages and interests of children…yet we always manage to plan every new semester together with one core thing that binds us together: our Statement of Faith. The members of our group work hard to find common ground in our love for the Lord and our children. When a leadership role or teaching position opens, someone steps up and fills the need.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Zion Prep offers weekly enrichment classes for homeschoolers in the Northwest Missouri area. Essentially, I serve as Principal for around 100 students per semester. I work with the Pastor and Board of Fellowship Worship Center who provide the venue for our students to meet. To open every semester, I accept syllabi of potential classes from our parents/teachers, organize them into a catalogue, form a class schedule for 5 separate age groups, assign the classrooms, and stock the teacher supplies. In addition to teaching a few classes of my own, I also oversee the family tuition accounts and reimburse the teachers for supplies not on hand. On a very rare occasion, I may have to deal with an issue of discipline. But mostly, I get all the fun of doing things like chaperoning educational field trips and leading Commencement Exercises when our homeschoolers graduate.
Zion Prep is known for having one of the only self-sustaining JROTC units in Missouri. My husband, Sgt. Allen Reed, serves as Commander. Our Cadets have bake sales and car washes to pay for their uniforms, awards, and gear. They have served as Color Guard for many local parades and ceremonies, and Honor Guard for several military funeral services. We are also known for having such a big Prom that several other homeschool groups in Northwest Missouri stopped hosting their own Proms and prefer coming to ours! We are very proud of this fact, and want to continue the tradition of giving area homeschool teens and their friends a fun, safe night of celebration!
One thing that sets us apart from others is that every adult at Zion Prep is a volunteer. None of us get paid for teaching, aiding, janitorial, chaperoning…nobody gets a salary. Everyone is there because they want to be, and that makes it a very special place indeed.
What I am most proud of is that so many members of my own family have attended/taught at Zion Prep, and that so many of our Zion Prep graduates come back as alumni to teach classes and raise their children as Lions! We have a saying at Zion Prep: “Once a Lion, Always a Lion!”
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was a bookworm and a nerd! The youngest of four, my personality was extremely outgoing, and if I met a stranger, they didn’t stay one. I loved creative writing and was passionate about music of all kinds. Both of my parents stressed the value of education and my mother finally got to go to college when I was in middle school. Her journey to a nursing degree left a deep impression upon me that learning is life-long, and that it’s never too late to finish what you start. I daydreamed of traveling to faraway places, but I never wanted to move away from home. I had a fear of failure and tended to stick with things I knew I could succeed at because of this. If Anne of Green Gables could live in the modern-day Midwest and have mousy blonde hair instead of red, I would totally be her! I’m in my fifties now, and I do have a few stamps on my passport. I adore the ocean and daydream now of Europe, but I always love coming home best. My dear sixth grade teacher has frequently reminded me that I haven’t changed since I was five. Bless her heart, she would know…
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.homeschool-life.com/3658/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/168792163165679
- Other: email: [email protected]
