age of education

This Prompt O’ The Day about AGING is brought to you by sunday scribblings

I graduated from high school at the age of 13. The following post is a guest blog by my Oh Wise Creator, Celise Downs, on where she came up with the idea.

Age of Education

When I was in high school, a friend of mine had a younger sister who graduated from high school a year early. She was smart, no doubt (she got a full ride to Purdue), but it fascinated me that someone would be so eager to start their higher education so soon. I barely graduated from high school because my nose was buried in books—and I’m not talking study books, either. And I wasn’t looking forward to college, either. Mid-way through first semester at a community college, I was wishing my parents would’ve let me take a break first.

But I digress. While immersing myself in the teen culture, I would read stories about kids who skipped a grade—or two, graduated early, received a degree at age 17, or received a master’s or Phd by age 20. Just recently I read about a woman who allowed her son to skip high school altogether and go straight to college!

How crazy is that?

When I hear stuff like that it really makes me wonder. Is there a smart gene? Is the child a quick learner? Or is the child just naturally curious about the world and wants to know anything and everything? When I was going to school, I don't think charter schools existed. And I'm not sure how long homeschooling has been in existence, but it wasn't an option my parents ever thought to look into. In creating the character for this series, I knew I wanted a smart girl, someone who'd graduated early from high school. By this time, I'd heard about homeschooling--or 'unschooling' as it's called sometimes--and I thought the uniqueness of that world was perfect for Draven. A perfect and 'freeing' environment like that would make it very easy for a child to graduate early.

And while it’s great to hear that a child is smart enough to do that, there's the “Yeah, but what about their social and psychological development?” aspect of it. That kid who skipped high school and went to college? How did he feel about being surrounded by kids older than him? How did they relate to him? Was he an outcast? Was he treated like a freak? Does he have any friends? How hard—or easy—was it for him to make friends? I mean really, how do you prepare your child for something like that?

Well, in Draven's case, you prepare them by keeping their fingers in the proverbial teenage pie. I didn't want to throw her into a life of an informant without anything else to fall back on. Sure, she could have a normal job, but that's still a "grown-up" job,and it's not like she would have much contact with other kids her age. She's a teenager and I still wanted her to have that teenage experience. In order to do that, she had to go back to school. And it couldn't be just any school.

My niece, who inspired me to write the series and for whom Draven Atreides is modeled after, attended a charter school during her 4 yrs in high school. I shadowed her one day (meaning I went to school with her and attended all of her classes with her) and fell in love with her school. The whole time I was there, I was like "Why couldn't I have gone to a school like this? Where the hell were these schools when I was going to high school?" I was jealous! Besides the general core classes like math and science, they had creative writing classes, dance, drama, music, choir, art, photography, and ceramics. Her school doesn't have an athletic team, no sports to speak of, actually, and at the time, they didn't even have a yearbook or school newspaper. That may have changed by now (she only graduated last year, after all). Her school promotes freedom. Freedom of creativity, that is, and that's the type of school Draven needed as a cover.

I'm going to enjoy writing about Draven. I'm going to enjoy showing the world, well, Draven's world. And hopefully she'll scoop up some fans in the process.

isnt she freakin' awesome? she drives me crazy sometimes, but i have to chalk that up to her being a creative. click on the link to learn more about her. and youll be able to read all about me and my very first case oct 23rd.

Informant U: Tip #3

if you know you’re in over your head, get the hell out (but make sure the “officials” got yer back first).


and thats exactly what i did. and ended up here, with Chief, at CSA, w/ peeps like GQ and Party Gurl.

miss slackity-slacker

ive been busy with school. and work. both jobs, actually. oh, and when i logged in today, i found out that im being "followed". by this person. this is whats referred to as a "calling out". im calling you out so that "everyone" (read: The Company and Chief) knows im being "followed". just so you know.

they are watching.

and im watching YOU, missy.

like i said, im still getting the hang of the taser gun thingy, but i am SO aces with the lipstick mace. aces, i tell you.

so, what does it mean to be "followed"? am i adored? do you adore my words? my wit? my utter saracasity-ness? or is it like being virtually stalked? are you going to be reading everything i post the minute it gets posted?

that...could get scary. this is my circle, thats your circle. step outside your circle, my friend, and it could.get.ugly.

welcome to my world, becks. hope you stick around. should be some fun times.

so, celise talked about me today. go look. go feast your eyes on me, all pretty in my fabtastic movie star shades. hogging the spotlight in front of a castle.

oh.

its not a castle?

celise tells me its supposed to be a school. a school? that intimidating building is supposed to be a school?

note to self: do not piss off Oh Wise Creator or she will send me to an upscale sanitarium.

for truth. that place looks scary. im so glad CSA really doesn't look like that. and im glad its being redone. the cover, that is. not CSA. looking forward to seeing more of me, er, the new cover.

heh.

next stop...spring break

o.m.g. i cannot wait til spring break. 16th-27th. not doing anything special during that time, mind you, im just ready blow to the popsicle stand called CSA. really. im so annoyed with this one girl, Sweet Tooth (because she's named after a piece of candy), i may just have to take her out with my taser.

the zen of art

I came across this blog called sunday scribblings over the weekend. apparently, they provide weekly writing prompts.

coolio.

so i thought i might dip my pen in the inkpool and try out last week's word: art

i attend craycroft school of the arts. its a charter school that mostly focuses on creative achievement rather than athletic. for the record, there are no sports at this school.

all the kids that go here are artistic in some way. whether its drawing or dancing, they express themselves in different ways.

seeing as how i was homeschooled, i never had the chance to attend a school like this. im not complaining, mind you. homeschooling was awesome and great. i should know. i graduated when i was 13.

the point is, im glad i have the chance now. i wish i had the opportunity to explore my artistic side in the form of acting, but that's a no-go for now.

fortunately, i was able to find something else that appealed to me. and i can even use it for The Job.

photography

i find that im quite good at self portraits. ha.

i cant post the stuff i click for The Job. Chief, not to mention The Company, would kick my apple-shaped butt. cant afford to piss them off.

so.....this was fun. ill have to see what next week brings.

Informant U: Word #1

agent-in-place

a person who stays in his or her regular job but is actually in that job to get secret information and spy.

i can honestly say that i am an agent-in-place. At CSA.

trying to get my groove back

doing this school thing is hard. i mean, the public school thing. i was homeschooled, as you may know. or not. i graduated from high school was i was 13.

being at CSA is my cover.

i have to be here. so basically, im learning some of this stuff over again.

im taking geometry, humanities, biology and creative writing. i can't wait to take photo. that should really help with The Job.

jan is almost over, ive been assigned a new case and im still trying to get back into the groove of things.

and i wish i was going to kauai with celise and mr. maul.

so jealous.