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Meet Gina
Hi! My name is Gina Burmeier.
My husband, Carl, and I have been married for almost 35 years. After living in St. Louis for seven years, we moved to the small town of Kewanee, Illinois, and have lived here for 27 years. We have been very blessed to have three children. We have also gained a daughter-in-law in 2019. When my kids were babies, I never dreamed I would be homeschooling. It wasn't until my husband joined the Rainbow team in 2001 that I began to understand what home educating was all about.
Having the chance to be around other homeschoolers convinced us we needed to give it a try. Through much prayer and by God's grace, we humbly accepted the huge responsibility of educating our children at home. Taking it year by year, we have never regretted this journey and are so grateful for this incredible opportunity.
When I began homeschooling, I really felt a need to reach out to other homeschoolers to encourage them and also be encouraged. I decided to seek out other families in the surrounding area and start a support group. We met for gym, fellowship, and library time once a month at my church. Today, it is really fun to see the next generation of homeschoolers continuing to meet for this monthly social time. I also organized many field trips and group activities to enhance our homeschool experience and spend time with friends.
My children all have very different interests. My daughter was really involved in competitive tumbling and dance throughout her school years. This background along with her interest in science led her to pursue a Physical Therapy Assistant degree and later a nursing degree. My oldest son was very studious and gravitated toward science, math, and music. He always had an interest in robotics and eventually became an electrical engineer. My youngest son enjoyed staying active in sports such as Tae Kwan Do, basketball, and golf. He also loved making his own comics. His creative mind led him toward a marketing degree with a Master’s in Business.
Not only did we stay busy with homeschooling and plenty of activities, we also had an invaluable opportunity to travel as a family every spring and summer to homeschool conventions. This gave us a perfect occasion to work as a family and meet other homeschoolers from all over the country. Being on the road so much gave us plenty of time for a myriad of amazing read alouds and great family time. After a long winter at home, we always looked forward to seeing the regular attendees and new homeschoolers every year. It was very helpful to get my hands on so much curriculum! Assisting families at conventions has helped me realize we all have unique and special circumstances, and there is no right or wrong way to homeschool. The common bond is that we deeply love our children and have a conviction to accept the responsibility of educating them and helping each of them reach their full potential.
It has been an indescribable joy for me to witness my children growing intellectually as well as spiritually. I feel blessed to have had this time to communicate openly every day and grow close to each of my children. I will admit, there have been times homeschooling has kept me on my knees in prayer but God has always been faithful to see us through. During these times, talking with other like-minded mothers has been extremely valuable to me. Like any homeschool mother, I have spent hours poring over the Rainbow catalog and researching different curriculum to find the one that best suited each of my children. We have had much enjoyment trying new things, from unit studies to traditional and classical curriculum, nature walks, field trips, and many read alouds. I guess you could say I was an electic homeschooler. Home educating wasn't something we did only during normal school hours, but rather was a way of life that kept us continually learning and growing.
I am a part-time consultant at Rainbow and am frequently traveling during convention season. I look forward to talking with those that call in with questions or concerns. I don't claim to have all the answers, but I will do my best to share from my past experiences as a homeschool mother as well as information I have gleaned from being a consultant here. If I don't have an immediate answer, it is always my pleasure to research and collaborate with my colleagues to find the best answer to your question. I can be reached at consultants@rainbowresource.com or by phone at 888-841-3456.
WATCH GINA'S LATEST CURRICULUM WORKSHOP
High School Journey... Gina shares her story of homeschooling through high school to equip and encourage you as you begin your own journey. Complete with a helpful handout, plus a Transcript Worksheet and fillable PDF Transcript Template.