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| Local grad walks to her own pomp and circumstance |
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| Ivanna Barnes was homeschooled for her entire 12 years of school |
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 | | Photo By John Gervais | | New graduate Ivanna Barnes moved her tassel to the other side of her cap during a graduation ceremony in her honor. |
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By John Gervais
It was much like any other graduation invitation.
The graduate's name, time, date and location, only in this case the graduate, Ivanna Jade Barnes, has never attended a public or private school.
And while the ceremony incorporated many of the same formalities of a public high school graduation, the graduating class numbered just two.
"Jim and Lisa Barnes are proud to announce the high school graduation of their daughter, Ivanna Jade Barnes," said the invitation, noting that the graduation would be held in the Woodburn Church of Christ on Hardcastle Street.
Ivanna Barnes' experience in home schooling and graduating, while not well understood by the general public, has been an ever-increasing part of the educational system in the United States. More and more parents choose not to use the public or private school system.
"When we began (about 15 years ago) homeschooling was identified with the hippie movement and we had to be careful that we were not identified that way," said Jim Barnes, principal/father of Ivanna Barnes.
"We began homeschooling in preschool," said Lisa Barnes, teacher/mother of Ivanna.
And the results have been outstanding for the family, as well as the family of Megan Leanne Crauthers, who graduated with Ivanna the same day and is a lifelong friend with Ivanna.
The graduation began with a prayer, a welcome to the audience of family, friends and co-workers who packed the room from wall to wall. Then came the joint processional of the two graduates, one down each of the side isles to the small stage at the front.
Both young women are accomplished singers and showed their love of music as they sang a rousing rendition of their favorite songs.
With a smaller graduating class, there was time for an open microphone and several friends and relatives came forward to share their own special feelings about one or both of the graduates. And they gently embarrassed them from time to time with funny stories.
As with many graduations, there was a graduate's slide show that took each girl from birth up to the present time, some times in a humorous vein and at other ties, more serious, and often together as the two have been friends since the early months of their lives.
In each family there were distinct roles, yet, it was also a challenge to separate the two at times. Lisa Barnes talked about the role of being a mother and her daughters teacher from preschool through graduation.
Her husband, Jim and Ivanna's father, talked about balancing the roles of father, husband and principal of the Barnes School on Hardcastle.
And Ivanna also had to balance between daughter, sister, student and working with her parents as teacher, principal friend and mother and father.
"There is a lot more support for home school families than when we began," said Lisa, noting local, state and national organizations and teaching materials. And the acceptance of home schooling has risen dramatically in the last 15 years.
It is the socialization that a home school child might miss out on, or sports, for example, that concerns many. Now the law allows home school students to participate in public school outside activities.
Ivanna constantly volunteered in a diverse array of activities, was a camera operator for WCAT-5 TV station and achieved the Congressional Bronze medal for service to her community from Congresswoman Darlene Hooley.
And there are those that see home schooling as only the hippie movements or that of the very religious right. And that would be an over simplification.
Having said that, Jim and Lisa Barnes are very devout Christians and Ivanna beams with the spirit. That could also be said of the Crauthers family.
Following the presentation of official and legal diplomas, there were lots of hugs, quite a few tears and Ivanna's non stop smile and laughter with good friends.
As the group retreated to the back yard of the church for a special potluck dinner, two young ladies were stepping into a new stage of life, just as well prepared as if they had attended a public school.
Ivanna, attending George Fox University, has achieved very high scores on her entrance exams and George Fox has for years received a very high rating nationally for private schools by the major guidelines.
Ivanna will major in theater, communications and media. "She loves living out loud and is passionate about theater," said Lisa.
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