A Mile in Their Shoes: An ASMS Parent's Story

Generations of parents and guardians have built a special bond through letting their children leave home early in pursuit of an exceptional education at ASMS. The following is just a glimpse of the worry, doubt, and hope they experience. Take a moment, and walk a mile in their shoes.

For the third time this week, your child has come home bored and disengaged. They pace the house, looking for something to do. While you're impressed that they always get their homework done at school, you wonder if they need a different curriculum.  

Your child is not being challenged. They are taking the highest-level courses available to them, but the pace at which those classes are taught is limited by the ability of the other students, while your own child languishes. 

You want the best for your kid. You want them to attend the college of their choice and earn scholarships to go. You want them to find a rewarding career in a field that interests them: medicine, engineering, research, law, business - positions that make a difference in our communities. You can envision your child becoming a neurosurgeon or an astrophysicist - anything they put their mind to - but you worry that they are not presently being prepared for success. 

Even worse, they struggle to find their people. They have some friends and acquaintances, but few peers truly share their interests and passions. You suspect your kid conforms to fit in with kids who don't value intellectual curiosity and academic achievement the way your own child does.

These are the thoughts that hum through your mind as you think about your child and their education. It's difficult to imagine the possibilities, because the options where you live are limited.

Should you apply for school choice options in your area? Local schools and magnet programs may suffer from the familiar limitations you already see. Should you enroll your child in a costly private school? Tuition is expensive, and the curriculum is nearly the same as elsewhere. Should you uproot your family and move to a new school district? Such a change could be emotionally and financially devastating.

The problems facing the parents of gifted students can seem as daunting as differential calculus, but there's a solution as simple as four letters: ASMS.  

Your child comes to you and tells you they have been doing research on their own and found a school they are interested in - The Alabama School of Mathematics and Science. 

You pause. "Wait a minute. Did they just ask to leave home early to go live at a boarding school in Mobile, Alabama?" After a lengthy discussion and many questions, you decide that it can't hurt to visit, so your child signs you up to attend ASMS Day.  

As you enter the stained-glass auditorium where students and parents have gathered, the ASMS president describes 35 years of educational and personal success for alumni. You hear from the faculty about a college-level curriculum and classes your child can take to forge their own academic path. The Dean tells you about the average ACT score increase and the 30-60 hours in college credit students can earn. And you learn about the study habits and personal responsibility your student will acquire for college readiness.  

"How have I not heard more about this school?" you ask yourself. 

The current students begin filling the auditorium, and their enthusiasm fills the room. They passionately share stories about how ASMS has changed their life. Their quest for knowledge and love for learning has finally been matched by their classroom experience. They can be themselves at ASMS, make a difference in the community, and even  "nerd out" on weekends.  

The discussion shifts to new opportunities involving conducting college-level research and being immersed in leadership training. They are studying science and math, but also mastering world languages and honing their writing skills. Their academic and social toolboxes have never been more full.  

Processing what you saw and heard as you drive home, you ponder the new world you were exposed to. "I thought I had three more years before college. Am I ready to let my child leave home at 15? What about their medical issues? Will they need me as much as they do now if they move away from our family?"  

""I was among those who spoke at the first assembly [in 1991]. I told the parents they were the bravest people I had ever known, to let their children go off to a boarding school that did not even exist until their children got there..."" - - ASMS School Founder: Bedsole, Ann (2022) Leave Your Footprint, HMO Publishing

The longer you drive, the more convinced you are that ASMS is a great fit for your child. The academic rigor and individualized attention your child craves match the mission of the institution, and seem to also ring true in the current students you met.  

You decide to move forward with the application process. Your child interviews with anticipation and waits for word of the result. The excitement flows through the family when you learn they were admitted!  

Still, there are always naysayers. A family member or friend questions how you will allow your child to move away from home so young. A neighbor tells you that taking your child out of your local public school hurts the community and insults the teachers that work so hard. A school administrator has mixed reactions. They are happy for your child, but disappointed to lose a good student in their own institution's classrooms.  

Your child watches how you handle these concerns. "There are difficult decisions in life," you share out loud. "Ultimately, the biggest risk a parent will take is not allowing their children to discover their full potential." 

The start of classes brings new challenges for your child. Leadership and community service opportunities abound; your quiet, shy student begins to blossom - both academically and socially. They quickly find themselves immersed in fun projects that appropriately challenge their intellect and group communication skills. You see the happiness on their face persist as the year moves along.  

Because of your child's education at ASMS, they enter college with credits that put them ahead in their studies. Their ASMS resume opens opportunities in higher education that most students do not receive until graduate school. While their peers try to figure out how to study on their own, manage their time, and even do their own laundry, your child is breezing through.  

With the skills they began honing at ASMS, your child's future is bright. Graduates have pursued many different paths after finishing their studies at ASMS, academically and professionally. It may be a Ph.D., an M.D., launching social initiatives in Alabama, building infrastructure for our state, or going down a new road no graduate has yet traveled. The future is truly wide open.  

There's a strong measure of pride you often feel when somebody asks whether ASMS was worth it. "Yes!" you can emphatically state. "I can say with confidence that ASMS is absolutely worth it."  

This article is based on the stories of many ASMS parents, with a special thanks to Teressa Clark - a parent to a Class of 2021 graduate and now the ASMS Assistant Director of Donor Relations and Family Programs.