My entire life I’ve learned differently from those around me. I’ve grown up in a home that likes to defy the social norms and break away from societal standards. My parents have always had this idea that they wanted me to learn differently from my peers. They wanted to give me a unique educational experience. This truly came into full effect for me at the start of my third grade year, when my parents pulled me from my school and decided that from that point on, I’d be learning from home.

Throughout first and second grade I had a lot of issues. Teachers weren’t fond of me because I was always very fidgety and talkative. I hated learning and couldn’t stay interested in the boring curriculums, and I was overall just a trouble maker who couldn’t keep himself under control. However, this all changed for me once I began homeschooling. I found a way to make learning fun and engaging. I started getting very hands on with all my subjects and participating in real life activities that taught me my lessons. The world became my textbook, and instead of reading line after line of uninteresting publications. I was doing real things with my hands and eyes, engaging my senses and mind at the same time. I fell in love with this method of learning, and this sparked a desire for something different for my future.

Over the next few years of my life I participated in programs designed for homeschooled students with this different mindset. Some were incredible and really helped me build my educational foundation, while a few others were rather underwhelming and even useless. One day I found a small charter school called The Summit Academy. This school had a program designed for homeschool students where you spent one-three days a week learning at the school. Taking your core classes, getting advice from teachers, and participating in extra-curriculars. While the rest of the week you’d spend at home learning at your own pace in your own style. This is where I spent all four of my high school years. It was through this program I was invited and inducted into the National Honors Society, worked on dual credits towards me associates degree, got credits completed for all my classes in order to get a diploma, and eventually graduated in April of 2019 with a 3.9 GPA and an excitement to get out into the real world and put my skills to use.

After graduation I had already decided that immediately going to college was not the right move for me. I didn’t like the idea of jumping straight back into that boring learning style I hated so much, and even more so the idea of racking up $100,000 plus in debt. In my search to continue my “different” style of education. I found Praxis, a company that takes young adults such as myself, and trains them with an entrepreneurial mindset, secrets to business success, and a skillset that transforms you from your average member of the workforce, into a business prodigy. While that alone sounds great and worth all the time you put in. It doesn’t stop there. After your training you are placed in an internship with a startup company, in which you continue to grow your understanding of business.

Praxis truly encompasses the out-of-the-box education style I have grown to love over the years. Between the team of advisors there to help guide us along the way. To the well structured program used to teach us the tricks of the trade. It is truly a unique and incredible way of building the next generation of commerce. While I am only just starting the program, I’m already learning a lot and I’m so excited to see what my future holds through this program. This is why I’m proud to call myself a Praxian!

Braden Schmidt 8/21/19