Is my child missing out by attending a virtual school?
After sending her three older children to Wilson Hill, Allyson Alden never thought she would be asking that question.
She first learned about Wilson Hill when her oldest was a senior in high school. With a busy schedule and children in 12th, 10th, 8th, 5th and 1st grade, Allyson didn’t feel equipped to teach all of her children.
Wilson Hill felt like the perfect solution to an increasingly challenging homeschool dilemma.
“We started with Wilson Hill for academic reasons, but we did not realize that we would build relationships as well,” Allyson said. “We have had some of our children’s teachers in our home for meals; we have traveled halfway across the country to meet online friends in person many times; my children have had friends come from other states and other countries to visit them.”
For eight years, their family loved everything about Wilson Hill: the academic rigor, flexible schedules, genuine friendships, in-person community at LINK, gifted teachers and discipleship. But once her youngest, Noah, was the last child at home, she wondered if he’d feel lonely going to an online school without his siblings as built-in classmates.
While our WHA journey began for academic reasons, the relationships that we have built along the way came as an unexpected surprise!
—Allyson Alden, Wilson Hill Parent
Allyson and her husband chose to send Noah to a local private Christian school for his freshman year of high school.
But they quickly felt the loss of Wilson Hill. Even a respected brick-and-mortar option couldn’t replace the flexibility, rich community and academics they had come to expect and love.
“It was strange no longer being a Wilson Hill family, but we thought that would be best for Noah,” Allyson said. “We still talked about WHA often. We still communicated with friends from WHA that we had met over the years. We talked about LINK.”
By February, they decided to return to Wilson Hill for the 2024–25 school year—and Noah can’t wait!
While many families transferred to virtual school at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a testament to the rich community and gifted teachers at Wilson Hill that families like the Aldens have intentionally chosen to return to the virtual model.
We’ve seen the positive long-term impact that Wilson Hill has on students and families, which is why we’re passionate about partnering with families to invest in students now for who they will become in the future.
We also believe school isn’t just about what happens in the classroom; it’s also about friendships formed outside designated learning time. As the Aldens can attest, it’s possible to build lifelong friendships regardless of distance.
“We are looking forward to renewing old friendships and making new ones,” said Allyson. “We are excited to host WHA families in our home again. We are excited about connecting with friends in person as we travel to different parts of the country. And we are excited to go to LINK again; we will see you in 2025!”
If your children have ever attended Wilson Hill, you know what a special community our teachers, staff and students create every day. There’s still space available for your children to be part of this community in the 2024–25 school year. Save your children’s spots today to give them an education that challenges them academically, strengthens their faith and offers them lifelong friendships.