Eight-year-old Ula, a homeschool student with Lakeview Charter School, doesn’t just learn from books – she learns from the world around her. Whether she’s sewing, drawing, playing music, or exploring the outdoors, her education is shaped by a constant curiosity and a desire to find answers to everything.

When I met Ula for our interview, she pointed excitedly at insects and mushrooms around the park, asking her mom, India, to use her phone to help identify each one. At one point, she gently cupped a small tarantula in her hands and stroked it softly with her finger, while her mom sat beside her with calm encouragement.

“She loves animals and arachnids,” India said with a smile. “She’s interested in everything – I’d be surprised if she doesn’t end up a scientist.”

For India, homeschooling isn’t about keeping Ula home; it’s about giving her the freedom to see how big the world really is.

“In a regular classroom, those four walls are all you have,” India explained. “When you homeschool, the world opens up. Learning happens everywhere, and you have opportunities to do so much more. We’re always involved in things – people don’t even know how we have time for it!”

And Ula’s world truly is big. She recently entered her handmade clothing — a skirt, pants, and a bag — in Lake County’s annual craft fair. Her fabric choices reflected her love of nature, featuring prints of insects and bright patterns inspired by the outdoors. She proudly took home first, second, and third place ribbons.

Her creativity doesn’t end there. Ula also studies music and recently performed live on public radio station KPFZ with her teacher, Donald Coffin. She’s been playing instruments since she was five – ukulele first, then guitar, and now violin. She also sings in the choir and performs with the ELY Historical Society, sharing music with her community.

When asked how she felt about being in a recording booth for the first time, Ula laughed, recalling how strange it felt to wear the tight headphones and sing into a microphone:

“It looked like robots almost – but I like robots!”

India smiled, remembering the moment. “Remember how you were so scared? You were so nervous that you wanted me in the room with you!” she teased gently. “Her teacher was really great. He asked her questions about dinosaurs and things like that — it helped her feel more comfortable, so when she sang, it was fine.”

Homeschooling takes parent involvement to a whole new level. When you homeschool, you really get to see your child — what they love, how they think, what makes them light up. You get to help them grow in the direction that’s theirs.

For India, learning with Ula isn’t about following a rigid schedule or checking off assignments. It’s about being present, noticing, and nurturing curiosity — even when it means stopping mid-conversation to identify a mushroom or admire a small white moth fluttering by.

Homeschooling has given Ula a world without walls — a life where art, science, and imagination connect seamlessly. Whether she’s sewing a quilt from scraps, playing music on stage, or exploring nature, Ula’s learning never stops. And with her mom’s steady support, it never will.