16 Successful People Who Were Homeschooled

May is Homeschooling Awareness Month which celebrates an increasingly popular education option for many American families. They're in good company with successful individuals who were homeschooled growing up including U.S. presidents, a legendary poet and a Heisman Trophy winner.

Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow wasn't only the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy, he was the first homeschooled athlete ever nominated.

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt was a Roughrider, trustbuster, conservationist, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and the youngest US President ever to take office. He was also homeschooled.

Bode Miller

With 33 World Cup wins, 4 World Championship victories, and 1 Olympic gold medal, Bode Miller is the most successful American alpine ski racer of all time. Bode grew up in a log cabin on 450 acres of farmland in the heart of New Hampshire ski country, and was home schooled until the 3rd grade.

Sandra Day O'Connor

The Supreme Court's first female justice grew up on an isolated cattle ranch near Duncan, Arizona, where her mother taught her to read by age 4.

The Jonas Brothers

We're all reeling from the news that our favorite Disney Channel rockers have gone their separate ways, but their success as a tight knit family band is thanks in no small part to their mother, who homeschooled the Jonas' during their rise to fame.

Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison's mom pulled him out of school after just three months, because his teacher referred to him as "addled." Clearly, Edison's mom was on to something, because her son went on to invent the phonograph, the movie projectors, the stock ticker, and, oh yeah, the light bulb.

Serena and Venus Williams

You could argue that Serena and Venus are STILL being home schooled. In order to ensure that tennis never got in the way of a good education and a (relatively) normal childhood, dad Richard and mom Oracene weren't just the Williams sisters' teachers, they're still their coaches.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

It turns out that FDR and his Uncle Teddy have more in common than just being elected Commander in Chief. The 32nd President also followed 26th President to Harvard, but only after being homeschooled as well.

Michelle Kwan

The nine-time US figure skating champion, five-time World Champion, and two time Olympic medalist, was homeschooled after the 8th grade.

Susan B. Anthony

The suffragette and civil rights leader Susan B. Anthony is famous for being the first woman to vote in the United States...48 years before it was legal. Susan received her passion for women's rights from her father Daniel. After Susan's teacher refused to teach his female pupils long division, Daniel placed his Susan in a group homeschool and taught her himself.

Condoleezza Rice

The former Secretary of State missed the cut off date to enter the first grade by two weeks, but as a teacher herself, Condi's mom wasn't about to let her daughter miss a year of school. She convinced school officials to allow Condoleezza to test into the second grade the following a year, and took a year's leave to be her daughter's first grade teacher. The test showed that Condoleezza knew math at a 3rd grade level and read at a 5th grade level.

Robert Frost

Poet Robert Frost took the educational "road less traveled," not only as a student, but also as a parent. After being homeschooled by his mother as a child, he decided to homeschool all four of his children.

Bethany Hamilton

Bethany Hamilton was homeschooled after the 6th grade so that she could focus on her budding career as a surfer. At 13 she was attacked by a shark and lost her left arm. Two months later, she was back on her board, and a legend was born. She went on to win an ESPY in 2004.