As Cannon Falls and Randolph students switch from physical classrooms to makeshift learning spaces at home, many families have been struggling. Schoolwork has been a burden; motivation has been hard to come by. Everyone is adapting. Yet the changes have been easier for some than others. Grace Churchill, a seventh grader in the area who’s home schooled, maintained, “We are already adjusted to spending most of our time at home, so the transition is noticeably easier for us.” One rural Cannon Falls home schooled senior couldn’t agree more: Aaron Trost. Just like a majority of those in the home school community, he hasn’t been swayed by the storm because at home learning isn’t a “new normal.” Rather, it’s typical. 

Learning virtually, which appears seamless on paper, is a pivotal factor for those switching over. For Trost though, online learning is customary. At 18, Aaron Trost is the youngest of four (Emi (24), Karl (22), and Dan (20)) who’ve all been home schooled on the family farm by their parents, Tim and Joyce Trost. Over the past two years, the senior has opted to take online Postsecondary Enrollment Courses (PSEO) through Northwestern University in St. Paul, Minnesota, so his day-to-day routine of completing morning chores, finishing professors’ posted coursework, and practicing music, hasn’t fluctuated. Besides school, however, Trost’s life has been altered. 

In Trost’s eyes, one massive misconception about home schoolers is that they don’t socialize; they don’t stay involved, when, in reality, that’s far from the truth. Trost has been active in speech, soccer, cross country, and 4H at CFHS and within the community. Along with all high school seniors, Trost is paying the price of COVID-19. His Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators’ (MÂCHÉ) Graduation Ceremony, National Christian Forensics and Communications Associations’ (NCFCA) National Speech and Debate tournament, and prom are only a few events which have been postponed or canceled all together. But, even in the midst of uprooted plans, the 18-year-old has a few pieces of unparalleled insight. 

For starters, there’s so much high schoolers can do at home. Even during this difficult time, there’s still room for growth. Trost stressed, “Don’t stop learning just at your classes. You can still learn in other areas of your life. Whether it’s going outside to take a walk in the woods, starting a project that you wanted to start, building something that you wanted to build, take the opportunity now that you have time to do something that you wanted to do, but couldn’t before.” Trost also specifically challenged fellow seniors to look forward. Next fall he plans on furthering the college education he’s already started at Northwestern University, where he’ll pursue degrees in communications radio broadcasting and music. Others too can follow in Trost’s footsteps and take this unprecedented time to phase into something new.

Although Trost has been “ahead of the learning curve” so to speak during this difficult time, he has chosen to see beyond his coursework and look towards other students, families, and communities. When this pandemic is over, Trost hopes people will look at the world a bit differently. “As we go throughout life, kind of appreciate the small things that come along because you really don’t know what you have until it’s not there,” Trost emphasized. And maybe, just maybe, if individuals took Trost’s words of wisdom to heart, everyone else could also find themselves ahead of the learning curve.