During our 20+ years of serving over a million homeschooled students, we have loved hearing the stories of our members and learning the impact Time4Learning has had on their educational journey. Each and every one is unique and special. We’re honored to share this extraordinary and inspiring member story with you as we shine a spotlight on Ashley Hayes!
Ashley holds the distinction of being the longest user of Time4Learning with sixteen years (and counting) as a member. After receiving an incredible heartwarming letter from her father, Thomas Hayes, our team was compelled to request permission for an interview and to share their story. (Now is your warning to have tissues on stand-by!)
Ashley was only 13 months old when she survived a bombing of her home but as a result was later diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Now in her early 30s, her dad has devoted the balance of his life to caring for her. On his 80th birthday, Thomas reached out to obtain a certificate highlighting his daughter’s achievements with Time4Learning, in lieu of a high school diploma that will remain out of reach. He conveyed how much joy it would bring her to be able to show it off to her family and friends, along with his desire to “make her as happy as I possibly can before I pass from this world.” We were happy to fulfill this special wish for our longest Time4Learning user, who has approximately 5,000 logins over their 16 years of use!
The Hayes’ Road to Time4Learning Homeschool
We were curious what prompted Thomas to seek out Time4Learning so many years ago. We learned that initially Ashley attended a traditional brick-and-mortar school with a full time aide through 8th grade. By this point, she was still unable to read or write anything at all. Thomas then brought her back home where she did virtual public school online for four years for high school. As she continued to struggle, dad sought recommendations on how he could continue her education on their own. The school directed him to Time4Learning and so their journey began!
Their Personalized, Special Needs Solution
According to Thomas, Ashley has been a staunch cheerleader of Time4Learning – telling ‘hundreds’ of families about our program and encouraging them to use it for their own children. (Thanks, Ashley!) Time4Learning has been an instrumental part of their lives – giving Ashley not only something of educational value to keep her occupied and entertained, but allowing dad some valuable free time to take care of the endless list of things to do around the house – or, on occasion, being able to sneak in a nap!
As a parent of a special needs student, Thomas was very vocal in his appreciation of their experience with Time4Learning, never feeling his daughter was pushed. He was able to select the courses and grade levels that best suited her abilities at each and every stage. Ashley was granted the freedom to work at her own pace – which the Hayes family have found an ideal fit for a student with learning challenges.
We were very pleased to also hear directly from Ashley. This young woman is a delight and we’re honored to have her as one of our biggest cheerleaders! When asked about her experience with Time4Learning, we discovered her passion for education. Ashley shared she found Time4Learning to be a wonderful part of her life – logging in almost daily!
“It has been a wonderful part of my life. Almost every day it gives something to do that I really enjoy doing. I even go to my school on the weekends a lot. I would be lost if I did not have Time4Learning in my life.”
Ashley Hayes
We were most inspired by Ashely’s response to share any specific achievements or milestones she attributed to using Time4Learning. Knowing the significant impact our program has had on this special young woman is so rewarding – and motivating for our team as we continue to strive to grow and improve to help more students achieve their goals. We are proud to report that Ashley is now able to communicate with friends, with family, and with the world!
“Yes I am now able to communicate with my friends online and I can write real letters to my friends and family. They have helped me connect with the world through reading and writing.”
Hayes Family, we are honored and humbled to play a role in your homeschooling journey. Ashley let us know that she LOVES Time4Learning. We hope she knows the feeling is mutual!
