173 Millennium - Seventeenth Edition EDUCATION dreams, as well as her mentor at church, Pauline George, who encouraged her to take risks and connect with others. Among her most cherished accomplishments, she is especially proud to have built a community, assembled a highly competent team, and exerted a transformative impact on the educational possibilities of hundreds of children. Most joyously, she now has prior students who bring their own children to participate in the Homeschool Connections program, lending her efforts a generational importance. Apart from her vocation, Ms. Gernert enjoys reading, crocheting and dabbling in art. She also enjoys biking with her husband and doting on her grandchildren, as well as wintering in Florida. Looking toward the future, Ms. Gernert aspires to take the Homeschool Connections model and assist individuals across the United States in launching similar programs — ones that enable families to educate children in ways that best suit their needs and beliefs. In collaboration with a local public school, Ms. Gernert helped develop the Oxford Virtual Academy (OVA) in 2011, a program designed to fund community resource classes for homeschooled students. Beginning with more than 300 students, the academy has expanded its opportunities every year, serving thousands of students, and continues to enjoy success throughout the local region today. Additionally, Ms. Gernert was one of the co-founders of the HighPoint Hybrid Academy in 2015, an inperson, hybrid educational program that allows students to learn in a group setting twice per week. To remain aware of developments affecting her field, she is a founding member of the Hybrid Schools Society and is also a former member of Rotary International. In accounting for her success, Ms. Gernert largely credits the comfort and guidance she draws from her Christian faith. Likewise, she is grateful for the influence of figures like her uncle, Lloyd “Coach” Timer, who taught her to chase her
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