They discuss how long they have been serving college students & the two years it took to write the book.

Fred Zielonko-suggests while this book is for students, their parents ought to read it as well.

Talking to students working and teaching students led to the writing of the book. And, the two authors polled students & parents as to the questions they wanted answered from a biblical perspective and via biblical truths.
Trent talks about how as a college student he was not well connected or intimately connected to your church.
Jonathan talked about the chapter he wrote about how to pick a college major. Jonathan did not grow up in church. He learned he had a lot of compassion to help 17-year olds to bring clarity to decision making while in college to help figure out what God has planned for their life.
Both professors homeschool their children. Parents want to protect their children, but they also want to prepare them as well.
We then review the chapter headings and what all the book covers.
Jonathan gives us how he came to Christ not being raised in church, and the questions he asked back as a young man.

Then we focused on how to choose a major to pursue. Then the professors discussed how to choose a major; however, we need to focus more on God’s desire for us versus what are our passions. They encourage students to think about how best to serve the world on behalf of God? What are they prepared to do? What are they passionate about? And how one makes that all come together for a student to make a living.
They both then talk about how they chose to be what they wanted to be and how that is a meandering route not a straight line towards a career.
We discussed how God is directing our path even when we do not know it….
Choosing a major end of the chapter is to “trust God!” Don’t build an idolatry in your own heart whereby it causes you to make bad decisions.
We then talk about the overriding theme of the book that is trust & discernment. We also talked about how when students get to college they are in a situation where they make more decisions in a shorter amount of time that they ever did for their life. So, they teach discernment and trusting in God.
We also discussed how the book prepares the students for life beyond college including dating and marriage. They challenge students to not fall for the world’s definition of dating and marriage. Instead, take a step back and discern whether your dating life is in accordance with what God has planned for you.

We discussed iPhones and technology and its influence upon the college experience.
Then we switched directions and talked about after the students read the book how do they put it to use it to fulfill the Great Commission and discipleship.

Both while in college and once a student is out, they have a responsibility to be part of the community of the local church. What they see on campus as to who is leading the youth revival.
Asked what did the professors learned while writing the book? Getting things to a point of simple clarity for students is needed by students. God’s word is sufficient, but we need to point students continually back to the Word.

Where the book can be found.
Rooted in Truth amazon link:
https://www.amazon.com/Rooted-Truth-Answers-Questions-Students/dp/1527112691/ref=asc_df_1527112691?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80883022504496&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=89993&hvtargid=pla-4584482486187399&psc=1

Introduction to Dr, Janice Supplee, VP of marketing and communication since 2016 of Cedarville University in Southwestern Ohio.
How she became a dean at Cedarville University.

Her father was a professor at the University when it was a small college.
How the Lord called her back into service at Cedarville.
Why homeschool parents might appreciate Cedarville.

Location:
Cedarville is tiny but it is in easy reach of Columbus, Dayton & Cincinnati, Ohio.
Interstate 70 is just north of Cedarville, Interstate 75 & Interstate 71, right in the triangle
Between those three highways.

Their advertising motto and how they came up with it.
Based upon an approximation of 1,000 days that students are enrolled in Cedarville University
The Curriculum is Christ-centered. -Students are exposed to Gospel impact and Christ through all disciplines.
Investment by Cedarville into programs that prepare students for real world careers even though they are liberal arts school.
Read a list of offerings….
What really sets Cedarville apart is their innovative approach? They have a firm commitment to biblical truth across all disciplines. They have 175 different programs.

Strategic decision in 1982 to start a nursing program, that is now their largest major. They added multiple engineering disciplines, and after that cybersecurity.
Why homeschool students should attend Cedarville:
It’s the intentional investment of parents in their children’s education, and Cedarville continues that commitment to that intentionality. Cedarville guards against cultural undermining of their faith.
How they help students acclimate to college life especially since many new students are experiencing life for the first time away from home.

She recommends dual enrollment where high school students are enrolled in high school or in homeschool, while taking some online courses from Cedarville.

Eighty percent of students live on campus, so it’s family-oriented, community-oriented environment.
Dr. Supplee talks about how Cedarville pushes students biblically and academically
Daily Bible reading and discussion is encouraged.
How Cedarville went from a Presbyterian denomination to Baptist to non-denominational
First steps for parents and their students to enroll in Cedarville.
She recommends visiting during the school year to get fully immersed in the full college experience
She then discusses where the University draws its students. 80% from Ohio and the Midwest.
Close and sponsorship mention of Wicks Family Grace Foundation.
Janice Supplee, PhD-Vice President for Marketing & Communications

Biography
Dr. Janice Supplee serves as Vice President for Marketing and Communications and Dean of Graduate Studies. She moved into her role leading Marketing and Communications in November 2016, began her service as Dean of Graduate Studies in 2017, and has been with the University since 1995. Privileged to be a part of Cedarville’s mission to equip students for professional excellence and Gospel impact, she has invested much of her Cedarville career in enrollment and marketing-related leadership roles. She has served on the president’s cabinet since 2009.
Education
PhD in Educational Leadership, University of Nebraska
MBA in Marketing, Wright State University
BA in Communication, Cedarville University

Website: Cedarville University; https://www.cedarville.edu/
Contact:
251 N. Main St.
Cedarville, OH 45314 USA
1-800-CEDARVILLE1-937-766-7700

How Katy came to name the school she founded and is the headmaster back in 2017.
Katy started out as a teacher in California, sold investments, and then decided she did not want to be a public education teacher
Moved to St. Louis and learned about homeschooling and started teaching her own children.

Her “ah-ha” moment that convinced her start her own classical education school.
How she reached out to God to find a way to start her own school-God directed her to the Internet and Hillsdale College.
It took her three years to raise the money and open the school. She explained the process. Her husband and her funded the school initially, and paid
herself finally after the third year.
How she partnered with Hillsdale College to develop her school and curriculum…Hillsdale’s curriculum is in many, many schools now.

Then we discussed what is classical education?
Katy explains how our founders had a classical education and she explains it’s constitutionally-based, and all what it includes including Latin.

We discussed how much homework they have and how they started as a K-thru 7th grade, and now it’s through it is K-thru-12.
Her one regret about founding her own school. School has grown from 9-children to 102 from 2017 to 2024.

How COVID impacted the growth in her school.

Katy discusses her vision for her academy and that includes an online edition.

Then, we discussed her teaching of civics in her academy and reading via phonics.

Why her Academy also includes a music education.

Katy discusses how they are funded and if they are profitable.
She goes on to discuss the value of their education and what parents actually pay.

Lafayette also teaches capitalism, financial literacy, and how they integrate field trips into the curriculum.

Then we discussed parental involvement in classical education-Lafayette welcomes all parental involvement.

We discussed when is the best time to apply for enrollment?

Katy lays out and explains the whole curriculum, faculty, mission and discipline.

Finally, we discussed the decline of liberal arts education and how she thinks classical academies will cause a resurgence of liberal arts colleges.

Concluded with her contact information and how to apply, grants, financial aid & scholarships.

Hillsdale.edu is where you can find information about classical education schools throughout the United States.

Katy’s website is: www. lafayetteacademy.org – where you can find her bio and background information.
Bio of Katy & Letter of recognition as a top 20 classical academy is attached.

Dr. Watson shares insights from nearly a decade of research and introduces the Johns Hopkins Homeschool Hub, a groundbreaking resource that brings together homeschooling policies, regulations, and participation data from across the United States — all in one place.

Together, Fred and Dr. Watson explore:

• How the pandemic reshaped education and accelerated interest in homeschooling
• Why homeschooling looks radically different from state to state
• The growth of learning pods, micro-schools, and hybrid models
• Why younger students are driving much of today’s homeschool growth
• How homeschooling is expanding within Black, Latino, and diverse communities
• The challenges policymakers and researchers face due to inconsistent data and terminology
• What the future may hold as families move more fluidly between public, private, and home education

This episode offers encouragement for parents, clarity for those considering homeschooling, and valuable perspective for anyone concerned about the future of education. Whether you’re a longtime homeschooler, newly curious, or simply want to understand the trends shaping our schools, this conversation provides both insight and hope.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Johns Hopkins Homeschool Hub
https://education.jhu.edu/homeschool-hub/

Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy
https://education.jhu.edu/edpolicy/

Journal of School Choice
https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/wjsc20/current

Raise Them UP! is a production of The Family Vision, a non-profit ministry committed to helping Christian parents prepare the next generation to make an impact for Christ.

If you’ve been homeschooling for a while and things just aren’t going the way you hoped, what do you do? Is homeschooling just not working for you? Or is there something you can do to make homeschooling more effective?

Our guest, Amanda Schenkenberger, was homeschooled by her parents, and is now a homeschooling mom with several years of experience. She comes alongside struggling homeschool moms through her personalized homeschool coaching services. She works with parents one-on-one to develop customized plans to achieve academic success for children, while making sure moms have what they need as a parent and educator. She’ll help you LOVE homeschooling again!

Amanda helps moms work through a wide range of challenges including:

-homeschooling special needs kids
-working with resistant kids
-building confidence in homeschooling
-meeting state requirements for homeschooling laws
-determining your family’s goals for homeschooling
-identifying your child’s learning styles and your teaching styles

Working with Amanda is easy! Visit her website to get started:

https://homeschoolfamilylegacy.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeschoolcoachingmama/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mandy.schenkenberger/

Raise Them UP! is a production of The Family Vision, a non-profit ministry committed to helping Christian parents prepare the next generation to make an impact for Christ.