Mary Ann Kelley

TheHomeSchoolMom is part of Kelley Media, Ltd., a North Carolina corporation.

Hello, and welcome! I’m Mary Ann Kelley, the wizard behind the curtain here at TheHomeSchoolMom—founder, publisher, and curator.  I homeschooled my two daughters, who are now homeschool and college graduates, for almost twenty years.

We started homeschooling in 1999 when the internet was in its infancy but growing quickly. As I found homeschooling resources online, I wanted an easy way to share them with other homeschoolers. In October 2001, I launched TheHomeSchoolMom.com and have been helping connect homeschoolers with helpful resources ever since.

My excitement for the empowering resources and educational opportunities available to homeschoolers through the internet is manifest in the wealth of information found on TheHomeSchoolMom.com.

As a military spouse, I found that blogging was a wonderful way for me to have a consistent and rewarding career while homeschooling through several household moves over the years. I am entirely self-taught in internet technology and love the way that online resources allow us to learn almost anything.

My background

I hold a bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech in Finance with an English minor. I am a lifelong learner and have an almost insatiable curiosity, so my education did not end upon receipt of my degree. Since graduating from college I also trained in financial counseling, interior design, and genealogy.

Most recently I have completed training courses on boating in coastal waters at the local community college and sea turtle volunteer training through the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. I am currently a volunteer with the Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beach sea turtle programs. I’m a big fan of citizen science programs and the way they encourage active engagement from citizens interested in participating.

Besides blogging at TheHomeSchoolMom, I have also worked as a buyer for Leggett department store, financial counselor for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, business manager for an interior design firm, and web developer/IT coordinator for the Stafford Royals gymnastics center and the Fredericksburg Regional Genealogical Society.

My location

I’m an East Coast gal—I was born in Georgia and raised in South Carolina and Virginia. I moved quite a bit after marrying a Marine, but we stayed on the east coast of the US  except for three years in Iwakuni, Japan. After my husband retired from the Marine Corps, we spent twenty years in Fredericksburg, Virginia, before moving to the North Carolina coast.

Fun facts about Mary Ann

Three things people are surprised to learn about me

1. I zipped over a quarry lake on the fastest zipline in the world.

2. I traveled to Slovakia and stayed with a family I met online because my great-uncle's DNA said we were related.

3. I know a LOT about and wish I could time travel to mid-19th century New Orleans.

Bonus planes, trains, boats, and automobiles "about me" version

1. I have flown to Europe with a cat in the cabin as a carry-on pet (she slept the whole way, and I kept checking to be sure she was still alive)

2. I have taken the Nightjet sleeper train from Frankfurt to Bratislava (the sleeper cars are not anywhere near as big as I was expecting)

3. I have ridden the ferry from Holyhead to Dublin (thank you to The Man in Seat 61 for the tip about the lounge)

4. I have driven a stick shift in Washington, D.C., Paris, Munich, Manchester, and Hiroshima (that last one in the days of paper maps and no English signs), on the autobahn in Germany, across Ireland, and on Slea Head Drive (a narrow, curvy route that is one of the westernmost—and possibly windiest, if my experience is any indication—points of Europe)

What you’ll find on TheHomeSchoolMom

For over two decades, TheHomeSchoolMom has been the online guide to the best homeschool resources. It contains thousands of pages of homeschooling resources for new and veteran homeschoolers alike.

New here? Here’s what I recommend.

If you are…

• considering homeschooling, start here: Homeschooling 101.
• getting started homeschooling, start here: Quickstart Guide to Homeschooling.
• a homeschool grandparent, start here: Grandparents’ Guide to Homeschooling.
• homeschooling a high school student, start here: Homeschooling High School.
• looking for homeschoolers and/or homeschool groups in your area, start here: Homeschool Groups Near You

Getting around TheHomeSchoolMom

To find what you need most, it is helpful to know that the site covers six major areas:

• Homeschooling 101 (resources for new homeschoolers and those considering homeschooling)
• Deschooling (tips for students AND parents)
• Homeschooling High School
• All Things Homeschool Curriculum (how to choose curriculum and user-submitted reviews)
• Homeschooling by Topic (curated resources including activities, lesson plans, and worksheets; listed by topic and age)
• Homeschooling Classes, Groups, and Co-ops Near You (homeschool groups, co-ops, classes, and more listed by state and city)

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