Escapes and Rescues: A Call for Stories

For our next open series, we invite homeschool alumni to share their stories about leaving cults and controlling households.

When Your Parents Stalk You

Fundamentalism doesn’t teach consent, it teaches you to respect authority.

UnBoxing Project: Surviving and Thriving on the Outside

Eleanor Skelton blogs at eleanorskelton.com, is the news editor of the UCCS student newspaper, and is majoring in English and Chemistry. The following was originally published on Eleanor’s blog on April 7, 2015, and is reprinted with permission. < Part Thirteen I came from an upper middle class, well-educated family. I was privileged. I moved out as a college student

UnBoxing Project: How you can help (Eleanor Skelton’s thoughts)

Eleanor Skelton blogs at eleanorskelton.com, is the news editor of the UCCS student newspaper, and is majoring in English and Chemistry. The following was originally published on Eleanor’s blog on April 6, 2015, and is reprinted with permission. < Part Twelve When we became “conductors,” we learned that getting out and finding freedom is messy, and everyone’s situation is different.

UnBoxing Project: How you can help (Cynthia Jeub’s thoughts)

Eleanor Skelton blogs at eleanorskelton.com, is the news editor of the UCCS student newspaper, and is majoring in English and Chemistry. The following was originally published on Eleanor’s blog on March 15, 2015, and is reprinted with permission.  < Part Eleven Here are Cynthia Jeub’s concluding thoughts. Rescuing people from cults is not an item to check off of a to-do list.

UnBoxing Project: Self-care during activism

Eleanor Skelton blogs at eleanorskelton.com, is the news editor of the UCCS student newspaper, and is majoring in English and Chemistry. The following was originally published on Eleanor’s blog on March 14, 2015, and is reprinted with permission.  < Part Ten Cynthia Barram was the first friend I met in college who helped me start my own moving out process before helping

UnBoxing Project: Homeschool, the perfect hiding place

Eleanor Skelton blogs at eleanorskelton.com, is the news editor of the UCCS student newspaper, and is majoring in English and Chemistry. The following was originally published on Eleanor’s blog on March 13, 2015, and is reprinted with permission.  < Part Nine I met Shelby while working for the student newspaper, and she mentioned that the homeschooling population seemed to be understudied in

UnBoxing Project: Gissel’s story

Eleanor Skelton blogs at eleanorskelton.com, is the news editor of the UCCS student newspaper, and is majoring in English and Chemistry. The following was originally published on Eleanor’s blog on March 12, 2015, and is reprinted with permission.  < Part Eight In July 2014, Ashley came over to my apartment to visit one Saturday morning. Then Ashley got a text message from

UnBoxing Project: Options, Not Ultimatums

Eleanor Skelton blogs at eleanorskelton.com, is the news editor of the UCCS student newspaper, and is majoring in English and Chemistry. The following was originally published on Eleanor’s blog on March 11, 2015, and is reprinted with permission.  < Part Seven Aaron and the rest of us moved Ashley out of her parents’ house. This is his perspective. It’s hard when someone

UnBoxing Project: Cynthia Jeub’s story

Eleanor Skelton blogs at eleanorskelton.com, is the news editor of the UCCS student newspaper, and is majoring in English and Chemistry. The following was originally published on Eleanor’s blog on March 10, 2015, and is reprinted with permission.  < Part Six I introduced Racquel and Ashley to my friend Cynthia Jeub shortly before they left the church. Here is her perspective. Mouth