PRECOCIOUS, FEROCIOUS—While their peers are in middle school or high school, the brainy Stewart sisters are rocking SWC science labs. (l-r) Edna Stewart, 13, Lara Stewart, 14, and Carla Stewart, 15, are too young to drive, but are already on the road to college degrees.
Photo By Serina Duarte

At the tender age of 15, Carla Stewart would be the youngest student at Southwestern College if it were not for her younger sister, Lara, 14.

Then there is their even younger sister, Edna, 13.

While most of their peers are still in middle school, the brainy Stewart sisters are already rocking SWC’s biology labs. They can recite the periodic table and explain chromosome division even though they are years away from driving or attending an NC-17 film.

Better still, their professors say they are terrific students.

Dr. Nouna Bakhiet, biology professor and director of the SWC Biotechnology Program, said the Stewart sisters have excelled in the bio labs and as college students.

“Carla, Lara and Edna Stewart are indeed a first in my classes,” she said. “Their most outstanding characteristic is their ability to focus. Although very supportive of each other, these sisters have distinct personalities and function as individuals in the classroom.”

Bakhiet said the trio all engage easily in class discussions and are very inquisitive.

Rarities for their youth, the Stewarts are also exceptional in that they are home-schooled students who are excelling in college. Home-schooled students generally do not fair well in higher education, but the girl’s father, Dr. Carson Stewart had a different vision.

A former practicing dentist, Stewart, took on the role of teacher soon after a disability rendered him unable to continue his career. He worked for a while as a substitute teacher and learned everything he could about the art and science of teaching.

“I would encourage every person that if there’s any way possible you should home school your kids,” he said. “You can give them a philosophy.”

He took a leap of faith, he said, by transforming their home into a teaching environment.

“Homeschooling was always in the back of my mind,” he said. “I just didn’t have the guts to pull it off but once the disability started kicking in and I couldn’t do dentistry I was just left with nothing else to do.”

After completing some time in public school in Maryland, the Stewart sisters packed their bags and headed to their new home in Houston.

“I was taken out of public school before they were,” said Lara. “My father didn’t know if homeschooling was going to work for us. I did homeschooling and it worked well for me. Not long after that they got homeschooled as well. We did that for a while.”

After being homeschooled for a few years, the sisters enrolled in college courses to proceed with their educational goals.

Lara has two semesters of college courses under her belt. Carla and Edna in their first semester.

Edna and Lara said they plan on majoring in biology, Carla said she plans to go into dental hygiene.

“We were practically raised in a dental office,” said Lara. “It is only natural that we pursue the medical route.”

Waking up at home and picking up a textbook soon became an easy routine for the girls. There was no set schedule to follow, simply a willingness to succeed.

“My dad had this thing where he would love to go to libraries and read textbooks,” said Lara. “He would be reading through books and be telling us stuff about the authors so we did have a lot of textbooks around the house.”

Lara said the rigor of college is no trouble for the sisters.

“When we were in public school we did get good grades,” she said “So I can’t imagine not getting good grades or not working on something. That doesn’t even occur to me.”

Self-discipline is not a problem when it comes to finishing schoolwork. Not having too many distractions at home made it easy for the girls to get their work done, they agreed, but they still manage to have fun. At 13, Edna, is just as focused as her older sisters, they reported.

“It’s pretty much just having self-control from the Internet, TV or any other distractions,” Edna said. “When you know you have to study, it’s in your mind. It’s about self-control and organizing your time.”

When they are not busy doing schoolwork, the sisters said they spend their free time much like other teenagers.

“I really like reading,” said Edna. “I read a lot and I also like cooking. Sometimes I bake to pass the time and I don’t even eat it.”

Edna’s sisters share her same passion for reading, she said.

“I just like to go on the computer, actually,” said Lara. “I do like to read and hang out with friends.”

Carla also likes to spend her time traveling between states.

“I like to visit friends back home and I also like to read,” she said.

Dr. Stewart, along with his wife Maria, have always been strong supporters of his daughters and the goals they have set for themselves, he said.

“I told them to be open to falling in love with a subject or a major,” he said. “So far they’ve really enjoyed biotechnology.”

Lara said the sisters have embraced their father’s philosophy about new experiences.

“I think it’s fun going to college,” said Lara. “I enjoy the journey just as much as I do the destination.”