A more personal way to educate your child
Star Students is a personalized homeschool and tutoring partner built on one belief: education works best when it's designed around the individual child and rooted in a real relationship with the family. Founded and led by educator Kimberly Gawne.
Design around the child
The plan should fit the learner — not the other way around.
Relationships teach
Real progress grows from a teacher a child trusts.
Partner with parents
Families stay in the loop and in the lead.
Teach the whole child
Confidence and curiosity matter alongside the grades.
What is Star Students?
Star Students is a personalized homeschool and tutoring company for K–12 families, founded by educator Kimberly Gawne. A team of credentialed educators designs and delivers individualized programs — homeschooling, live instruction, curriculum planning, tutoring, and parent coaching — built around each child and each family's goals.
Why does Star Students teach the way it does?
Because the founder learned, firsthand, what the right kind of teaching can do. Star Students grew out of Kimberly Gawne's own experience of being taught in a way that finally fit her.
Kimberly Gawne
IB Curriculum · Arts & Linguistics
High School Language & Arts · Elementary K–8
Kimberly has always been drawn to people and to learning — to exploring new methods and sharing that curiosity with others. For her, the blend of learning something and then guiding someone else through it is the essence of teaching, and it's where the most meaningful progress happens.
But her own school years weren't effortless. In both elementary and high school, math was a real hurdle. What changed things was her father — her hero — who spent countless hours explaining problems in different ways until one of them finally fit how she actually learned.
Being taught in a way that fit her changed what she believed she was capable of. That memory is the method behind Star Students.
That experience became the conviction at the center of the company: that almost any child can move forward when the teaching is shaped around them, delivered patiently, and built on a relationship of trust. Star Students exists to give families that same kind of personal, relationship-first education — and to make sure no child is left believing they simply "aren't a math person," or a reading person, or a school person.
What does Star Students believe about education?
We believe education should be personal, relationship-driven, and shaped by the family's values. Each principle below is something you can see in how we actually work — not just words on a page.
Personalized, not standardized
We start with the child's profile and build the plan around it, rather than fitting them to a fixed track.
Student-led & inquiry-driven
Curiosity does real work. We follow genuine interest into deeper learning wherever we can.
Relationship-first teaching
The same educators, over time. Trust is what makes a hesitant student willing to try again.
Family partnership
Parents stay informed and in the lead. We coordinate the work; you keep the relationship with your child.
Values-aligned learning
Education shaped around what matters to your family, taught with respect for your goals and priorities.
The whole child
Confidence, character, and a lasting love of learning sit alongside academic skill, not behind it.
Who teaches at Star Students?
Credentialed educators, each holding at least a B.A., with real classroom and tutoring experience across K–12. Here are a few of them — and you can meet the full team on our educators page.
Founder and educator, leading Star Students' relationship-first, personalized approach.
A decade-plus helping learners overcome math anxiety and build lasting confidence.
20+ years' teaching, with deep experience supporting students on IEPs and early learners.
Two decades teaching Core French and IB French, including building full IB programs.
Seven years teaching and tutoring math across grades 2–12 with project-based learning.
20+ years supporting Special Education students and those who find school a hard fit.
What are our mission and vision?
Our mission is to give every family we work with a genuinely personalized, relationship-driven education. Our vision is a world where no child concludes they simply aren't capable, because the teaching was finally built around them.
Education designed around the child
To deliver personalized learning, live instruction, and strong family partnerships that help each student grow in both skill and confidence — at their own pace, toward their own goals.
No child left thinking they "can't"
To make thoughtful, individualized education the norm rather than the exception, so curiosity and confidence are protected through every stage of K–12.
What should families know before choosing us?
A relationship-first company should be straight about its limits. Here's what we won't promise, and where a family's own judgment still matters.
- —We don't guarantee specific grades, scores, or school-admissions outcomes.
- —Homeschool laws and requirements vary by location; families confirm their own.
- —Progress depends on consistency, attendance, and scope of support.
- —Some children need clinical or therapeutic services beyond education support.
- —We're a fit for many families, but not every one — and we'll tell you honestly.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Star Students?
What does Star Students offer?
What are your educators' qualifications?
How are children matched with a teacher?
Do you only work with homeschool families?
Where is Star Students based, and who can you work with?
How do we get started?
Let's talk about your child.
The best way to understand whether Star Students is right for your family is a conversation. Tell us about your child, your concerns, and your goals — and we'll give you an honest read on how we can help.