Hi! I am so very delighted to introduce you to Natasha and Latham.
They’ve been together since high school, the dinosaur kind, you know, that species no one thought it would still exist nowadays -turns out it does (
, we’re not alone 🙌 20 years this October 😱🤩)Natasha and Latham served 10+ years in the Navy, she as a Flight Test Engineer and he was a Test Pilot and Naval Aviator. High technical, high risk jobs. They both transitioned to (the Silicon Valley type of) tech a couple years ago, and now live in Bozeman, Montana, with their two children: Camden (9) and Addie (7).
A year and a half ago, they started an incredible family journey, unschooling their son, first, now their daughter too, and… making space for dreams to exist. Yes, altogether, they are building an airplane!
If you hang out on Substack and are interested in extra-ordinary education paths, you might have heard about
already. I have been reading his newsletter for months, and was thrilled to uncover the complete picture of what their life could be, with the help of his wife Natasha.Thank you both for entrusting me with this conversation, I so much enjoyed our time together - and listening to it again (and again)!
Listen here, or on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Pocket Casts or YouTube :)
tl;dr
this is a story about
- team work
having each other’s back
Natasha not only brings an income, she’s the family coach too, for the children (personally, martial art classes..) and for Latham, worrying about his own mental health and professional ambition.
Latham is the home educator, mastering dedication, patience, creativity and determination, overcoming doubts, pursuing obsessions.
- adversity
turning life challenges into a family adventure
It started at as a sacrifice and it’s kind of become a new passion - Latham
I t's been remarkable, I think, for both of them. Watching both of them grow together has been really, really great. They push each other, like the two of them will push each other for better or for worse. I think it's for better - Natasha
- resilience
the power of iteration
, going from a very “well-trained mind classical curriculum” to completely student-led and project-led (anything in the morning, assignments in the afternoon), and then now breaking the day into 2-hour chunks [which is funny is how Maria Montessori splits the day, too]
, going from metrics and bucket lists of to dos to… “no need for KPIs for me to know he’s learning”.
- dreams
I want both of my kids to believe that they can do completely unreasonable things and not be surprised when somebody wants to support them or help them or do things - Latham
They deserve to be able to dream way bigger than, I don't know, than I ever felt like I could - Latham
If you're willing to put in the work for something, you can achieve it - Natasha
- togetherness
building the relation
I think that the reason that it works so well for him is because he and I are doing it together - Latham
The relationship that I have with my kids now is far and away the best thing I've ever done. - Latham
- identity
the challenge of finding oneself as a parent
What do I look like when this is all done?
Am I maintaining enough of myself where I'm gonna know who I still am when I'm not full-time parent and their full-time teacher?
The biggest challenge for me has been continuing to find myself, I think, in that.
-Latham
OK now, make sure to Latham’s journey here 👇😎
more about my guests
words from them
Natasha
Natasha is Latham’s wife of 17 years (and counting) and working mom to their 2 kids. With foundations in mechanical engineering, she started her career as a Flight Test engineer for the Navy, spending 11 years executing high risk tests on fighter aircraft. When Latham separated from the Navy, she also made a career transition, moving into tech as a Technical Program Manager where she’s been for the last 8 years. When she finds some free time, you can find her working on her photography, trying a new recipe, or training jiu jitsu. While she never saw homeschooling as a part of her family’s plan, mom life has taught her that plans change as soon as you make them and she’s seen how remarkable it can be.
💌 nperis@gmail.com
Latham
In 2024, Latham Turner decided to take over his son's education. After careers as a Naval Aviator, Test Pilot, technology leader, and early stage investor, taking over his son's education felt like a pause, a necessary sacrifice. What he found instead was a new purpose. Six months into home education, when his son asked if they could build an airplane for school, he realized he was onto something special. He now spends his time educating his children while trying to design educations to unleash the next 1,000 childhood geniuses.
LinkedIn and 💌 lhturner06@gmail.com
dig deeper
references that came out from our discussion:
a school for kids who love maths: Proof School, in the Bay Area
greek mythology, for kids : the National Geographics “Greeking Out” podcast:
Latham’s favorite book about education : The Extended Mind, by Annie Murphy Paul
That book has single handedly changed the way that I think about how to create a great opportunity for them to learn and be in the world. I think I've read that book five times already.
GoNoodle videos, a free digital platform that uses short, interactive videos and activities to get children moving, primarily targeting ages 4–10 and designed for use in homes and K–5 classrooms
- ’s Socratic Experience (online) school, an innovative online K–12 school rooted in Socratic dialogue and personalized learning. The model combines classical education with self-directed inquiry, guiding students through challenging texts, structured essays, and intellectual problem-solving while supporting personal projects and one-on-one mentoring.
and of course, Latham’s newsletter, that I encourage you to discover through this beautiful piece and manifesto:
Enjoy this discussion!!
Bisous,
Mathilde
