Amish Success Stories
An Example of What Is Possible
Today I am very honored to be introducing Freeman Miller, M.D. who is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Du Pont Children’s Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware. His curriculum vitae is impressive. After he received his Bachelors at the University of Colorado, he entered medical school (also at the University of Colorado). He did his post-doctoral training…
Read MoreThe Paradox of Worldly Knowledge
I’ve been enjoying the gathering of stories from former Amish people who have acquired formal education after leaving their respective communities. Today I’ll share a story of a former Amish couple in Holmes County, Ohio: Wayne and LaVina Weaver. I first met them at the Amish Conference at the Young Center in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania in…
Read MoreRescued By an Amish Grandmother, Part 2
Last week I posted the first part of Freeman Kinsinger’s story, which I am continuing today. Also, for the personal connection I had with Freeman’s grandmother, see my post Memory Photos on my personal blog. Here is more of Freeman’s story. After my twenty-first birthday, I enrolled as a freshman at Eastern Mennonite College. My…
Read MoreRescued by an Amish Grandmother, Part 1
I would like to thank Emma Miller for her end-of-the year post. I understand why she is proud of starting the ADSFund. It speaks to her generous spirit that she would conceive of the idea at a bittersweet moment in her life — on the day of her own graduation. I would like to second…
Read MoreAn Irrepressible Spirit
Tonight I am introducing a new story — this one of Emma Gingerich, who I have been corresponding with for more than two years. She first got in touch with me about publishing her story. I am certain she will get her story published, for hers is an amazing one of someone who had the…
Read MoreMy Dream of Being a Nurse
Today we have an education story from Laura Miller Burress, who grew up in an Amish community in rural South Central Kentucky. As a little girl, while visiting her father in the hospital she developed an interest in nursing. Soon after her eighteenth birthday she left her Amish community and didn’t look back. While working at…
Read MoreFrom a Farm Boy to the Outer Limits of a University Education, Part II
Continued from previous post: After a few years, I came across an advertisement in a magazine for a high school correspondence course, offered by American School in Chicago. I secretly enrolled – secretly, because I knew that my parents would not approve. I took some courses, including algebra, biology, psychology, and English. I completed the…
Read MoreFrom a Farm Boy to the Outer Limits of a University Education, Part I
Today we have a story from Henry Troyer who left the Amish in 1958 in pursuit of more education. For his full bio visit About Amish. His story will be posted in two parts. At an early age, I longed for knowledge. I read everything I could get my hands on, which in our Amish…
Read MoreFrom a One-Room Amish Schoolhouse to Smith College
I would like to offer a special thanks to Saloma Miller Furlong for joining us in our effort and for the help she has extended to other former Amish people in need. No one knows the challenges these young people face when choosing a life away from the Amish community better than she does. And…
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