By Kevin Williams
The Amish generally do not go to college. I say generally because there are some rare exceptions. Â For instance, there are some converts who have joined the church from the outside. Â David Luthy, a well-known Amish historian living in Canada is Amish, a convert, and a college grad. Â Ditto for Mark Curtis, an Amish man living in Belle Center, Ohio is a former school teacher and college grad. Â Curtis Duff is an Amish convert living in Oakland, Maryland. Â The Amish in Oakland considered Duff a particular valuable convert because of his medical background, to this day he sort of serves as an unofficial "nurse" for the community.
Now, interestingly, a I did run into a young horse-and-buggy Amish woman in Partridge, Kansas a few years ago who was preparing to go to college in Pennsylvania so she could become a teacher. Partridge is a pretty progressive Amish settlement, so if that were to happen anywhere, that would be the place. I so, so, wish I could remember the name of the college. Â Some Plain Mennonites do go to colleges affiliated with the church, like Goshen College or Bluffton University in Ohio.
College is also rare among the Plain Brethren. Â Writer Rosanna Bauman has taken some college level courses and 18-year-old Daisy Turney turned heads on the campus of Baker College in Kansas this fall by enrolling. Â What I find most fascinating about Daisy is that Baker isn't a Brethren university, it is a Methodist one and that she isn't commuting, she is actually living in a dorm with a randomly assigned roommate. Â The college newspaper did an article about her last month, click here to read the article.
The reasoning behind eschewing higher education among the Plain are multi-faceted. Â One is just desire to remain insular and exposing oneself to all the ideas and philosophies in college isn't necessarily compatible with that. Â Second, is more practical. College is expensive and if you're going to farm or make cabinets for the rest of your life, why spent $100,000 on a liberal arts degree? Â Thirdly, the Amish lifestyle is built upon not standing out from your peers and a college degree would definitely be counter to that philosophy. Â But views are slowly changing. Â Interesting, I was visiting an Old Order Amish engine repair business recently and the Amish owner had a certificate proudly hanging on the wall. He had taken a 10 week correspondence course in engine repair and passed with flying colors!
Carolyn
This young lady ( Daisy Turney ) is an image of Rosanna. I actually thought it was her at first glance.
Kevin
There is a bit of a resemblence, isn't there?