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Reflections of the Plain Roots Conference
Our Plain Roots conference in Middlebury, Indiana went well last week… so well! The stories that speakers had to tell were equally heartwarming and inspiring. Many of the stories were about overcoming major obstacles on the way to academia, and the deeper the struggle, the greater the triumph. We will be going into detail about…
Read MoreConference Updates and Last Call for Registrations
The Plain Roots: Community, Story, and Support for Higher Education Conference is just around the corner. The link leads you to much more information about the conference, including an updated schedule of events. The team at ADSF has decided to extend our deadline for the conference to the 24th, so if you were thinking of…
Read MoreAmish Roots Conference: Breaking the Eighth-Grade Barrier
The deadline for signing up for the Amish Roots Conference is four days away. If you have been meaning to register and haven’t yet, now is your chance. Or if this is your first time hearing about it, you still have time. You can go to our Events page to learn more and register. Just…
Read MoreHow the Amish Descendant Scholarship Fund was Founded
Today I would like to honor the founders of the Amish Descendant Scholarship Fund, Emma Miller and Naomi Kramer Yoder. With only the eighth-grade education of her Amish childhood, Emma had earned her GED, then began taking college courses at a community college before enrolling at San Diego State University. She writes: “The idea for ADSF…
Read MoreTwo Exciting Announcements!
Registration: Our registration for scholarship applications for the 2026-2027 academic year is now open to students. If you would like to apply, please visit our Scholarships page to determine whether you are eligible. If so, there is a link on that page to take you to our application form. We look forward to receiving your…
Read MorePlain Roots: Community, Story, and Support for Higher Education
Did you grow up in a Plain community and dream of attending college? Do you still have this dream? Are you a formerly Amish college student who needs support to continue this difficult journey? Have you earned a college education and enjoy the idea of exchanging stories with others who were raised Amish or Plain? If…
Read MoreExciting New Developments at ADSF
We hope you have been enjoying the success stories over the past several months of current students and those who have graduated from a college or university and now have careers. The latest story of Leon Hostetler that starts here is truly awe-inspiring because it is rare for someone to be raised Amish and to…
Read MoreHow an Amish Boy Became a Physicist, Part 3
Leon Hostetler graduating from Florida State University Today we bring you the conclusion of Leon Hostetler’s story. I first knew of him when he was writing a blog more than ten years ago before he started college and he was clearly upset, even bitter, that his schooling had been interrupted after the eighth grade. I…
Read MoreHow an Amish Boy Became a Physicist, Part 2
Photo by Leon Hostetler of his childhood home Leaving the Amish By Leon Hostetler By my mid-teens there was constant pressure from my parents and the larger community to formally join the Amish church. But how could I? The big picture was too fuzzy for me. I was not convinced that the Amish worldview…
Read MoreHow an Amish Boy Became a Physicist, Part 1
Today we bring you the incredible story of Leon Hostetler’s educational journey that took him from his Amish childhood to becoming postdoctoral fellow in the Physics Department at Indiana University. This story will be published in three parts. Early Life By Leon Hostetler As a young boy, I was fascinated with technology. This was…
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