Plain Roots Conference: Author Panel

Today we bring you another video of the Plain Roots: Community, Story, and Support for Higher Education conference we held in June. This is the Author Panel that was made up of three authors: Albert Miller, John Yoder, and myself and it was moderated by Eythana Miller.

Dr. Albert Miller is the author of You Can’t Do That! Raised on an Amish farm, his education ended with eighth grade in an Amish parochial school. After leaving his community, he took the GED tests, earned a bachelor’s degree from Kent State University, and a Doctor of Medicine degree from University of Cincinnati. He feels blessed to have had the opportunity to practice medicine for 30 years and is currently semi-retired. He has fond memories of his Amish childhood and still worships the same God he was introduced to as a child. However, he has a very different way of experiencing the power of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

John Yoder, PhD, was raised and Virginia and authored a memoir titled Between: An Amish Boy’s Odyssey. He taught at a boarding school for Indian students in northwestern Ontario. He graduated from EMU before enrolling in a masters program at UVA. He served as a guidance counselor and principal in Virginia public schools before returning to UVA to earn a Ph.D. He has been a professor, researcher, graduate school dean and Vice President for Academics at universities in Africa, California, Kansas, and Oregon and has traveled widely as a lecturer in the US and abroad. 

Saloma Miller Furlong grew up Amish in Ohio. She left her community twice — first at 20 and again at 23. She had two teenage sons when she found her way to the Ada Comstock program at Smith College. She graduated at 50 with a major in German Studies and a minor in Philosophy. Her education included a semester in Germany. She is the author of three memoirs, including Liberating Lomie: Memoir of an Amish Childhood and Bonnet Strings: An Amish Woman’s Ties to Two Worlds. Parts of her story were featured in two American Experience films “The Amish” and “The Amish: Shunned.” She is deeply committed to helping others realize their dreams of earning a college education.

You may wonder what we have in common, given we each came from different Amish communities, and having very different careers. However, Eythana asked good questions that led to us discussing issues like what it means to be culturally Amish, even if we are no longer practicing Amish. I hope you will give the video a listen. Here it is: