Amish Descendant Scholarship Fund

Today we bring you Sharon Beachy, our new ADSF board member. Her story speaks for itself, but Sharon brings to the board new, innovative ideas, energy that only a young person can offer, and yet she has insights normally possessed by those who are older.

Every incredible journey begins with a single, high-stakes choice.

Sharon Beachy's road to her dreams required a level of resilience most people will never have to face. Part 1 of her story launches today, diving into the earliest obstacles meant to stop her before she could even begin

👇 Click below to read Part 1 of her story. 👇

A Mind Set Free: Part 1 - Amish Descendant Scholarship Fund Photo: Sharon receiving her GED diploma from Treasure Coast Technical College in Vero Beach, FL As promised on Thursday, today I bring you Sharon Beachy, our new ADSF board member. Her story speaks for itself, but Sharon brings to the board new, innovative ideas, energy that only a young person can....

The deadline for signing up for the Amish Roots Conference is only 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.

Click the link below to see a copy of the press release for the event with program highlights. Please read to the end to find out what we are publishing on Saturday. ⬇️

Amish Roots Conference: Breaking the Eighth-Grade Barrier - Amish Descendant Scholarship Fund 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 today I decided....

Our 2026-2027 scholarship application deadline is July 10, 2026 at 11:59 PM. If you already applied, we look forward to reviewing your application. For anyone still intending to apply, you must submit your application by July 10th.

The link below will take you directly to our application. More scholarship info can be found at amishscholarship.com/

docs.google.com

The registration deadline for our "Plain Roots" conference in Middlebury, IN is June 15. Do not miss out on this wonderful opportunity to hear first-hand accounts of the unique journeys which former Amish and Plain Anabaptist individuals navigate in pursuit of higher education and what life looks like in their chosen fields after graduation.

You can use the link below to register. ⬇️

Everyone is welcome! We look forward to enjoying a weekend of connection and fellowship with you.

Plain Roots: Community, Story, and Support for Higher Education Join us in person to connect, share stories, and support each other in the journey of higher education!

We are excited to announce that ADSF now has an official Instagram account.

Click the link below to follow us ⬇️

Your support is greatly appreciated by all of us here at ADSF. Every dream needs a team.

Amish Descendant Scholarship Fund (@adsf.amishscholarship) • Instagram photos and videos 3 Followers, 0 Following, 5 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Amish Descendant Scholarship Fund (.amishscholarship)

Check out the incredible origin story of ADSF.

You will hear directly from both founders on what inspired them to create the only national, non-profit scholarship organization dedicated to former Amish and Mennonite students.

Click below to read how they turned their personal struggles into a mission that is changing lives.

How the Amish Descendant Scholarship Fund was Founded - Amish Descendant Scholarship Fund 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 Un...

A dedicated blog post about our conference this summer! Very exciting stuff guys, take a look!

Plain Roots: Community, Story, and Support for Higher Education - Amish Descendant Scholarship Fund 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 ...

Updates on ADSF:
1. We're now an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit
2. We can take online donations
3. You can sign up to be notified by email when we post on the blog
4. We're planning a conference in Indiana in June, to which everyone is invited!

Read more about all of these on the blog!

Exciting New Developments at ADSF - Amish Descendant Scholarship Fund 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 A...

Read part 3 of Leon's story, on the blog now!

How an Amish Boy Became a Physicist, Part 3 - Amish Descendant Scholarship Fund 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 t...

Read about Leon Hostetler's journey into an intimidating academic discipline and impressive career from humble beginnings. Parts 1 and 2 are out on the blog now!

How an Amish Boy Became a Physicist, Part 1 - Amish Descendant Scholarship Fund 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 f...