In 2019, young, eleven-year-old Lovina Schlabach and her family departed from their Amish roots to pursue a new life within the modern world.
“We left. My mom left with nine children in 2019. I had no idea we were leaving until the day of,” Schlabach said.
They left the Iowa countryside and set forth for Bismarck, North Dakota. There, they spent a short time in public schools where Schlabach was exposed to large classrooms, technology, and extracurricular activities.
“There was so much I didn’t know. There were so many words I didn’t know,” Schlabach said. “Amish kids, they’re not really taught English outside of the textbook. So just my English, I learned a lot, especially with, like, slang and stuff like that.”
After a short month in Bismarck, Schlabach and her family traveled to Montana to be reunited with their father. There, they transitioned to homeschooling but were further exposed to modern norms such as online devices.
“I had a phase where I was really addicted to electronics, and I would literally spend all day on them. I definitely regret that, because now I find my phone kind of boring.”
But after five years in Montana, her family moved again after her mother and father split. She was initially moved back to Iowa but soon returned to live in Bismarck with her older, independent-living sister.
“I’ve always kind of felt out of place there, but I like it a lot more here,” Schlabach adds, “there are a lot more people, and there are a lot more opportunities, and you get to meet a lot more people, and I’m just trying to soak up everything and make the most of it.”
Living with her sister, Schlabach has to take on larger responsibilities.
“I definitely feel financial stress, because I’m 18 now, and, like, I don’t live with my parents anymore, so I have to work, and I have to, like, do everything kind of on my own now, so I have to make my appointments and everything, and that’s kind of stressful,” Schlabach explained.
In other areas of Schlabach’s new lifestyle, she highlights large differences in family norms. Norms such as marrying and having children at a young age.
“My grandma had 19 children, and my mom had 15. I do not want that many kids.”
After leaving the Amish community and being overwhelmed with new opportunities, Schlabach is finding her place in the modern high school setting. This will be her first year attending a public high school, and she is enrolled as a senior. Schlabach plans to graduate in the spring and attend college next fall.
In the classroom, Schlabach finds her academics easier to accomplish compared to when she was in an Amish school. She gets less work, but dives deeper into specific studies.
Schlabach explains, “It’s like they (BHS teachers) know a lot more than my old teachers did.” I feel like they understand the subject they’re teaching more, and they know how to teach it better.”
“I don’t really think of myself as Amish anymore, so it’s kind of like I have a new life,” Schlabach said. “I’m a different person. I’m a new person.”
Although Schlabach has had hard adaptations to make, she is grateful for Bismarck High’s ability to make her feel welcomed.
“For me, personally, it’s not the easiest for me to make friends… but I’ve met a few really nice people at BHS, and I’ve definitely liked my time here.”
“Just keep going and keep pushing through because God doesn’t let someone go through a whole lot of hardships just for them to get nothing in the end.”