Originally Posted by
Cicada
Have had the pleasure of mentoring a young Amish man from Indiana who decided he wanted to be a pilot. He was educated to the eighth grade level, customary in Amish order and became a carpenter. As he obtained his ratings, we were under the assumption he needed a HS diploma or GED for the ATP. He did study hard and obtained a GED.
He is a very hard worker, super contentious and polite. The next step was to get to an AA wholly owned, to get the flow as we were not sure how long it would take to get the college degree. He has decided to get that degree. He is presently at one of the wholly owned, PSA, progressing very well. He recently told me his mother apologized for taking him out of school, as she realized it was a huge obstacle for him to later overcome. But it was simply how life was conducted in his order of religion.
So, obstacles can be overcome if one puts time and effort in.
I think he also has some advantages, compared to his typical "English" age group peers. Serious worth ethic, polite, respectable, and personable would be a given for someone from that background. No screen time cripples in that community.
I knew a guy who grew up poor in a very very remote mountain village in a country very far away. As a teenager he got interested in aviation when a military helo visited his village. Only aircraft he had ever seen. First time he flew was on the trip to the US, he's a regional CA now and I'm sure will get on with a major soon enough.