Five years post graduation Erica Andrews lives on an 85-acre farmstead creamery in the hills of Meigs county, Ohio. She spends her time writing articles for magazines, midwifing families through pregnancy and childbirth, and raising her five children.
Andrews graduated with her B.A. in Anthropology from the College of Arts and Sciences at Ohio University in 2012.
She is preparing to take a certifying exam to become a Certified Professional Midwife and has recently begun to learn the art of counseling. So life is busy for her!
“What I love most about my career path is facilitating a Rite of Passage that has seemingly been forgotten in our dominant culture,” Andrews says. “It is beautiful to be at the intersection of anthropology and midwifery. I also have been welcomed into the Amish communities of surrounding counties and being submerged in another culture that intersects with my own is a fascinating aspect of my job.”
The biggest challenge that has helped to shape her path has been obtaining education while raising children. Andrews comments that it still seems to be expected that one is fully educated before beginning a family and it is not easy for parents to move through higher education while also raising their children.
No regrets, though!
“Each child has led me like a compass to my now and I am grateful for their presence in my life and the directions they have led me,” she says.
“So while they were made a challenge by our surrounding societal expectations, the challenge of moving forward and building a life while simultaneously raising children has been a powerful catalyst and in some way that negates the notion of a challenge in the first place.”
Erica Andrews with three of her children Forest; 12, Vera; 6, Cian; 4, and Silas (now 15 months) outside of Seigfred Hall and the Arthur Eldridge mural, Ohio University, May 2016.
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