Rachel's Letter

Recently our oldest daughter who is a Senior at a Christian school wrote a letter to her principal. This letter was written in response to a lot of comments she had been getting about what she will be doing after school. Needless to say we are very proud of her.

"I am writing to you concerning my decision about college. I appreciate your concern and desire to help in planning what will be best for my future. I want to explain what my plan is, why I have made the choices I have and how that involves you and the school.
Ultimately, my goal is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Whatever God calls me, or any Christian to do in their life, it always involves the glory of Him.
As you know, it is not my intention to go to college. This does not necessarily mean that I will not ever go to college, or that I am opposed to it either. I am considering taking a few courses that will help me with the things I am interested in (culinary science, the equestrian field, etc…) but I will not be pursuing a degree in any area. I know that this is an “unthinkable” decision for any student who “knows what’s good for them”. I hope that I can adequately explain my decision to you.
According to Scriptures such as Proverbs 31 and Titus 2, I know that God calls women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, workers at home, kind and submissive, reverent, modest and a hard-worker. Therefore, no matter what I am doing, where I am or who I am with, my goal and purpose is to fulfill these qualities. It is a daunting, challenging goal; yet full of excitement, purpose and fulfillment. Because I know women are called to be keepers of the home, I do not deem it necessary to go to college. What better place is there to learn everything I need to know about how to love a husband, raise children and manage a home than in a home itself?
After high school I will be practicing those skills needed to fulfill my mission. I will be able to “practice” in my own family, in our church and through being involved in the lives of others. All I want is to get married and help raise a family, glorifying God through the process.
I know this may seem old-fashioned. These are things which I believe are so radically different from what the majority of the world believes. I hope that this does not seem self-righteous in any way at all. It is not my desire to put down girls that do go to college or who work outside the home. Like I said, it is not necessarily a bad thing; it is just not the direction I am going to go.
Making a name for me or reaching the top of a corporate ladder is not important to me, nor should be the focus of godly women. Of course, my parents have a major impact on my world-view, but they are not keeping me “strictly secluded from the world,” contrary to popular opinion. Nor did they suggest I write this letter. They asked if I wanted to go to college and are willing to help send me, but we both agree that it will be best if I do not solely focus on getting a degree. I do not want anyone to think I’m being overprotected and need to be freed from this prison—it is a joy to fulfill my responsibilities as a young woman. It is a comforting state to live in.
Another common misconception about not going to college is the idea of laziness. It’s not that I just want to get out of school and be done with it. Graduating high school will be a very exciting thing, but ending with high school does not mean I’m just tired of school and don’t feel like college. While in school, I am pursuing excellence in every academic endeavor. My education does not and will not end when I graduate—whether or not I go to college.
This is just a short explanation of what I believe and why I believe it. I hope that you understand. I have already received much grief about the whole situation. So, I have a request. I request that you, along with the other faculty and staff at Westminster please respect my decision. You don’t have to agree with it, or support it—just respect it. But, I think that standing up for what I believe; even amidst all the adversity is more important in this situation.
Once again, I’m sorry for disappointing you and I hope you understand. I really appreciate all that you and the other faculty have done for me over the years. (This school) has been a great experience for me—I’ll never forget all that I have learned here or all the great memories."