Alumnae Spotlight

MEET EMMA SMITH & HANNAH WADE

Emma and Hannah are students at Covenant College, friends turned roommates, and AHG Alumnae.

When choosing your college roommate, there’s much to consider: study habits, sleep schedule, tidiness, etc. In fact, many schools poll their students on these lifestyle questions to help facilitate an ideal match. What these questionnaires don’t take into consideration, however, is shared life experience. Thanks to their shared AHG experience, Emma and Hannah bonded, became close friends, and now, college roommates!

Emma and Hannah both began their time at Covenant College in Stone Mountain, GA, in the same orientation group, a formative experience for any college freshman. As much as freshman orientation is about familiarizing oneself with the campus map and the dining hall menu schedule, it’s about finding new friends and discovering the plan God has in store for you in a new chapter. For Emma and Hannah, college life in a new state, away from friends and family, came with great opportunity to further grow into capable, responsible, and Godly women. Their initial meeting sparked by a feeling of familiarity, launched the question “Were you in AHG?”, and the rest, history. Emma and Hannah still aren’t sure if they ever met in their AHG days, but the feeling of a shared connection through AHG was a catalyst for the strong friendship they share today. Together, Emma and Hannah can reminisce on the shared experiences they had in the AHG Program, like camping, badge work, and Troop fun, despite being involved in different Troops in different states, Emma from OH3124 and Hannah from MO2005.

As busy college students, Emma and Hannah know a thing or two about working under pressure, but both women credit their aptitude to handle projects, leadership in the classroom, and ability to problem-solve to their time in the AHG Program. “AHG taught me how to overcome challenges, work on a tight deadline, be organized, manage others, lead events, and resolve conflict,” said Emma.

Learning important life skills that aren’t taught in traditional education settings, like sewing and outdoor survival, allow American Heritage Girls like Emma and Hannah to thrive as they enter adulthood. “AHG prepared me with practical skills that I use often. Most importantly, AHG prepared me with teaching, event planning, organization, research, teamwork, and communication skills. Most of these came from repeatedly planning badges and events with a group. I was able to practice taking initiative and recovering from plans going wrong in a safe environment, with lots of support. I still use the leadership, organizational, and public speaking skills I learned during AHG events. Even outside of earning Level Awards, planning and running events with friends was a fun way to learn some important skills schools don’t teach,” said Hannah.

In addition to learning how to lead with servants’ hearts, Emma and Hannah each came out of the AHG Program with a solid faith foundation. “I thought it was cool to apply faith to all the different activities we did [in AHG] and to see how much God was involved in everything,” said Emma. With Christ at the center of the AHG Program Emphases, every girl experience is rooted in discovering God at work in her life. From badge work to service projects, camping trips to award ceremonies, a girl’s experience in AHG never strays from the goal of shepherding her to discovering her identity in Christ.

Just like so many alumnae, Emma and Hannah both reflect on their time in AHG as a great space for growing true friendships. “In AHG, I learned how important it is to have a community of Christian peers. I remember several late night conversations about God’s purpose for our lives during camping trips and lock-ins,” said Hannah. Giving girls the gift of fellowship early on sets the foundation for a life lived in community with other believers.

Together, Emma and Hannah are carrying on the AHG Mission by being women of integrity. This spring, Emma and Hannah will graduate from Covenant College, Emma with a degree in Psychology, and Hannah with a degree in Sociology which includes a concentration in Family Studies and Social Work.