Testimonial: Erin Simm
My first time working with Ashley was the day before school interviews, and with no former Trail Maids in my family, I had no clue what to expect for the interview and no one I could really ask questions about it. When we were working together, she told me things that I had never even thought to know that helped me more than she probably realized. Whenever I would get a question wrong, she would not only correct me in the absolute nicest way possible, but she would give me specific tips on what I could do next time that would be sure to stick with the judges. After letting her know I made it through school interviews as an alternate, Ashley made sure to tell me to eat lots of ice cream to celebrate and to be proud of myself even if it wasn’t my ideal outcome. During the month between school interviews and county, I met with Ashley on several occasions and even participated in her mock interview. The mock interview experience definitely helped soothe my nerves during interview day as I had grown familiar with being prepared for any question the judges could throw at me. With every lesson I spent with Ashley, I gained more and more confidence. The day of interviews, all thanks to Ashley, I was confident and cool as a cucumber. The Tuesday I got my letter congratulating me on being one of the 50 Trail Maids, I was absolutely ecstatic to let her know I was going to be sporting ruffles! I am so thankful for all Ashley did for me. I definitely wouldn’t be where I am now without her!
