Hello! My name is Emily VanderBent. I’m a midwest girl, born and raised in a little town south of Chicago. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in History (specializing in European History and Museum Studies) from Huntington University and am in the process of looking into graduate school for either History or Museum Studies. In the meantime, I am working freelance jobs as a writer, content creator, and website/graphic designer.
As a multi-passionate creative, you can often find me reading, writing, designing, and passing the time doing a plethora of other activities to spark and channel my creativity. I am currently in the process of finishing and editing the first book in a Young Adult series I am writing, so much of my creativity lately has gone into fine tuning that project. I’m an unapologetic Harry Potter fan. More often than not Harry Potter, Timeless, or One Tree Hill are running in the background when I’m at home.
The common thread that runs through all of my passions is story. I’m fascinated by the power of words and raw vulnerability in storytelling. I want to spend my life telling stories, specifically of women in history whose stories have gone untold and unknown. At the same time, I want to empower women to own their own stories and write a narrative for their life they can be proud of. I’m not entirely sure what all this will look like yet, but whether it’s in the form of a museum curator, author, entrepreneur, or some other opportunity that will present itself, I’m excited to find out.
Having to pick a favorite museum is like having to pick a favorite book, but if I had to choose, I would say either Ford’s Theatre or Mount Vernon. There is something uniquely beautiful in learning history right where it happened. It brings the past to life in an almost tangible way that makes the experience that much more meaningful.
Girls today face many issues, but I think one of the most pressing issues is the mixed messages women receive and the dichotomy between speech and action. It seems there is a subtext to everything we are told. Be yourself…as long as doing so doesn’t break convention. Dream big…but within the confines of a male dominated reality. As women, we spend our whole lives walking the line between what we want and what is expected of us, careful not to teeter too far in one direction or the other. I want women to be able to be themselves and pursue their passions outside of the box they’ve been told to grow in.
-Emily VanderBent
Junior Girl
Girl Museum Inc.