Maryville College senior Betty Asha ’23 tapped for Forge Mentorship Academy membership

Oct. 12, 2022

Few students have embraced the Maryville College motto to “do good on the largest possible scale” as enthusiastically as Betty Asha ’23. A double major in Political Science and International Business, Asha was fulfilling Maryville College tenets before she arrived.

Despite being tortured and exiled from her village in South Sudan for refusing to marry at 13, Asha helped more than 2,000 of her countrymen and women to escape the tumults of the South Sudanese Civil War. In the spring of 2020, while a Maryville College student, Asha raised money to ship approximately 7.5 metric tons of food to these same refugees.

In August, Asha was accepted into the 2022-23 Forge Mentorship Academy, a year-long, hybrid program dedicated to “creating the next generation of conservative leaders,” according to the Mentorship Academy’s website. As a supplement to her senior studies at Maryville College, Asha will be able to take advantage of a range of national and international opportunities.

Forge Mentorship Academy is split between two major, in-person events: Forge D.C. and Forge Israel. The former is a five-day exploration of “the political process from 360 degrees” in the U.S. capital. Opportunities to interview, shadow and study from D.C. staff including Congresspeople, PAC members, and journalists are provided. Evening roundtables, dinners and tours complete the Forge D.C. experience.

Hosted by the travel organization Passages, Forge Israel is a 10-day, faith-based exploration of geopolitics and global security. Facilitated discussions with a variety of religious, military and government officials are designed to promote cultural exchange and personal and political growth, all during an international visit to Israel.

The Mentorship Academy is offered via the Forge Leadership Network, a conservative organization dedicated to providing Judeo-Christian-centered, leadership-building experiences. Notable alumni include Landon Farmer, a legal assistant for the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), and Jena Powell, the state representative for Ohio’s 80th District. 

State legislative internships

Her acceptance into the Forge program is the latest in Asha’s exploration of U.S. government and politics.

Last Spring, she completed her internship for Memphis Sen. Raumesh Akbari under the Tennessee Senate Internship Program in Nashville. In April, the Tennessee State Senate honored her dedication and accomplishments with Resolution No. 152 and two standing ovations.

Her work as a senatorial intern earned her the attention of Tennessee’s Gov. Bill Lee, who petitioned for her to continue her internship into the summer months with his office in the state capitol.

As an intern to the governor, Asha managed scheduling, contacts, documents and team meetings. She attended meetings with and for Lee as his representative, leading the governor to nominate her for the National Forge Leadership Summit. After completing the Summit in August, Asha received an invitation from the Mentorship Academy to continue her experiential learning.

Steve Hillis, president of the American Support for Humanitarian African Children’s (ASHA) Foundation and friend of Asha’s U.S. sponsor, Chris Hurley, was unsurprised by the invite.

“She’s an incredible young woman,” said Hillis. “And this is quite an honor.”

A desire to lead

Hillis, and other friends and colleagues of Asha, founded the ASHA charity to support the namesake’s goal toward “a new normal.” The organization’s mission statement comes from Asha’s personal conviction to empower young children, particularly young girls, in Africa with the support and opportunities previously unavailable to her.

“Being accepted into the Forge Mentorship Academy is such an honor,” said Asha. “I have a dream to create a community where women will be appreciated and respected as equals. I want to be a voice for the voiceless women in my county South Sudan. This dream requires a lot of training in leadership skills, and Forge Leadership Network provides incredible leadership training to up-and-coming leaders. I’m beyond blessed to be a part of it.”

More information on Asha and her past and current endeavors can be found on her website, including international press coverage of her work in South Sudan.   

Maryville College is a nationally-ranked institution of higher learning and one of America’s oldest colleges. For more than 200 years we’ve educated students to be giving citizens and gifted leaders, to study everything, so that they are prepared for anything — to address any problem, engage with any audience and launch successful careers right away. Located in Maryville, Tennessee, between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the city of Knoxville, Maryville College offers nearly 1,200  students from around the world both the beauty of a rural setting and the advantages of an urban center, as well as more than 60 majors, seven pre-professional programs and career preparation from their first day on campus to their last. Today, our 10,000 alumni are living life strong of mind and brave of heart and are prepared, in the words of our Presbyterian founder, to “do good on the largest possible scale.”