Ashland teen’s dedication earns national recognition via American Heritage Girls troop

ASHLAND — Teagen Kime doesn’t just set goals, she achieves and surpasses them.

On July 2, Kime earned the Stars and Stripes Award, the highest honor that the American Heritage Girls (AHG) can present to its members. The 17-year-old is also the first in the Troop OH1151 to receive this award.

American Heritage Girls is a premier national character development organization for young women, ages 5 to 18. Thirty years ago, a group of parents who embraced Christian values and encouraged family involvement founded the organization, guiding their daughters to become women of integrity.

This award recognizes recipients who continue to embody the AHG Creed and Oath, while also fulfilling several additional requirements.

Recipients must earn the Abigail Adams Level Award, 13 stars and stripes award badges, hold a leadership position in their troop for at least six months, provide leadership with 100+ hours of service, write a spiritual walk essay and an AHG resume, receive at least three letters of reference, and pass a board of review.

Kime said she is thankful for all the volunteers who have sacrificed their time and talents to help her achieve this.

“To be recognized as a Stars and Stripes Award recipient, it means I have accomplished a long and arduous goal,” Kime said. “I set my mind to something and brought it to fruition, leading others and providing a blessing for the church that has done so much for us.

“I have done it all with the help of the Lord.”

Joining AHG at 8 years old, as a Tenderheart in 2015, Kime took a two-year hiatus during her Explorer years due to scheduling conflicts with dance. In the fall of 2019, she was able to return to the program, leaving her with a total of eight years.

Serving her troop and community

For her service project, Kime dedicated nearly 200 hours to improving Grace Fellowship Church’s Prayer Trail. She led volunteers in expanding the trail, building six new benches, and planting a prayer garden decorated with painted rocks.

Kime also served as a Girl Shepherd along with their Troop Shepherd, Karen Schill, for the past two years.

In her eight years with the troop, she logged 373 hours serving her community. This led to her earning 49 badges in six frontiers and leading the execution of their troops’ events and outdoor activities.

Her time under Schill helped her to grow in ministry, she said.

A member of the Berean Baptist Church Troop OH1151, Kime is part of the 2025-2026 class of girls to earn the Stars and Stripes Award, nationally.

On July 16, AHG honored her at its 30th Anniversary Convention during the Stars and Stripes Award Recognition Banquet. Founder, Patti Garibay, and Rachael Culpepper, AHG’s new executive director, presented her with the award.

On Sunday, Aug. 3, Grace Fellowship Church hosted a Court of Honor Ceremony recognizing Kime, along with a formal dedication of the prayer trail.

Kime also belongs to Trinity Lutheran Church in Ashland and the Ashland Regional Ballet. She will be entering her senior year with the Classical Conversions Homeschool Program.

Building friendship and faith for the future

She said the experience in leadership she has gained through the Stars and Stripes project will continue to serve her well into the future.

“This project helped me to practice and become more comfortable with vision-casting, instructing and leading a group of volunteers,” Kime said.

This experience, she said, allowed her to grow closer to God and make some of the best friends she has ever known.

“We have a lot of fun together with meetings, outdoor adventures, monthly events and service opportunities,” Kime said.

(Pictures of Teagen Kime throughout her time with American Heritage Girls. Picture credit: Laura Kime)