Meeting President Bill Clinton as an ALA Girls Nation senator from Arkansas was one of several memories that stand out to Adriana Unger Stacey about attending ALA Girls Nation. In addition to this experience, she credits the program for giving her confidence and lifelong friends.
 
Dr. Unger Stacey attended ALA Arkansas Girls State and ALA Girls Nation in 1995. She is a board-certified psychiatrist who works largely with children, teens, and college students in a community practice in Fayetteville, Ark. She also teaches high school classes and is the medical adviser for two national nonprofit organizations — ScreenStrong and Phone Free Schools Movement. 
 
What impact did ALA Girls State/Nation have on your life?
Attending ALA Girls State/Nation allowed me to have more confidence in myself as a young woman. I met so many amazing women and have made lifelong friendships with strong, confident women.
 
For a 17-year-old from a small town in Arkansas, to get to go to Washington, D.C. and meet amazing young women from all over the U.S. was an experience that was second to none. I learned confidence and leadership from the program and from the other participants.
 
What is your favorite memory of the state and national programs?
I have so many amazing memories of my time at ALA Girls Nation. We got to “take over the White House” for a day. Bill Clinton was president at the time — and I was one of the senators from Arkansas — so that was so fun. Hilariously, the one thing I forgot to pack were my nice shoes, so I had on Converse All-Stars when I went to meet the president. Also, we sang as a group for an intro for Good Morning America. 
 
Are you still connected with anyone from the programs?
I still keep in touch with four women I met at ALA Girls Nation. I feel like this is a big feat given that we did not have cell phones or social media. We used to write each other letters and schedule phone calls.
 
I met Stephanie Olson Sullivan, one of the senators from Wyoming. We hit it off immediately. As our friendship grew, Stephanie became such a great friend to me, and she is even the godmother of my oldest child. We have seen each other through college years, challenging relationships, standing up at each other’s weddings, job changes, losing parents, and many other life milestones and challenges.