Since earning her Eagle Scout badge five years ago, Ashley Chittum has been prepared for whatever adventures come her way.
That includes being the first in her family to go to college and, in her sophomore year at the University of South Carolina, studying abroad for a semester in Australia. Chittum, an Honors College nursing sophomore, is soaking in every minute of her time in the land down under, sharing an apartment with seven other students attending the University of Sydney.
“I don’t think I realized how much of an impact Scouting would have in my life until I went to college,” says Chittum, who arrived for her freshman year at USC in 2024. “So many of the values of Scouting and being an Eagle Scout — especially leadership — I’ve been able to put into practice in my sorority and fraternity.”
Chittum tried Girl Scouts at an early age but was far more interested in camping and learning survival skills than selling cookies. When Boy Scouts of America changed its charter in 2019 to become Scouting America, Chittum seized the opportunity and less than two years later joined the nation’s inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts. Her college survival skills were already fine-tuned.
“I really enjoy seeing new places and exploring everything that’s there,” Chittum says. “Just coming into a new place and having a fresh start — you meet so many people, especially that first semester. And academically, USC wasn’t too much of an adjustment because I’d taken AP and dual enrollment courses in high school.”
Before heading to Australia this semester, Chittum held a leadership role in a social sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, and was fraternity education officer for Epsilon Tau Pi, the service fraternity for Eagle Scouts. She plans to pursue a leadership role in the organization in the upcoming academic year.
“We are devoted to creating this brotherhood of Eagle Scouts and giving back to the community through our service,” she says, “whether that’s to the school community or the local Scouting movement.”
With her nursing clinical courses beginning in the fall, this semester was Chittum’s only opportunity to study overseas, and she’s grateful for the experience.
“College kind of has a safety net when it comes to developing your independence because you still have things like a dining hall to fall back on,” Chittum says. “Here in Australia, we’re exploring on our own, navigating public transport, and I’ve been cooking meals three times a day.”
Life as an Honors College student has had its perks, including smaller classes, the Honors Residence and more rigorous coursework, she says. “The Honors College has had a huge impact on my time at USC. I found all of my closest friends on my hall freshman year.”
Chittum’s adventures will continue in the fall when she becomes a resident advisor at 650 Lincoln residence hall and advances to upper-division courses in the College of Nursing. She feels prepared for wherever life takes her after graduation in 2028.
“I want to do travel nursing,” she says, “so that I can explore all over the United States while still helping people.”