It’s not every day that a student gets an excused absence to attend the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. But that’s exactly what happened to Illinois State University sophomore special education major Maddie Rowan this semester.
In the summer of 2022, Rowan attended Girls State, a government-focused summer camp in Saint Charles, Missouri, organized by the American Legion Auxiliary that promotes civic engagement among teenage girls. Rowan has always been interested and involved in politics, especially because of her identity as a queer woman from a small, suburban city in Missouri.
“(At Girls State), we build up government from the ground up,” Rowan said. “We have a Supreme Court that we build through an election process. We elect mayors, we elect city councilwomen. We literally set up a government. And the point is to encourage women in government.”
What Rowan didn’t realize at first was that this camp would become the focus of the now-Emmy Award-winning Apple TV+ documentary, Girls State.
“(The producers) interviewed a bunch of girls in Missouri,” Rowan said. “Then they came to my house with a full television crew—microphones, cameras, and all. I had the chance to talk about what it’s like to be gay in Missouri with my girlfriend.”
The documentary explores how American democracy might function if led by teenage girls. It follows young female leaders from diverse backgrounds as they engage in an immersive experiment to create a government from the ground up, which is why Rowan and her summer camp were central to the film.
“There’s a lot of internal pressure that all of us felt that we talked about throughout the film—the pressure that teenage girls specifically put on themselves,” Rowan said.
Rowan was one of the central “characters” that the producers followed and mic’d up during the documentary’s production.
“After a while, you get used to it,” Rowan said. “They put me on the mic at 6 a.m., and we’re not done debating until like 9 or 10 every night. It could get pretty intense.”
Rowan and her fellow cast members participated in various press tours for the documentary’s release, including a visit to the Sundance Film Festival. Most significantly, they received an invitation to the 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, September 8, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, because of the documentary’s multiple nominations.
“Being invited to the Emmys, there was definitely a shock factor. It still feels really surreal,” Rowan said.
She fondly recalls meeting the cast of Netflix’s Queer Eye as well as Abbey and David from Love on the Spectrum. She particularly enjoyed bumping into actor Glen Powell and encouraging him to stream Girls State when he returned home.
Sharing the Emmys experience with her cast members, who became friends, made it even more special and manageable for Rowan.
The award ceremony included walking the carpet, taking pictures with an Emmy award, a dessert bar, and lively after-parties.
“I never could have expected all of the amazing things that came with this experience and the friendships that I built,” Rowan said.
While this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Rowan, her true passion has always been in the field of special education.
“I wouldn’t change this experience for the world, but this is not what I love,” Rowan said. “I love working with kids. I know that my calling is special ed at the end of the day, and I care about advocacy for people with disabilities.”
The glitz, glamour, and excitement of the Emmys thrilled Rowan; however, she hopes the documentary will resonate more deeply with the audience, making a positive impact and inspiring them to vote and run for political office.
“What’s important to me about the film is getting women in positions of political power and encouraging civic engagement for teenage girls, because women are half of the world, and we should be in those positions,” Rowan said.
Girls State won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program and Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program. You can stream it on Apple TV+.
