Emma Darling Cushman was a hero to many abandoned children during the Armenian Genocide. In 1915, Ottoman soldiers started killing innocent Armenians, and many Armenian families were being separated. Emma hid Armenian children in the basements and attics of people who wanted to help, and once all of her hiding spots were filled she transformed the hospital where she worked into an orphanage. 

Emma showed humility and put helping people who were in a worse situation ahead of her own needs. She showed perseverance because even when she couldn’t find any more places to hide children she turned her hospital into an orphanage. She helped save kids and reunited families even though it was hard for her both physically and mentally. We admire how she was able to do this during a time period when many women did not even go to college. Lastly, Emma showed valor as she did all of this during a genocide and risked her life every day to save these children. 

For our project, we used a wooden frame and placed a light bulb in the middle that illuminates photos of Emma’s story. We did this to represent how she was a light in the darkness for the children she saved. We learned from this project how some people will make it their purpose in life to help others, which teaches us the importance of putting others’ needs in front of your own when they need it most. There are lots of situations in the world where children need someone like Emma Darling Cushman to help them. We can all learn from her story the power of doing good for others instead of being selfish.