WI: Samantha Smith Lives

As you may or may not know, Samantha Smith is known for being the United States' child ambassador to the Soviet Union amid fears of nuclear war. Unfortunately, she died in the crash of Bar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808 at the age of 13.

What if the flight had gone without a hitch and Samantha Smith lives longer?
 
We covered it in this ISOT - https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=284528&highlight=1983+1783 - and I learned some things I'd forgotten about or maybe even never knew.

She was being stalked by someone at that time while she was doing that news show she did. It's even possible she dies though it's more likely she escapes. We have her escaping and it bringing to light the dangers of stalking, more talk about safe dating, etc. (though it wasn't a boyfriend or anything.)

Otherwise, she becomes a role model for young girls, probably doing a few TV shows as herself - I wrote up a summary of a "Full House" episode in which she appears and tells Stephanie not to worry because at STeph's age she was doing amazing thigns just like Steph was trying to accomplish something, but she had the same troubles any girl of that age would. That would be a common theme, I'm sure. (Stephanie, now reassured, even feels like taking abreak from that pressure to help Michelle with pronouncing and those silent -e words, while Kimmy confuses Polish with polish in a weird way only Kimmy could do.)

After that, it's hard to say; we kind of leave her with probably a career in journalism, but she was young enough any of a variety of things would be open to her. I can see her doing a number of different careers, depending on what sparks her interest.
 
Samantha Smith lives in Dirty Laundry; she was in the midst of shooting a TV show called Lime Street that is (very) loosely based on a Lloyd's of London insurance investigator who starts solving crimes for some reason. A few episodes were shot with her in it, and reviews of Samantha's acting talents were positive.

The show was quickly cancelled when Smith died IOTL; to be honest, the show that made it was pretty bad -- kind of a Greatest American Hero knockoff without the magic suit (or Connie Selleca).

Smith could go the Jodie Foster route as a politically aware, cerebral actress.
 
See also the earlier thread with the identical title, last updated Jan 13.

And 'Samantha Smith: the Girl that went to the USSR' (or Soviet Union?)
 
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