Girl Scouts has changed my life in many ways. I started as a Brownie in First Grade now I am a freshman in college and a lifetime member of Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts has helped me become the person I am today through troop meetings, community service, camp, and many other opportunities.

For my first troop, I was in from first to 3rd grade. We had a lot of fun starting our girl scout experience with lots of trips to local places such as Build-A-Bear and fun crafts. I still have my bear (I made it in first grade and it’s on my bed in college now) and the blankets that we had to tie around the edges. While I may not talk to many of you that often anymore, thank you.

For my second troop, from 4th grade through senior year, we went through alot together. From trips to cooking school at Tops, Lasertron, Paradise Island, Mt Morris Dam, and many more to cookie booth sales to decorating trees to writing letters to soldiers and reading to younger kids to sleepovers to many other activities, thank you for all the fun memories and laughs. To Liz, Bre, Jessi, Marguarite, and Molly, we have spent 7 years together with all 6 of us in the troop and it was a super fun time especially our trip to Niagara Climbing Center. Mrs. Crinzi, thank you for being our leader and giving us these experiences.

Girl Scouts gave me the chance to give back to my community whether it was helping with a community garden or singing at holidays at the nursing homes or helping decorate trees in the village for Christmas. It also gave me the chance to read books to younger children for my Bronze project, write letters to soldiers in Afghanistan for my Silver project, and helping teach middle school students about finance for my Gold project.

Girl Scout camp has given me opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise. It gave me the chance to build my confidence by performing on the drama stage, to build my courage when I continued even when I was scared on the ropes course, and to build my character by having counselors to look up to as role models and now, as a counselor myself, being a leader.

If it weren’t for girl scouts, I never would have been comfortable enough to talk in front of 300 people, many of whom were adults. I can say I have done it twice due to Girl Scouts Women of Distinction dinner.