Emma St. Clair is a compelling testament to the benefits of continuing one’s Girl Scout journey all the way through the Ambassador level. Ambassador level Girl Scouts are Juniors and Seniors in high school. Emma was a Girl Scout in Ankeny, IA starting in second grade and continued until she graduated from Ankeny High School in 2018. At that time, she and the other two girls in her troop used money from their troop funds to purchase Girl Scout Lifetime Memberships for all three of them to stay connected to each other and to Girl Scouts. The plan worked – Emma and her troop mate and friend Alyssa are roommates in Eugene, OR where Emma is currently a community service worker for Lane County, OR.
Emma and the other Girl Scouts in her troop were passionate about public service and were able to put money from their Girl Scout Cookie sales toward community service projects like donating supplies to the Animal Rescue League (ARL) in Des Moines, where they also volunteered. Looking back, she says staying in Girl Scouts during the later years allowed her to really explore things she was interested in more deeply. One of her favorite badges to earn was the Car Care badge where they learned all about car maintenance. She still uses the knowledge from this and the First-Aid badge. Oh, and she still cross-stiches, too, which was a skill she learned in Girl Scouts.
As a Senior in high school, Emma was involved in band, marching band, and theater. Her advice to fellow Girl Scouts – stick with it! She said even though she was busy, their troop was able to work around the other activities and continued to benefit from Girl Scouts as they got older. Two of the important skills she learned during her later Girl Scout years were communication and motivation. She was able to overcome her fear of putting herself out there and was able to connect with other people. She said putting in the work is worth it and that is where the motivation comes in.
Emma graduated from Texas Christian University with a B.A. in Social Work in 2021. With her Lifetime Girl Scout membership, she continues to stay connected to Girl Scouts and she hopes to maintain this connection in different ways. Giving back is very important to her – and as she says, “it is always a nice thing to do.” We know our donors understand the importance of support in all the ways – time, talent, and treasure. Emma St. Clair is a shining example of the power of Girl Scout experiences donors like you help provide!
