Girl Scouts of Colorado received the following thank you from one of our members, Carmen, about how Girl Scouting changed her life:
My current position in life finds me in the service industry- somewhere with a lot of hard work and not a lot of thanks. It is therefore important for me to take the time to share with you my unparalleled gratitude for your organization. Girl Scouts of Colorado changed my life, and here is how:I joined Girl Scouts in 1st grade, at the age of 6. I had no idea it would take me on the whirlwind 15 year journey it became. Through scouting I was able to explore Colorado, learn about culture and heritage, travel to Washington DC (on cookie money) and many, many more things. I learned many valuable skills in my time in the troop and even earned my Gold Award my senior year of high school. A considerable amount of my thanks for GSCO, however, must be applied to Tomahawk Ranch, and the amazing Monica Gray, who remains a friend and a mentor to this day. To explain the impact of camp is impossible. Life as a girl, while in many ways incredible, tends to lead to some measure of self-doubt. We can argue whether or not this is our culture or the pressure of the hegemony, but in the end, for me, it was overcome… because of camp. Camp gave me the courage and discipline to go for what I wanted, to go on new adventures, and to put my friends, my family, my colleagues, before myself. And what an adventure it has been! I attended my dream school for college, was hired immediately by Disney, a dream for me for many years, and remained there for 3 years before being hired by a major sports team of my favorite sport. The field I am in is largely male dominated, and I strongly believe that GSCO is responsible for my glass ceiling shattering, and strong will.So thank you. Thanks to your staff and your troop moms, to your camp directors and your counselors, and to the incredible community of girls and women you have cultivated.I will be forever grateful.Warmest Regards,Carmen Van Wert PS- you have the most wonderful outreach manager ever, Ariel Kay also remains a role model to me today.
Thank you for sharing this with us, Carmen! We strive to change girls’ lives every day and are thrilled to hear when we’ve been successful.