Lifetime Girl Scout Shares Her Experiences
Meet Waveland Rushton, a Lifetime Girl Scout with a B.S. in Engineering Technology, who is currently working toward a M.S. in Operations and Supply Management. Waveland is committed to our mission of building courage, confidence, and character. She would like to share some experiences on how Girl Scouts has helped her grow into the outstanding individual that she is today.
How did your experience as a Girl Scout shape your personal growth and values over the years?
“My experience as a Girl Scout has shaped my personal growth and values over the years by providing me with strong ethics, morals, and great leaders. I have grown to learn the value of community and giving back, self-worth, friendship, and perseverance. I have become more worldly and independent from traveling to various countries and experiencing their cultures. Girl Scouts has helped provide me the confidence to explore and find out who I really want to be and how I can make a difference in this world.”
What skills or values did you gain from Girl Scouts that you continue to use in your daily life?
“Some skills that I have learned from Girl Scouts include money handling skills, entrepreneurship, communication skills, leadership skills, survival skills, professionalism, navigation skills, social skills. Some values that I have gained from Girl Scouts include friendship, teamwork, community engagement, ethics, and independence.”
Can you share a favorite memory or experience from your time in Girl Scouts that had a lasting impact on you?
“One of my favorite memories from my time in Girl Scouts would be selling cookies at cookie booths with my friends from my troop. We had so much fun, all while learning social skills, salesmanship skills and how to work with money. It is an unforgettable and rewarding experience to have those memories, build those skills, and get cool prizes for all the cookies you sell.”
How has the Girl Scout community supported or inspired you throughout your life?
“I have met so many good role models, leaders, and friends. These people have helped guide me through stages of leadership development, community involvement, adaptability with earning badges, grown my passion for being a lifelong learner and have left me with countless connections that will last a lifetime. With that being said, I am a Lifetime Girl Scout. This means I have committed to the Girl Scout mission of building courage, confidence, and character. This involves a lasting community, leadership, advocacy, service, personal growth, and ongoing support and engagement. I feel connected to likeminded individuals, carry lessons from Girl Scouts into my career, and embrace challenges and self-improvement. Lifetime Girl Scouts support the next generation of Girl Scouts through volunteering, mentorship, and alum networks and that is what I intend to do as well.”
What are some of the most memorable experiences or moments from your time as a Girl Scout?
“The most memorable experiences from my time as a Girl Scout would 100% be going to camps. Every summer and occasionally with my troop, I would go to as many Girl Scout camps as I could. I did the typical day camps as well as the overnight horse camps, traveling camps, skills camps, survival camps, and so much more. I left every trip with more friends, more knowledge, appreciation, and fun memories.”
Why do you think it’s important for girls to stay in Girl Scouts, especially through high school?
“Girl Scouts offers leadership opportunities, personal development, and practical skills that can help girls for their entire lives, so it is extremely useful for girls to stay in the organization through high school. Being in Girl Scouts also provides plenty of opportunities to apply for scholarships, grants, and more to help pay for school, travel, volunteerism and more. It looks great on a college application as it shows involvement. It is also an inclusive community and a wonderful way to make friends/connections.”
What would you say to younger Girl Scouts who are thinking about leaving the program but might not realize the long-term benefits?
“Girl Scouts is not just about earning badges; but is about developing leadership skills, self-assurance, and life lessons. These experiences can shape your identity, enabling new experiences, learning how to work with others, and improving the community. Even if it is not obvious, the knowledge and connections we gain can lead to unexpected opportunities.”
Looking back, what advice would you give to younger Girl Scouts about making the most of their time in the organization?
“Go to camps, day camps and overnight night camps. They are so much fun, give you the opportunity to make new friends outside of your troop, and help you to learn and make many memories. Also, use the resources that Girl Scouts has available like annual events, grants and scholarships, the website and talk to your local Girl Scout Council to get information on how you can get more involved.”
How did the skills you learned in Girl Scouts influence your career or personal life?
“I would say that through many fun educational journeys, and with learning problem solving and strategy skills in Girl Scouts, I have taken in learning through a hands-on approach and the experiences have helped shaped me to learn and think in the engineering fashion that I do today. This has helped me reach all of the success I have today and helped create that drive for me to keep going and better myself, whether in a personal sense or in a professional sense.”
Thank you for telling us about your Girl Scout experiences, Waveland!
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