When Megan G. first stepped into a Troop 355 Newton meeting in the 10th grade, she was one of only three girls in the room. Nervous and admittedly timid, she was following in her brother’s footsteps but uncertain of her own. Today, Megan stands as an Eagle Scout and a robotics engineering student at Purdue University—a transformation fueled by mountain peaks, productive failures, and the relentless pursuit of self-advocacy.

Finding Her Footing

Megan’s Scouting journey didn’t start with grand ambitions of the Eagle rank; it started with the simple joy of a Reading merit badge and the inspiration of a peer. She watched her friend, Brianna M., successfully navigate summer camp and earn an astounding 14 merit badges in a single week.

“She was a good role model to see succeed,” Megan recalls. That inspiration helped Megan transition from a quiet observer to a leader who understood that growth requires stepping into the unknown. This shift was put to the ultimate test during a troop meeting where a shortage of leaders forced Megan, as Senior Patrol Leader (SPL), to delegate on the fly and teach stations herself. It was her first real taste of the “productive failure” that Scouting uses to forge leaders.

The Trials of the Trail

Megan at Shaffer’s Peak during sunrise

If leadership was the mental hurdle, Philmont Scout Ranch provided the physical one. Standing at 5’2″, Megan faced treks that would intimidate seasoned hikers. She remembers the grueling climb over Trail Peak—a path most crews detour to see, placing their packs at the bottom, hiking and coming back down all to see a 1940s plane crash. Megan’s crew went straight up and over.

However, the hardships were balanced by humor and breathtaking beauty. “We ended up finding everything Funny,” she laughs, recalling a moment when a friend fell out of a camping chair, or when her height became a unit of measurement: “You’re one Megan off the ground!” during a spar climbing activity the crew began encouraging a scout afraid of heights (a nod to her 5’2″ stature). The reward for the climb was a sunrise breakfast at Shaffer’s Peak —a moment of serenity that remains her most beautiful Scouting memory.

The Eagle Project: A Welcoming Transformation

Megan’s Eagle Scout project was a labor of love for her charter organization and church. The project was two-fold:

The “after” picture of the welcoming room that church-goers through the handicap entrance use

A More Welcoming Room: Transforming a small, drab space between the handicap entrance and the elevator by cleaning carpets, patching walls, painting, and building a custom bench.

Painting the Nativity Figures during the project work day.

The Nativity Restoration: Color-matching and repainting the church’s life-sized nativity creche—a project that hit home since her troop handles the figures every year.

Even a rainy project day and getting locked out of the church couldn’t stop her. “It was rewarding to see the immediate difference in the space,” Megan says, recalling the moment she finished the final carpet cleaning at 10:00 PM on a Friday.

Reflection & The “Eagle Slump”

Megan is candid about the “Eagle Slump” that hit her at the end of 11th grade. Balancing five AP classes, sports, and college applications made the finish line feel miles away. Her secret? Self-advocacy.

“It’s all about self-advocacy,” Megan advises. “You need to make sure you’re on the path you want to be on and hold yourself accountable.”

Engineering the Future

Today, Megan is an Engineering Major at Purdue University focusing on robotics. She’s already applying her Scouting skills in the lab—keeping her peers on task and knowing exactly when to lead and when to delegate.

If she had to describe her journey in three words, she chooses a Philmont tradition: “Roses, Buds, Thorns.”

• Roses: The great memories and friendships.
• Buds: The constant learning and improvement.
• Thorns: The rainy campouts and moments when motivation dipped.

As she prepares to head back to Philmont this summer, Megan has one final message for anyone on the fence about joining: “Give it a try. Even for a little bit… I couldn’t imagine what I would have done instead.”

Celia’s Scouting journey began on the brink of history. Her first meeting was March 5, 2020, just days before the world shifted to virtual life. While others might have faltered, Celia grew with the program, transitioning from “tagging along” with her brother’s Cub Scout Pack to carving out her own legacy as one of the first female Eagle Scouts many have ever met.

A Natural in the Water

Celia K. First Female Eagle Scout Camp Norse Staff 10th of August, 2025

It is only fitting that Celia’s first merit badge was Swimming. A competitive swimmer by nature, this badge served as the gateway to Lifesaving and her current role as a lifeguard at Camp Norse. For Celia, the waterfront isn’t just a place of work; it’s the most beautiful place Scouting has taken her. Over the years she’s fully embraced the challenge of the water, even completing the mile swim three times!

Picture (left): Celia K. holding a plaque the Aquatics Director Travis H. gifted her for being the First Female Eagle Scout on Camp Norse Staff. Plaque reads: 

Turning “Productive Failure” into Success

Every Scout has a story of a rainy campout, but Celia’s most memorable challenge was a literal test of survival. During her Wilderness Survival merit badge, she found herself as one of the only girls in the session without female coverage, requiring her to build her shelter near her own campsite.

“I was one of the only girls in the course and didn’t have female coverage at the wilderness survival site, so I had to build my shelter near my own campsite,” she recalls. “It wasn’t ideal since I was separated from the group, and I had to make do with what I had. I just tried my best and pushed through.”

The Eagle Project: Honoring the Fallen

Celia K. placing a flag on a veteran’s grave during Memorial Day.

Celia’s Eagle Project was born from a community need she spotted at Union Cemetery in Holbrook. Many graves were missing markers, making it difficult for families to locate their loved ones. Inspired by her mother’s service in the Army, Celia organized a massive effort to map and mark the cemetery.

The “headache” of the project? Realizing she couldn’t do it alone. “I had to learn it’s not a one-person show and ask the right adults for help,” she says. Much of that guidance came from her Eagle coach, Mr. Santorelli, who helped her navigate the process. On project day, Celia managed a large group of Scouting and non-Scouting friends by delegating teams to specific sections of the vast cemetery.

The Rewarding Moment: “We were working on project day and I was actually able to help a family find their loved one’s marker right then and there. That was the exact second I realized, ‘We actually did this.'”

Advice for the Next Generation

From left to right: Celia K, Samantha K, and Acadia M.

Celia points to Acadia M. and Samantha K., also from Troop 22 Whitman, as Scouts she looked up to in her early days, helping inspire her as she began working through the ranks. When the Eagle slump hit during her later years in Scouting, the Camp Norse staff encouraged her to stay involved and helped her push across the finish line.

If she could talk to her 12-year-old self, her advice would be simple: “Start early, enjoy the journey, and know that you can become part of the nest.”
As one of the first female Eagle Scouts many people meet, Celia takes the responsibility seriously.  

To her, “Once an Eagle, always an Eagle” means living by the Scouting ideals every day. Her Scouting journey has carried her to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, where she wears a ribbon daily to symbolize who she is as an Eagle Scout and the values she strives to live by. And if she had to sum up the whole experience in three words? “Buddy up, please!”

A Conversation with Molly F., Troop 1792 Duxbury

For Molly F., the path to Eagle hasn’t been a straight line—it’s been a rollercoaster. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we sat down with Molly to discuss how Scouting transformed her from an energetic recruit into a mature leader, Chaplain’s Aide, and a community-minded innovator.

From Energy to Influence

Looking back at her first meeting, Molly admits she was a different person. “I was very energetic,” she laughs. Today, she stands as a pillar of maturity and leadership in Troop 1792. That growth was fostered by mentors like Adam M. (Troop 64 Plymouth) and Alyssa B. (Troop 424 Marshfield), who showed her what a “cool,” experienced Scout looked like.

Her journey began at the Casoni Museum, earning the Scouting Heritage merit badge while decorating for Christmas—a moment she remembers fondly as more than just a “box to check,” but a genuine connection to the movement’s history.

Resilience in the Rain and on the Ice

Scouting is often about “productive failure.” For Molly, that meant mastering the “pop-up tent” during relentless rainstorms and learning to pivot so the fun never stopped. Physically, she pushed her limits at Base Camp in Milton, tackling her fear of heights while ice climbing —a challenge she lists as her hardest to date.

The Eagle Project: Backpacks for Discovery

Molly’s Eagle Project was born from a late-night spark of inspiration: Library Backpacks. These kits, filled with materials to encourage children to explore the outdoors, are available for free checkout. These are available at Plymouth, Pembroke, and Duxbury Public Libraries.

The process wasn’t without its “headaches.” Fundraising required Molly to cold-call organizations and companies, a task made easier by the support of local partners like Tiny and Sons Glass Company. On project day, Molly’s leadership skills were put to the test as she managed her peers by strategically separating “best friend groups” into smaller, focused teams to keep the momentum going.

“The most rewarding moment was testing the project with my brother’s Cub Scout Pack and seeing it actually work,” Molly shares.

Beyond the Badge

Molly’s Scouting skills have already bled into her “civilian” life. During a recent trip to a market in New York, she jumped into action to help a family whose child had a severe bloody nose. “I use First Aid all the time,” she says.

As she steps into a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster role with Troop 143 Pembroke, Molly’s advice to her 11-year-old self is simple: “You will do it. Enjoy the things you are doing in the moment. Don’t worry about the future.”

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