From Virtual Meetings to the “Eagle’s Nest”

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

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’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

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!”