Being a Girl Scout goes far beyond selling cookies

The 2018 Girl Scout cookie season reached its peak in February, when multiple Girl Scouts could be seen lugging bags full of Thin Mints, Samoas and countless other cookies around campus.

And while the Girl Scouts organization is perhaps best known for its annual six- to eight-week cookie sale, the sale is only a part of what it means to be a Girl Scout.

“People always associate us with the sale of cookies, but we do so much more than that,” junior Casey Holt said. “When we were younger and had more free time, we did a lot of community service and earning badges. Now, we are earning our Gold Awards, which take 80 hours of volunteer service.”

In pursuing their Gold Awards, Troop 61257 members sophomores Prisha Samdarshi, Sharan Bal, Sanya Kwatra and Armina Mayya have repainted a Saratoga community preschool mural that had fallen into disrepair.

“Giving back to a community you’ve grown up in is pretty cool,” Kwatra said. “Especially since I get to do it with my [troop] members.”

In addition to her work with the preschool, Samdarshi will be running a financial literacy program for elementary school students at the Sacred Heart School. She is in the process of creating a curriculum and book about money management.

“One of the main purposes of Girl Scout product sales is to learn about managing money, and since most of what I’ve learned about financial literacy is through Girl Scouts, I’ve been able to apply it in my Gold Award,” Samdarshi said.

Holt, who has now completed her Gold Award, ran a book drive at two local elementary schools and Redwood Middle School. She used the donations to create a lending library for a community center in San Jose. Every month, Holt reads to the children at the center and has them do a craft that encourages reading. For the month of April, Holt had the children make a model of the water cycle and weave a rainbow.

“I remember finding it very difficult to read when I was young, and since these kids’ first language is Spanish, it’s a little harder for them,” Holt said. “By allowing them to check out books from their new library, I’m hoping to get them interested in reading so they’ll be able to improve their literacy in English.”

As for the cookie sale itself, Girl Scouts sell cookies to learn the entrepreneurial and leadership skills essential for life, all in an effort to empower young girls.

A part of the money from the cookie sales goes to the Girl Scouts organization, and a part goes to the troops themselves. The troops can use their money for fun and educational activities, such as community projects and camping trips.

“Being a Girl Scout means helping others when they need help,” junior Alexandra Propach said. “It’s being a part of the community, and giving back whenever you can.”