FRIENDS for life! Girl Scout Troop #85336, most of whom have been together since kindergarten, recently bridged to adults. They credit their strong bond to their many scouting experiences over the years (from left): Lucy Fisher, Mariela Giraldo, Nadia Serra, Sophia Melo, Ava DeWolfe and Troop Leader Cindy DeWolfe. (Courtesy Photo)
NORTH READING — In 2011, new friends joined together to form Girl Scout Troop #85336. Recently, Ava DeWolfe, Lucy Fisher, Mariela Giraldo, Sophia Melo and Nadia Serra bridged to adulthood.
Over the years, the girls have sold countless cookies, attended camps for activities and overnights, learned leadership, mentored younger troops, volunteered many hours to support their community, earned awards and badges, learned valuable life skills, and most importantly will remain old friends.
In addition to the many activities the girls have done over the years, they all earned their Silver Award in 2021 in which they sought to meet a community need to help rising sixth-graders in North Reading achieve a smooth transition to middle school by producing a video and distributing it to all the elementary schools in town. The Silver Award is the second highest award a Girl Scout can earn. They worked very hard and were extremely proud of this accomplishment.
Also, Lucy Fisher will be earning her Gold Award soon. The Gold Award is the highest and most prestigious award a Girl Scout can earn. Fisher’s project will help to raise recycling awareness in North Reading schools.
“It’s been a privilege and a joy to lead the troop over the years,” said Troop Leader Cindy DeWolfe. “They have developed into kind, courageous, mature, talented young adults. They are all leaders and I can’t wait to see what great things they will accomplish!”
“High school can be pretty stressful,” Nadia Serra said. “Having my friends from scouts through the years meant I had genuine friends I could count on.”
“Girl Scouts helped me realize my passion for community engagement, especially youth work, and it helped me stay connected to my home community even after leaving the North Reading school district in high school,” added Ava DeWolfe.
“Girl Scouts have given me strength within my identity and so many life skills. I’m excited to leave my Girl Scout mark on my future communities,” commented Mariela Giraldo.
“With Girl Scouts, you get to explore different activities with a group of friends that I consider family,” remarked Lucy Fisher.
“My first year as a Girl Scout has been everything I have imagined! I made friends and had fun times. I will miss my troop and hope we all stay in touch,” said Sophia Melo.
The troop wishes to donate proceeds from their cookie sales to pass on to future Girl Scout generations.
“North Reading Girl Scouts is thriving, and has troops in every school,” DeWolfe, their troop leader added. “If you have a girl interested in scouts, go to GSEMA.org, or reach out to Service Unit Coordinator Rebecca Lowe at Rebecca.lowe@gmail.com.”
