"I am determined to live up to the Girl Scout Daisy petal by making the world a better place." —Alejandra Lievano Bonilla
As the school year ends, Girl Scouts begin to plan trips with their troops, planning future service projects, and exploring the outdoors. However, for many, including myself as a first-generation American, the transition beyond high school is a daunting and stressful time. A time marked with uncertainty about how to pursue a higher education or how to begin planning for our next adventure in life. Luckly, through my Girl Scout experience, I learned to be resourceful, courageous, and strong, traits that empowered me to navigate this challenging journey.
My name is Alejandra Bonilla. I am a Girl Scout Ambassador and I am about to begin my next adventure at Vanderbilt University, as a first-generation student. While applying to the university, I was asked the question, “How has one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences influenced you?”
As I reflected on the years that brought me to this moment, I decided to write about my Girl Scout experience and how it has shaped me into the leader I am today.
Girl Scouts has molded me into a Daisy. In Girl Scouts, each petal of the daisy represents a line from the Girl Scout Law.
Provided by GSUSA
A line that stands out to me in the Girl Scout Law is, “Make the World a Better Place.” A simple six-word sentence that changed my perspective on Girl Scouts. When people think of Girl Scouts, they think of selling cookies, yet Girl Scouts has molded me to become so much more than a cookie seller.
My Girl Scouting experience has helped me grow, into a compassionate, innovative and ambitious leader. As a leader, I am determined to help others.
In Camp Aventura, a Girl Scout community-based camp, I earned my Silver Award by creating and leading a station called “The Melting Pot.” In this station, I had the opportunity to provide campers with hands-on activities about different cultures worldwide. Bringing awareness about a variety of cultures to over 150 girls enhanced my leadership skills and strengthened my multitasking ability.
The visible impact "The Melting Pot" had on campers inspired me to earn my Gold Award by helping high school seniors achieve their dream of pursuing higher education. I am currently working on my Gold Award project, called Triple T—a multilingual video series that provides a step-by-step process on how to apply to college. Triple T may be a small step toward change, but I know firsthand how valuable a resource like this can be for First-Generation students and their families. I will also implement Triple T in my school’s curriculum, providing the younger students with how-to videos so that they too can apply to college with confidence.
I am determined to live up to the Girl Scout Daisy petal by making the world a better place.
