Grand Canyon Council Welcomes our Inaugural Class of 15 Female Eagle Scouts and Celebrates their Accomplishments!
Eagle Scouts have been leading positive change in their communities for more than a century. That tradition continues with the historic inaugural class of Female Eagle Scouts. Help celebrate the leadership accomplishments of the inaugural class, and 15 Scouts from Grand Canyon Council, as we highlight the positive impact Scouts make in our communities every day.
Adhelle K.
Alyse S.
Amanda B.
Anya L.
Deon B.
Elle D.
Megan R.
Peyton W.
Riley W.
Sabrina A.
Sarah M.
Savannah H.
Stella L.
Victoria R.
Victoria S.
Deon Bryant of Troop 3050 | Deon officially began in Scouting at Pack 380 as a sister of a Cub Scout brother, Jaymes, and worked the program as if she was a Scout. When she completed 8th Grade, she joined Crew 2039 and a year later helped to found Crew 2020. Her personal goal was to be elected to the Order of the Arrow by her peers, but learned that OA elections only happen at the troop level. She joined the Troop on Feb 1, 2019, things quickly changed, and she was elected to be the first Female Youth Arrowman and Brotherhood in the Order of the Arrow. She Has been very active in the NYLT program, and has learned that Scouting is not only a personal journey, but as a mentor, you share the journey that others take too! And don’t be surprised if they grow to do extraordinary things!
Savannah Hafer of Troop7106 | Savannah has been heavily involved in her school and community through sports, clubs, and other activities from day one but when Scouting BSA opened its doors to herself and other girls her age she jumped on the opportunity with the hope of being apart of the change. She and a few other young women decided to join scouting and created Troop 7106 alongside their extremely supportive brother troop 7006 and began the long and difficult journey. Along with four other scouts in her troop, Riley Weber, Sabrina Agosti, Sarah Mortimore and Peyton Weber, she has completed her Eagle Rank within the short amount of time allowed, became a member of the Order of the Arrow, and received the Youth Citizenship award from the Daughters of the American Revolution. Throughout their experiences in scouting there has been some ups and downs but now they all feel prepared for whatever life has in store from them. Savannah plans to become a Scout Leader in hopes of teaching young women to find the same confidence in themselves that Scouting BSA gave her.Scouting BSA gave her.
Sarah Mortimore of Troop 7106 | I first joined the BSA when a friend approached me with the idea of forming a troop once it was opened up to females. Her brother was an Eagle Scout and she told me about all the great things he was able to do. We were in the Girl Scouts together and the BSA program sounded more excited than what we were currently doing. Once the troop was formed we immediately started on some great adventures. Our first troop camp out was in freezing weather with snow. It was a super fun weekend and a good introduction into Scouting. We were lucky to go to Camp Fiesta in San Diego and even win an award. It was an amazing team building and great experience. We even had a few older Scout Masters tell us that they were impressed with how we conducted ourselves. We had some really great experiences with the county camporee’s and other trips we’ve taken. For my Eagle Project, I created a brick memorial at the American Legion for veterans. It was a project near to my heart as both my parents are veterans. It took a lot more planning than I anticipated and was an experience that I will carry me forward into my life. Going forward with Scouts, I look forward to volunteering with a troop so I can help guide and give the younger generation the same amazing experiences I was lucky enough to have.
Megan Rziha of Troop 3280 | I joined Scouts BSA because my mom was a Girl Scout and my dad is an Eagle, and my younger brother and I followed in their steps. I, however, wanted to also make my own path by starting one of the first female BSA troops, as well as being part of the inaugural class of female Eagle scouts. I knew the program was great because I heard about all the opportunities my dad was able to experience, as well as my brother’s time in scouts. I wanted to learn more skills I could use, including leadership, first aid and emergency preparedness, and knots and lashings. Scouting is important to me because of these opportunities to learn and have experiences we otherwise wouldn’t. I have met so many new people who have been inspiring and supportive of me, and that has helped me grow as a person as well. I will take the lessons I learned in the program with me throughout life, and do my best to help others grow as well. I plan on continuing to work with my troop and help it grow so that other girls may also have the experiences and impact that scouting has had on me. I was a student at Arizona College Prep for 7th through my senior year, and for all but my senior year, I participated in the school orchestra as a violinist. Part of that experience involved leaving our instruments on the floor next to the wall during the day as we went about our other classes. We (the violins and violas) had to leave our instruments on the floor because there was no proper storage for our instruments that was easily accessible. It was this that I took inspiration from for my Eagle project. The project involved constructing three moveable shelving units for violin and viola storage for the members of the orchestra at Arizona College Prep, the high school I attended, to properly store their instruments while they are in other classes. In the past, orchestra members had to keep their instruments on the floor in the back of the room or in a tight-spaced hallway where instruments could be tripped on and possibly even broken. With the completion of my project, orchestra members now have a secure place to store their instruments out of harm’s way.
Adhelle Kellogg of Troop 3546 | BSA is a place for growth, both mentally and physically. It helps you on your journey to become a better person. At the start of your trail to eagle, they hand you the moral compass that is the scout law, and a book with all of the information you need to succeed. They give you experienced leaders and scouts to help you navigate through your ranks. By the time you reach life rank, you no longer need they’re watchful eye and constant assistance. It is time for you to give back to scouting. It is time for you to teach and guide and assist as the scouts and leaders before you. One day you may earn eagle, which means you are a strong person, with a moral compass and a book full of things you know to be a true as your loyalty to the organization. This is the reason I chose scouting. Not because of outings, or the adventures. But because of what it stands for. The whole organization is a circle. The circle of scouting. A scout who has helped you may go in to get eagle. And you may help a scout and get eagle yourself. Scouting is so much more than an organization with a purpose, we are a family.
Stella Lipson of Troop 3030 | Stella Lipson is a sophomore at Saguaro High School. She is a founding member of Scouts BSA Troop #3030. She is a competitive diver and honor student. She became enamored of Boy Scouts while watching her brother gut and clean a trout while working on the Fishing Merit Badge. Her love of outdoor escapades has propelled her scouting career and she learns something new with each adventure. Scouting has provided her with a lifetime of memories and friendships. For Stella’s Eagle project she worked with the Arizona Audubon at the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center enhancing their Children’s’ Garden. Her Eagle Project entailed building a granite and gabion bench, creating 18 custom bird stepping stones for the walkway, delineating pathways with river rock from the Rio Salado and clearing invasive plants from the area. She looks forward to continuing her Scouting journey with the Order of The Arrow and capturing that ever evasive trout for her Fishing Merit Badge.
Alyse Silverman of Troop 3030 | Lipson of Troop 3030 | Alyse started her Scouting journey four years ago as a junior Venture Crew Scout. When BSA opened up to girls and made it possible for her to achieve her Eagle, she knew that was what she wanted to do! Alyse loves Scouts because she is able to meet all sorts of new people and learn new skills. Her favorite event so far was a cavalcade at Philmont because she was able to spend a week in the outdoors, completely disconnected from real life, and was able to really bond with the people in her crew. Now that Alyse has her Eagle, she would like to continue being active in her troop and also achieve her Ranger and Summit awards in Venturing.
Elle Dingwell of Troop 3030 | Elle Dingwell successfully completed her Eagle board of review on 1/28/2021. Elle is 17 years old and is a junior at Horizon High School, PVUSD. Elle loves hiking, swimming, yoga, speech and debate team and hanging out with her scout family. Her goal after high school is to study law or get involved with research in the medical field. She has competed for her school at speech and debate tournaments and represented her school as part of the cybersecurity club. She appreciates the opportunities scouting has given her including participating in a high adventure cavalcade and white water rafting at Summit Bechtel. For her Eagle project, Elle fundraised materials for and built 164 beeping eggs with the help of Troop 3030 for the Foundation for Blind Children’s annual Easter Egg hunt. This is a project dear to Elle as she attended the school as a preschooler.
Victoria Shuman of Troop 3030 | Tori Shuman sat for her Eagle Board of review with her good friend Tori Rader at the first available date; October 1, 2020. When you ask her about the beginning of her Scouting adventure she laughs & says I grew up in Scouts. She went thru Cub Scouts twice with her older brothers, at every Pack Meeting & Family Campout. At 14 she joined Venture Crew 2030 her first leadership position was Vice President of Program, by the next election she was the President & there has been no looking back. She says her heart is in Venturing, but she has loved her time in Troop 3030. “These girls are my Scouting Family”. As the first SPL she helped their incredible Scoutmaster Patty Heit “get the ball rolling” and it was an incredible ride. She finished EMT training this year as a senior in high school and leaves to serve her Country as a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy in early June.
Watch the 2020 Eagle Scout Celebration Event
We just wrapped up the most exciting event celebrating the Inaugural Class of Female Eagle Scouts and it was amazing to check in on what they are up to in the world!
