Girl Scouts Are Learning To Be Unapologetic Leaders

December 19, 2022

Northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula—December 19.

Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes (GSNWGL) recently sat down with the ever-impressive Adalyn Haynes (12) and Ivy Snow (12), two local Girl Scout Cadettes from eastern Wisconsin learning to be unapologetically themselves and to advocate for issues they are passionate about. Adalyn and Ivy have shown an impressive commitment to inclusion and dedication to creating an equitable work environment. In 2021, Adalyn and Ivy noted what they believed to be an alarming gap in pay for women and decided to team up to bring exposure to this issue for their Girl Scout Bronze Award Project. "I was struck when I read the wage gap wouldn't close until 2059, which is 30 years from now! My kids will have graduated by then!" Adalyn exclaimed. "And," she added, "I started to realize that women of color were treated even more unfairly."

Together, they leaned in to research these uncomfortable discrepancies, created brochures, built a website, and wrote to their school and government representatives to say: We can and must do better.

"People think we've come so far. But it's 2022, and women are still not making the same amount of pay. Women are needed everywhere, so why aren't we supporting them with what they need? I don't want to be paid less for my work," Ivy said.

"Being a changemaker, an advocate, and an unapologetic leader for an issue you care about isn't easy," notes Kate Corey, Chief Development Officer for GSNWGL. Adalyn and Ivy had this frustrating realization when they were denied support and felt unheard at times. Thankfully, their hard work did not go unnoticed. They eventually received responses from several local and state leaders encouraging them to keep using their voices. It was—and is—motivating and reminds Adalyn and Ivy to remain bold, stay courageous, and continue being unapologetic.

Today, Adalyn and Ivy continue to focus on issues they are passionate about. "As a Girl Scout, I can say: This is what we do. We make a difference. I am really excited to continue forward in the future and see what more I can accomplish," Ivy said.

Thanks to the many champions of Girl Scouts, unapologetic leaders like Adalyn and Ivy are learning to advocate for issues that matter to them, whatever they may be. Girl Scouts are becoming changemakers and building a more equitable future for themselves and their peers.

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Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes (GSNWGL) partners with 5,000 volunteers and serves approximately 10,000 girls, covering 58 counties across northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. For more information on how to join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, call 888.747.6945 or visit gsnwgl.org. GSNWGL is a proud United Way partner program.

We Are Girl Scouts 

Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them.