Why I'm a Green Tie Champion

When I think about Girl Scouts, I don't think about cookies…well, not just about cookies. I think about the incredible young woman my daughter Pip has become through this organization.

Girl Scouts is teaching our daughters to be courageous, caring, and strong. It's giving them the tools to become entrepreneurs and leaders who genuinely make the world a better place. And I've had a front-row seat to watch this transformation happen.

Yes, Pip is an amazing cookie entrepreneur and, over the years, she has created some of the best cookie videos EVER (See: https://youtube.com/shorts/-iFeC0Tg9z4) and (https://youtube.com/shorts/1MDgzPXqR1g?feature=share). But as she progressed through Girl Scouts, she discovered something profound: selling cookies wasn't the goal, it was a tool. Through those sales, she learned how to present herself confidently to adults, create and execute a business plan, and understand that her hard work had real impact. The funds she raised allowed her troop to have incredible adventures: camping all over New England (including on a 17th century whaling ship), whitewater rafting, and indoor skydiving where they learned the science behind flight. But just as importantly, those cookie sales also funded meaningful volunteer work in our community like helping local animal rescues and volunteering at local retirement homes serving senior citizens.

But the moment I knew Girl Scouts had truly shaped who she is came during her Silver Award project. Pip and her team built cold frames for the raised garden beds at our local food bank (https://sites.google.com/view/fresh-food-for-everyone/home), ensuring our community has access to fresh fruits and vegetables year-round. Through Girl Scouts, she learned about food insecurity in our own town, and more importantly, she learned how to be the person who steps up to do something about it.

That's why I said yes to being a Green Tie Champion. I've watched my daughter grow from a girl selling cookies to a young leader who sees problems and creates solutions. I believe every girl in Connecticut deserves that same opportunity to discover her strength, find her voice, and learn that she has the power to change her community.

When you support the Green Tie campaign, you're enabling young women across Connecticut to experience the growth I've witnessed over the past ten years. You're helping them live the Girl Scout Law: to be honest, helpful, courageous, and responsible, and to make the world a better place.

That's worth supporting.