A passion for service and giving back to her community recently came full circle for EWU student Brianna Steele. The Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and North Idaho (GSEWNI) awarded Steele, a sophomore studying elementary education, an $1,109 scholarship.
Steele served in the Girl Scouts all through her school years, starting as a Daisy in kindergarten and reaching Ambassador level by the time she graduated from Spokane’s Mead High School in 2018.
“Through Girl Scouts I was given multiple community service opportunities,” says Steele. “I was also given multiple opportunities to teach and lead younger girls. I absolutely loved it.”
Steele says her time in the Girl Scouts helped her realize she wanted to teach elementary education. And early on, she set her sights on excelling in the Girl Scout Cookie Program, which helped her qualify for the scholarship.
“The support from the public helped fund her to go to college on this scholarship,” says Brian Newberry, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and North Idaho. “Entrepreneurs take risks and earn rewards too, and this is her reward for being a top entrepreneur.”
The council staff at GSEWNI are beaming with pride for Steele. They say she was part of an impressive troop in Mead where all of the girls who graduated alongside Steele also went on to pursue higher education at local universities.
“We celebrate and honor girls like Brianna for their dedication to Girl Scouts,” says Renee Smock, the chief mission delivery officer for GSEWNI. “They serve as role models to our younger girls and demonstrate a high caliber of leadership in their communities.”
Though no longer a Girl Scout, Steele brings those valuable skills to Eastern Washington University as she moves forward as a helper, a leader and a goal setter.
“I have a personal goal that I will graduate with no debt and this scholarship is a step in the direction of meeting my goal,” she says.
