PALM HARBOR
Huddled in blankets with their pockets and gloves stuffed with hand warmers, high school Girl Scouts came together in Camp Wai Lani's main lodge in Palm Harbor on Sunday.
The final day of the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida's (GSWCF) "Camp CEO" was in its final hours, and the participants gathered together with coaches and mentors to collect some warm pearls of wisdom on the cold morning.
Camp CEO connects high school girl scouts with accomplished female business leaders through a camp setting and various team building, skill sharing and sessions offered at the camp.
Girls are given the opportunity to learn leadership and life lessons while executive women coach and connect the young leaders. The participants walk away with practical skills that will help them in pursuit of their Gold Award, and their pursuit of future careers.
"This is such a high-impact, life-changing experience for our girls," said Girl Scouts of West Central Florida CEO Jessica Muroff. "They tell me this is the best thing they've done in Girl Scouts. I'm over the moon because connecting our girls to incredible women in our community is such a wonderful thing. Magic happens in these relationships, I know the impact is long-lasting.
"I know this because I was lucky enough to be connected with incredible women at a young age and they changed my life. It was mentors (like those at Camp CEO) that opened my eyes to broader horizons and goals for myself."
East Lake High School senior Anne Bauer echoed Muroff's sentiment. She said connecting with her mentor was one of her favorite activities.
"That experience of just being able to talk with them and get to know them and hear their personal experiences and letting them get to know you, that's been a really cool thing," Bauer said.
In the morning panel, the girls warmed up to advice from Frameworks of Tampa Bay engagement director Tammy Charles, South Tampa Chamber of Commerce CEO Kelly Flannery, Women Entrepreneurs director Cami Gibertini and best-selling young adult author Patricia Wooster.
"Hearing how nervous they got during something like interviews made me relate more to them," said Sara Collins, a St. Petersburg Collegiate High School sophomore. "I came into the camp feeling shy and nervous, but came out more confident because of the coaches."
Seeing the perfection that surrounded the successful women on the panel, the girls never would have known that they are far from perfect, and those imperfections have helped shape their careers.
Gibertini shared a story from high school when she was bullied and had to keep pushing along.
"It made me more open and empathetic to others," Gibertini said. "I wanted them to know that [struggles] can shape you only if you allow it to."
Charles also shared her story of being physically and verbally abused and having to also face a cultural barrier of being a Haitian woman. With a bright attitude, Charles shared how her faith helped her muscle through, but more importantly, how she learned to embrace her quirks.
"Leaders struggle too," Charles said. "Obstacles will always be there, but what's important is to stay focused on your goals."
The panel ended with a small saying, a mantra that will strengthen them as they move into bright futures, despite obstacles they may encounter.
"Some people got it, some people don't, but baby I got it," with one coach leading the chant all the women started yelling it out simultaneous. The area transformed into a room full of inspiration.
By the camp's final panel discussion, the scouts had identified positive personality traits through the StrengthsFinders program, and met other women leaders.
"They just want to help us and it's very surprising that so many inspirational women want to come here just to help us," said Nina Shortt, a Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School sophomore.
Contact Katelyn Massarelli at kmassarelli@tampabay.com.
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