
Guest Editorial: Patches to Pageants with Michelle
Hello! My name is Michelle Pierce and I am 27 years old. I have been affiliated with Girl Scouts since I was in kindergarten. To say the very least I’ve never been the outdoorsy type chick. Troop Beverly Hills was more my scene! (One of my top 10 favorite movies) Some of the my best memories include Father & Mother Daughter dances, riding the bus with my sister Haley to Girl Scout camp, singing songs, s’mores, and the various service projects!

My journey through Girl Scouts has granted me the opportunity to volunteer for a multitude of organizations around Cincinnati. To name a few, Ronald McDonald House, Project Linus, Bethany House, and my very own grade school St. Teresa of Avila. Working with these non-profits my troop and I earned the Bronze, Silver, and Marian Award. As a Freshman at Mother of Mercy High School I made the decision to go for the Gold! To earn my Gold Award I worked 40 hours with the Project Connect Summer Camp in the literacy department, and then I collected gently used books for all ages and genders to donate mini libraries to 13 different homeless shelters in the tri-state area.
As a child I struggled with learning how to read. Once it clicked I was riding the stupid smelly school bus with Junie B. Jones, roaming the neighborhood with Romona & Beezus, and I was the newest member of the Babysitters Club! What once posed as a tremendous hurdle, rather quickly became a cherished hobby. I wanted to provide reading opportunities to those who did not have access to reading materials.
In April 2009 I joined the 6% of Girl Scouts and received my Gold Award. This served as catalyst for my journey through higher education. In 2015 I earned my Bachelors of Social Work from the University of Cincinnati. While in college I served as co-troop leader for a short-term troop at Holy Family. Currently, I am working toward my Masters of Early Childhood Education at Mount St. Joseph University and I am co-leading a Daisy troop at St. Williams!

As a New Years Resolution to myself I vowed to indulge myself. I took the leap and decided to compete for Mrs. Ohio United States. As Mrs. Cincinnati United States I have selected Girl Scouts as my platform, because we are building girls of courage, confidence, and character! Girl Scout Founder Juliette Gordon Low said it best, “Scouting rises within you and inspires you to put forth your best.” I am not leading a troop of followers. I am leading a troop of leaders. These girls are the future and we have a bright one with them paving their own unique paths! I challenge all of my fellow Girl Scouts near and far to be bold and achieve gold!
Yours truly,
Michelle
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