Austin College event inspires local Girl Scouts to shoot for the stars

SHERMAN, Texas (KXII) - Grayson County Girl Scout Troops gathered at Austin College to explore outer space and add a special addition to their vest, the Space Science Explorer badge.

“The goal of ‘Rockets on Brockett’ is, one, to get Girl Scouts to have a little bit of exposure to the aerospace industry that Sylvia got her start in,” Student Leader for the Posey Leadership Award Nick Estes said.

Sylvia Acevedo is a former NASA engineer who went on to become the CEO of the Girl Scouts of America. She just received the 2023 Posey Leader Award from Austin College.

“She became interested in aerospace by serving as a girl scout in New Mexico and launching little bottle rockets at a Girl Scout event just like this,” Estes said.

Like Acevedo, Austin College student Sage Newton discovered her fascination for science in Girl Scouts.

“I did a stem Girl Scout camp in fourth grade,” Newton said. “And I remember thinking that I wanted to be an aerospace engineer after that.”

Teaching these scouts was a full-circle moment for Newton. She hopes some of the girls now have a dream of becoming a woman in STEM.

“Honestly, there’s no difference between us and the guys,” Estes said. “We can do anything.”

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