Traci & Tyler: A Girl Scout Community That Never Let Go

July 21, 2026

For Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska staff member Traci, Girl Scouts has shaped nearly every stage of her journey. As a girl, she became a Gold Award Girl Scout, earning the highest award in Girl Scouting. As a mom, she led her daughter's troop and watched her discover a love for camp, travel, and leadership. When she was searching for a more meaningful career, she found her calling with Girl Scouts. More than two decades later, she's still helping girls grow through the Girl Scout Product Programs.

Through every chapter of her life, Girl Scouts was there. When her family experienced the unimaginable loss of her daughter, Tyler, at just 19 years old, the Girl Scout community wrapped its arms around her family.

Hundreds of cards, gifts, and messages of sympathy arrived from Girl Scouts and troops across the council. Fellow Girl Scouts helped turn Tyler's treasured t-shirts into memory quilts, with donations covering every cost. Camp Maha's Welcome Center was dedicated in Tyler's honor, and the Tyler Cherrington Travel Scholarship was established so future Girl Scouts could experience the same joy of travel that meant so much to Tyler.

Reflecting on that time, Traci says, "I don't know if we would have made it through that horrible time without Girl Scouts."

Traci's story reminds us that Girl Scouts is more than a program; it's a lifelong community that celebrates your successes, stands beside you in your hardest moments, and leaves a lasting impact on generations to come.

100 years. Countless stories. One lasting legacy.