Cynthia: Carrying Forward a Legacy of Leadership

July 23, 2026

Some Girl Scout memories fade with time. Others stay with you forever because of the people who helped shape who you became.

Cynthia's Girl Scout journey began with her mom as her first troop leader, introducing her to a place where she would discover confidence, friendship, and opportunities that would shape her life. Growing up in North Omaha, Girl Scouts connected her with a remarkable community of women who poured their time, talents, and hearts into the next generation. They taught her to sew, encouraged her creativity, challenged her to lead, and showed her the importance of serving others.

She especially remembers leaders like Marta "Cricket" Nieves, who helped girls recognize the value in every neighborhood and every person, and Aquilla Pat Simpson, whose confidence, leadership, and advocacy showed Cynthia what it meant to lead with purpose and pride. Long before words like "representation" and "equity" became part of everyday conversations, these women were living those values.

Looking back, Cynthia says those leaders saw something in her long before she saw it in herself.

Their investment inspired her to give back. Today, Cynthia is a second-generation Girl Scout volunteer, a former Girl Scouts Great Plains Council board member, an Honor Pin recipient, and leader of a North Omaha troop that has earned Honor Troop status every year since it began. She now has the joy of watching her niece and goddaughters experience the same confidence, leadership, and sisterhood that shaped her own life.

Reflecting on her journey, Cynthia says, "In truth, I gained far more from Girl Scouts than I ever gave back."

Her story reminds us that one caring adult can change the course of a girl's life, and that the impact of Girl Scouts is carried forward, generation after generation.

100 years. Countless stories. One lasting legacy.