Maria: Opening Doors to Limitless Possibilities

September 07, 2026

Maria’s Girl Scout story began in the late 1960s on Long Island, New York, with a waiting list. At the time, joining Girl Scouts wasn’t as simple as signing up. Maria and her sister waited several months before a troop spot opened, but once they joined, Girl Scouts quickly became an important part of their childhood.

Looking back, Maria remembers the strong leaders who made those experiences so meaningful. They were mentors who encouraged growth, made activities fun, and showed her what a difference a caring adult can make in a girl’s life.

Years later, Maria found herself becoming that leader for others. In raising five children, she placed great importance on the values she had found through scouting and wanted to pass those lessons on to the next generation.

For more than 25 years, she has served as a Girl Scout troop leader, first with Great Plains Council and now with Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska. What began as a troop of 15 girls eventually grew to more than 100, with 60–70 Girl Scouts participating in an average year.

Maria has always believed that girls should have opportunities to explore far beyond what they might imagine for themselves. Through her community connections and military experience, she has helped Girl Scouts experience everything from aviation and fishing to survival training, STEM, and makerspaces. She has explored camps across Nebraska and Iowa with her troop and has led international adventures every two years since 2009 including a 2019 trip to Japan and a 2024 glacier hike in Iceland.

Her service extends far beyond her own troop. Maria has trained volunteers, supported recruitment, helped develop World Thinking Day programs, mentored Gold Award Girl Scouts, and served on the Volunteer Awards and Gold Awards Committees. Her decades of service have earned her virtually every volunteer honor available, including the highest volunteer recognition from Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska, the Carolyn Sloan Spirit of Nebraska Award.

And if you've ever picked up Girl Scout Cookies or Fall Product in Nebraska, there's a good chance you've seen the "Lot Queen" in her element: directing traffic in the pickup lot and finding a way to make the experience a little more fun. From transforming the warehouse lot into an “I Go” beach to greeting volunteers as an elephant or Chewbacca, Maria brings plenty of personality to her volunteer work.

As a military retiree, she has also helped coordinate cookie donations to active-duty military members at Offutt Air Force Base. Through the Council Honor Guard, she helps Girl Scouts learn about the presentation and retirement of the Colors and creates opportunities for Girl Scouts across Nebraska to engage with traditions of service and citizenship.

After more than five decades connected to Girl Scouts, Maria's purpose remains remarkably simple: show girls that their opportunities are limitless.

She wants to spark their curiosity, help them find their voices, build their confidence, and give them the experiences they need to become leaders who can make the world better.

From a Girl Scout waiting for her chance to join a troop to a volunteer opening doors for generations of girls, Maria's story is a beautiful example of how one Girl Scout experience can become a lifetime of giving back.

100 years. Countless stories. One lasting legacy.