Kelly: Curiosity That Lasts a Lifetime

October 07, 2026

Kelly has always been creative, curious, and willing to stand up for what she believes in. Long before she became the artist and maker her family and friends know today, she was a Girl Scout in Lincoln, making memories with the girls who lived just down the street.

Her troop met at a local church where the girls would climb the magnolia trees out front. They went camping, sang “Johnny Appleseed” before snack time, and spent plenty of evenings gathered around a campfire making banana boats.

Their adventures didn't stop when Girl Scout meetings ended. Because many of the girls lived within a mile of each other, they would spend time exploring together—creeking, making plaster casts of animal tracks in the mud, and seeing where their curiosity took them.

Girl Scout Cookie season meant going door to door, which could be intimidating. Kelly's dad came along to support her. She sold 150 boxes one year which was a pretty big accomplishment in those days!

Those Girl Scout experiences helped shape a girl who would grow into an art major at University of Nebraska at Kearney and a woman whose creativity seems to have no limits. Knitting, crocheting, painting, carving, gluing—if she can imagine it, she can probably make it.

But perhaps the most meaningful part of Kelly's story is that creativity isn't the only thing she carried with her. She also grew into someone who is generous, thoughtful, and willing to speak up for what she believes is right.

From climbing magnolia trees to exploring muddy creek beds, Kelly's Girl Scout years gave her room to be curious, try things, and grow alongside her friends.

Some Girl Scout memories stay with you because of what you did. Others stay because of who you were becoming. Kelly's story has a little bit of both.

100 years. Countless stories. One lasting legacy.