Building Confidence to Lead Through Girl Scouting
Courage, confidence, and character aren’t just part of the Girl Scouts mission for Girl Scout alum Nia Holloway—those values are at the core of who she is today.
Before she walked across her high school graduation stage last spring, Nia had already stepped up as a leader in the Milwaukee community. As one of the few Black students at her high school, she was inspired to create a Black Student Union to offer a safe space for other Black students and to connect with the school community. As president, Nia worked closely with faculty and staff to launch and manage the union.
Nia credits the foundation of her leadership skills to her time as a Girl Scout.
“Drawing all the way back to being in a troop, we always were taught to lead and how to set examples,” she says. Nia fondly remembers the camaraderie of being part of an active troop as a Daisy and Brownie and attending camp at Camp Alice Chester.
As a teen, Nia went back to Alice Chester to serve as a camp counselor and nurture the next generation of Girl Scouts.
“I love working with the younger kids; it gives me nostalgia being back there,” Nia says. “I can pass on the fun that I had to the younger kids.”
Nia also had opportunities to speak in front of crowds as a Girl Scout, which helped sharpen her public speaking skills. Those skills have served her well. During her senior year, Nia was part of a small group of students selected to speak at an influential school board meeting.
“It felt good to have impact, to be chosen to speak, and to change the way that school would be once I leave the school,” she says.
In her last year of high school, Nia was recognized as Senior of the Year and chosen to speak at her school’s University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Senior Signing Day. Nia’s speech highlighted the importance of using time wisely. She also spoke about her experience as a high school student during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Girl Scouting experiences are all worth it,” she says. “It’s lot of fun in being a Girl Scout, with activities we do, the trips we go on; but it’s also the connections you get and learning skills that you take on in life.”
Nia is currently studying biology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
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