Emerging Leaders are outstanding Girl Scouts who exemplify leadership, courage, confidence, and character. Joan was invited to attend the “To Get Her There” Luncheon & Leadership Experience, a day of championing the cause of female leadership. The event began with a morning mentoring session, connecting the Emerging Leaders with community and business leaders. The luncheon followed, celebrating local women and corporations who are changing our communities for the better.
Meet the incredible Joan Schueller!
I’ve been a Girl Scout for 10 years now. I’ve stayed in Girl Scouts because I love the opportunities it has provided me. I’ve become a part of the Girl Advisory Bureau, an Emerging Leader, a National Delegate, a Program Aide, a Counselor in Training, and an overall better person.
The National Delegates are a small group of girls who go through a rigorous application process in order to have a chance to go to the National Convention. At the National Convention, we vote upon three matters to be decided on nationwide. We attend meetings to learn about the issues and talk to service units about the upcoming issues and how we should vote. It’s a very hard position to get into, but the girls are rewarded with the awesome experience of going to the Conference.
I’ve also been involved in the Girl Advisory Bureau, or GAB, for three years. GAB is the girl marketing team for GSGLA. I’ve written a blog on an event with Toyota; I went to CookieCon and passed out Girl Scout cookies; I’ve talked on the radio about Girl Scout cookie season; I went to the red carpet premiere of Gifted; and just recently was on the news talking about the Emerging Leader program.
In order to become an Emerging Leader you have to write an application, do an interview, and attend a meeting. The day starts with a “minute mentoring” session where you’re put at a table with a successful women for 15 minutes and you’re able to ask whatever you want. For some girls, this turns into internship opportunities and job interviews. Overall, girls get to create connections, learn what steps they should take to become successful, and create better communication skills. I met Christine Simmons, the COO of the LA Sparks, Caron Ng, CEO of Nu-set, and many other inspiring women. One thing I remember Christine Simmons saying was, “It’s okay to change your mind on what you want to do. As long as you have the skill and passion, you can achieve.”
One of my proudest Girl Scout activities was earning my Silver Award. The Award calls for 50 hours of leadership volunteering and creating a viable change. For my elementary school cafeteria renovation project, an anonymous donor stepped in and decided to pay for the entire remodel of the space. For many hours we worked with a designer to create a better environment for students. Many elements came into play like cabinet design, bathrooms, and creating a positive space. We pitched our ideas to many users of the space and presented our plans during the school open house. The cafeteria was finally completed in August 2017, and it’s now being used by the students of Holy Trinity School. Up next is my Gold Award, which is the highest award possible in Girl Scouts and requires 80 hours to complete!
Girl Scouts creates an environment where girls can learn skills and traits and use these traits in other parts of their life. The Girl Scouts program allows girls to use their full potential. At POLAHS I’ve been able to take all Honors and AP classes, and maintain a 4.1 GPA. I’m the President of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and an anchor and interviewer for my Mass Communications class.
My favorite thing about POLAHS is the academics and the atmosphere. My peers are driven and motivated to get good grades and to get into a good college. Every teacher wants to see you succeed, and the amount of time they spend helping you and encouraging you shows it. The academics are challenging, which is important because through it I learn how to manage my time well… and I get a taste of what college and “the professional world” is like!
After high school I want to go to University of Southern California and major in Biological Science. During college, I want to join ROTC for a military background and assistance with tuition. My dream is to serve in the Navy as a pilot. I’d like to join NASA or SpaceX and become the first woman on Mars.
Congratulations, Joan. You are an inspiring leader!