Volunteer Spotlight - Lauren Newbert

Volunteer Spotlight
Meet Lauren Newbert! Lauren was a Girl Scout for 11 years, from 2nd grade (1997) to 12th grade (2008). She registered as an adult as soon as she graduated high school and has been an adult member for 8 years.

Lauren is currently a member of the Burlington County Gold & Silver Award Review Team, reviewing Silver Award projects and interviewing tomorrow's leaders for their Gold Award projects! She was also a guest emcee for the GSCSNJ 2015 Silver Award & Outstanding Recognition Ceremony. While in college, Lauren organized a workshop for 3 years in a row for Junior Girl Scouts to earn their Making It Matter badge. Female engineering students held various stations to teach the girls about the many different types of engineering.

We asked Lauren a few more questions about herself, her involvement with Girl Scouts, and the impact it has had on her:

What was your favorite part about Girl Scouts as a girl?
I loved to go camping. Luckily, the troop I was in liked to go camping too. We would camp multiple times a year at various Girl Scout campgrounds in south Jersey. We loved going to Camp Kettle Run and we camped there so often, it felt like a second home. Spending the weekend in the woods with your friends quickly turned them into your best friends and there are so many memories from the weekends of camping that I will never forget. I met my best friend in Girl Scouts. We went to different elementary schools and probably would not have become friends if we were not in the same troop. I was just her maid of honor at her wedding in November.

I also had the opportunity to go to England in 2005. We camped at a national camporee, stayed in London for 3 days and stayed with a Girl Guide host family for 1 week. That was a great opportunity and experience to see another country!

Did you earn any Girl Scout Awards as a girl?
I earned my Silver Award. I worked with another member of my troop and we held an event at Camp Kettle Run for local Girl Scout troops. We taught the girls about each World Center and about the countries they were located in.

Why do you invest your time in Girl Scouting?
I enjoyed being a Girl Scout so much, volunteering is my way of helping current Girl Scouts be successful and enjoy their time as a scout. I have also recently been through the process of high school, college and job searching that any opportunity to share my experience with girls and help them find their way in life is very fulfilling.

I also hope to have a daughter one day and introduce her to Girl Scouts. Being in the loop and up to date on current Girl Scout policies and programs will help integrate her into the scouting world.

How do you feel volunteering with Girl Scouts has impacted your life?
I feel that all of the life you live, experiences you gain and lessons you learn are useless if you do not share them with others. Volunteering with Girl Scouts is my way of sharing my experiences for the benefit of the girls going through the scouting program. Volunteering has also provided me with many contacts and opportunities that I would not have gained if I did not volunteer.

What else can you tell share about yourself?
I am currently working as a Mechanical Engineer for the US Navy. I can thank Girl Scouts for nurturing my interest in engineering. My troop attended a lot of workshops and events that focused on women in science and engineering.

I am also very crafty and like making things. I am a regular at JoAnn Fabrics and AC Moore and am DIYing almost my entire wedding. I can attribute this interest to Girl Scouts also because if we weren’t attending a workshop or camping, we were crafting during meetings!