Guest Post from Girl Scout Ambassador Sashini Passela
On March 10th I had the
wonderful opportunity to meet First Lady Michelle Obama and Mrs. Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau during an event
celebrating the White House’s Let Girls Learn initiative. It was a dream come
true, hearing both of them passionately speak about the 62 million girls
worldwide who are not in school today.
I also got the chance to
speak to the audience about my Girl Scout Gold Award project—implementing a
fully equipped science lab at a poverty-stricken school in Sri Lanka. As the
daughter of two Sri Lankan immigrants, I was inspired to complete this project
so that I could give students back in Sri Lanka the same opportunities I have
to learn. I’m passionate about science, but I was startled to hear that less
than 20 percent of students in Sri Lanka pursue higher education in STEM fields
because they don’t have access to the right resources. It made me proud to hear
that just months after finishing my project, many young girls at the school
told their principal they couldn’t wait to be doctors, and scientists, and
astronauts!
As I was walking off the
stage after presenting on my project, the First Lady mouthed, "Wow, you're
impressive," which is the most surreal thing I've ever experienced.
Throughout my Girl Scout career I've gotten to do so many incredible things, but this definitely makes the top of the list. Being a Girl Scout makes me realize that I have the ability to impact this world.
Throughout my Girl Scout career I've gotten to do so many incredible things, but this definitely makes the top of the list. Being a Girl Scout makes me realize that I have the ability to impact this world.