Skip to main content
GSNI Alum Spotlight
Home Home Home
Home Home Home
Search Search
  • SHOP
  • DONATE
  • MyGS MyGS MyGS
  • Espanol Espanol Espanol
  • Search Search
  • Forms Forms Forms
  • Calendar Calendar Calendar
  • Discover Discover

    About Us About Us

    • What Girl Scouts Do What Girl Scouts Do
    • The Family Experience The Family Experience

    Our Council Our Council

    • Contact Us Contact Us
    • Visit Us Visit Us
    • Shop Shop
    • GSNI Team GSNI Team
    • Careers Careers

    Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

    • Action Teams & Task Forces Action Teams & Task Forces
    • Mental Health Awareness Mental Health Awareness
    • Schools and Community Partners Schools and Community Partners

    Discover Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois! In this section you will learn about GSNI Girl Scouts, where you can find us, and how we offer a culture of welcoming and belonging to all members.

  • Get Involved Get Involved

    Become a Girl Scout Become a Girl Scout

    • Join a Troop Join a Troop
    • The Benefits of Girl Scouts The Benefits of Girl Scouts
    • Welcome Events Welcome Events
    • Individually Registered Members Individually Registered Members
    • The Cost of Girl Scouting The Cost of Girl Scouting

    Become a Volunteer Become a Volunteer

    • Start a Troop Start a Troop
    • Volunteer Roles Volunteer Roles

    Support Us Support Us

    • Ways to Donate Ways to Donate
    • Fundraising Events & Contributors Fundraising Events & Contributors
    • GSNI Alum Network GSNI Alum Network
    • Community Partners Community Partners

    Get Involved with GSNI! Here you can sign-up for your GSNI membership and join a troop, or go solo as a Juliette! Adults, you can donate your time as a Volunteer or by donating to support GSNI membership and programming!

  • Cookies & Fall Product Cookies & Fall Product

    Find Cookies & Fall Product Find Cookies & Fall Product

    • Available Cookie Flavors Available Cookie Flavors
    • Buy Cookies Buy Cookies
    • Buy Nuts, Chocolates & More! Buy Nuts, Chocolates & More!

    GSNI Cookie Resources GSNI Cookie Resources

    • Volunteer Cookie Resources Volunteer Cookie Resources

    GSNI Fall Product Resources GSNI Fall Product Resources

    Find out how to buy Girl Scout Cookies, explore Girl Scout Cookie flavors, try delicious recipes, see how girls learn essential life skills, and more.

  • Activity Zone Activity Zone

    Activities for Girl Scouts Activities for Girl Scouts

    • Camp & Outdoors Camp & Outdoors
    • Event List & Calendar Event List & Calendar
    • Travel Travel
    • National Council Events National Council Events

    For Adults For Adults

    • Alums Alums
    • Adult Awards & Recognition Adult Awards & Recognition
    • Volunteer Appreciation Volunteer Appreciation

    News & Info News & Info

    • Newsroom Newsroom
    • Publications Publications
    • Branding Branding
    • Rallyhood Rallyhood

    GSNI Girl Scouts are Active! Members and Volunteers, here you will find all activities, events, forms, documents, stories, news, and information for your complete Girl Scout experience!

  • Members Members

    For Girl Scouts For Girl Scouts

    • Badges and Awards Badges and Awards
    • Paths of Leadership Paths of Leadership
    • Highest Awards Highest Awards
    • Scholarships Scholarships
    • Online Support for Juliettes Online Support for Juliettes

    For Volunteers For Volunteers

    • Troop Year Planner Troop Year Planner
    • Volunteer Essentials Volunteer Essentials
    • Online Support for Volunteers Online Support for Volunteers
    • Girl Scout Experience Box Girl Scout Experience Box
    • Troop Update Form Troop Update Form

    Renew Your Membership Renew Your Membership

    • Troop Update Form Troop Update Form

    Resources for Girl Scout members! Here your will find volunteer, Girl Scout, and family tools and support. Explore badges, highest awards, scholarships, and more.

  • SHOP
  • DONATE
  • MyGS MyGS MyGS
  • Espanol Espanol Espanol
  • Search Search
  • Forms Forms Forms
  • Calendar Calendar Calendar

Council Finder

Use this finder to connect with your local Girl Scout council.

By ZIP Code

By State

By Council

close
You are leaving girlscouts.org for a website opened by an external party. You will be subjected to the privacy and security policies of the website
  1. Get Involved
  2. Support Us
  3. GSNI Alum Network
  4. GSNI Alum Spotlight

GSNI Alum Spotlight - Sabrina Lewis

GSNI Alum Spotlight: Sabrina Lewis

Years as a Girl Scout: 1995 to 2009

My Girl Scout journey started as an itsy-bitsy, shy Daisy at age 5 and went all the way to a high-achieving young adult. I went to almost every event and workshop offered. I was just a Daisy when I learned about the Girl Scout Promise and Law.

My mom became my troop leader when I was a second grade Brownie. She kept us busy just about every weekend. We would go to Camp far Horizons for wildlife badges, and I remember going to Highland Community College for a kite workshop and making my own kite. We earned a lot of Try-Its and fun patches to fill up my sash and vest. I remember selling cookies for the first time. I was scared out of my pants. I sold 500 boxes at the price of $2.50 and was the top seller until I graduated high school.

As Juniors, we were always doing badges, going to workshops, and doing fun activities. We went to Madison, Wisconsin, several times to do science badges, and many other activities. I earned a lot of badges throughout the three years to fill up the front of my vest. I also received plenty of fun patches. I had to start sewing strips of several fun patches to the shoulders of my vest. When I wore my vest, I got plenty of complements, and I knew what the badges were. We worked and earned our Bronze Award. We built blue bird houses for the Jane Adams trail.

As Cadettes, we went on a trip to Mall of America in Minnesota. We got to sleep with the sharks (in an aquarium). We went on camping trips which were nice during the day but cold at night. I earned my Silver Award and put a flower bed around the Jane Adams trail head in Orangeville, Illinois. I was a Program Aide during camporee; we always have a blast out at Camp Far Horizons. I went to Platteville, Wisconsin, at the University of Wisconsin Platteville’s farm for a Sky’s the Limit workshop where we had to build a sturdy but tall building.

In my Senior year, I helped fundraise to go to Savannah, Georgia, to the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace. On our way to Savannah, we went to the Coca-Cola Factory in Atlanta and Stone Mountain. We did 11 Interest Project Patches on the trip. We went to the Tennessee Aquarium and slept in a tunnel with the fish. I also earned my Gold Award!

As an Ambassador, I loved talking about all the memories we had. We went sailing on tall ship windy, visited the Shedd Aquarium, and more. It was good times with a lot of great friends.

Girl Scouting has helped me become more courageous and built up my confidence and character.

As an adult volunteer, I have helped with every Girl Scout level. I have even helped several Girl Scouts earn their Bronze and Silver Awards. Last spring, we had our first set of girls graduate high school! I’m hoping my co-leader and I have left an impact on the Girl Scouts who graduated and many other Girl Scouts throughout the years.

GSNI Alum Lisa Musante
GSNI Alum Lisa Musante

Girl Scouts didn’t just shape my childhood—it helped shape who I am today.

GSNI Alum Jan Starke
GSNI Alum Jan Starke

Jan is a very proud Lifetime Girl Scout.

JOIN
VOLUNTEER
DONATE
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube
  • Pinterest
  • Contact Us
  • Visit Us
  • GSNI Friendship Circle Podcast
  • News
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers

© 2016-2022 Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois

A 501(c)(3) Organization. All Rights Reserved.

Join

Volunteer

Donate

close