Interview by Emily Hessney Lynch.

Published October 30, 2020.

Where are you from? How did you end up in Rochester?

I was born and raised in Rochester, NY with my lovely parents and older sister.

What is your favorite part of living in Rochester?

My favorite part about living in Rochester is how I live so close to my family members. A lot of my family live in Rochester which allows me to be close and interact with them. I just feel really lucky to be able to talk to them. I know a lot of people are unable to live near their family members, so this is something I am truly grateful for. 

What's the most unique or interesting event you've attended in Rochester?

I recently attended the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk; the most memorable part of the experience was when I was walking up Main Street and looking back at a sea of pink. It was powerful seeing people supporting such a great cause. 

If you had $100 and two hours to kill in Rochester, how would you spend the time/money?

I would have breakfast at the Arnett Cafe. Then, I would go to an event at the Legacy Drama House. I’d also go for a walk at the reservoir at Cobbs Hill. 

What's your favorite neighborhood in the city?

I like the Beechwood neighborhood. That's all I know. I love the east side of the city. 

If you could only eat one Rochester food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I would eat Wegmans turkey subs for the rest of my life. I find them to be the best subs in Rochester!

What's one memory that captures what Rochester means to you? 

I remember when I was a kid, we would go to watch movies in the park at Highland Bowl. I remember having dinner picnic style with my family in my pajamas as we waited for sundown for the movie to play. 

What makes Rochester unique? 

We are the home of Frederick Douglass, Susan B Anthony, and Wegmans. I also feel that Rochester has a very volunteering community. You always find people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and help. 

What would you like to see change in Rochester over the next year? 

Rochester has a huge poverty rate. This was even more evident during the pandemic. I would see people struggle for basic needs like food, internet access, employment and housing. The divide was so strong it forced me to want to help in any way I can. 

If Rochester was an animal, what would it be? 

Rochester would be an ant. No matter how small our size may be we pack great strength when we work together. Ants can be very strong and they accomplish much when they join together for a common cause. I see Rochester as that ant. 

Tell me about your experience in Girl Scouts. 

Girl Scouts has been an amazing experience for me, from the vast amount of activities I have done to the inspiring voices of people in amazing careers. A lot of people quit Girls Scouts once they feel they have aged out of it. I think they should stay and experience everything Girl Scouts has to offer. You get to learn so many new things, meet new people and friends. Just the experiences in Girl Scouts is like no other. I have learned financial literacy skills, STEM career fields, camping, sisterhood, and the importance of volunteering in my community. 

What did you work on for your Gold Award project? 

My Gold Award project focused around encouraging Brown and Black girls to join Girl Scouts. When my Scout sisters and I would be out in the community, people would often make comments about how surprised they were to learn that there were Black and Brown scouts. They would often state that my white/caucasion Scout sisters were the only ones visible in the community. I wanted to do something to change that. I decided to do a YouTube video entitled “Inspire You” to recruit Black and Brown girls and share the many benefits of scouting. Girl Scouts is such an amazing organization for young girls to experience many positive things. I wanted to reach people and tell them why they should join Girl Scouts. I made my Inspire You video with some of my Girl Scouts sisters talking about why they like Girl Scouts. I featured Black and Brown girls from different troop levels such as Daisy, Junior, Cadette, Senior & Ambassador so that people could see how different ages enjoyed Girl Scouts, and hopefully, their young girl will join. 

Are there any myths or misconceptions about Girl Scouts that you'd like to bust?

A lot of people think that Girl Scouts is just for kids. Girl Scouts actually has a lot of things for girls to do leading up to 12 grade. As a Senior & Ambassador you can get your Gold Award which is very impressive to colleges and the highest award in scouting. Also when you get older you can volunteer or become a troop leader. 

What was the best part of being a Girl Scout?

The best experience for me was just going on the amazing trips. We would go to really cool places like Hershey park, Seabreeze, Cedar Point, The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and Canada’s Wonderland. I remember having really good memories at these places and enjoying it.