White Plains teen becomes first female Eagle Scout in Westchester

Rebecca Gilder joined Scouts BSA in 2019 after the organization began allowing girls to join.

Nadia Galindo

Jul 6, 2022, 9:17 PM

Updated 821 days ago

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A White Plains teen made history by becoming Westchester’s first female Eagle Scout.
Rebecca Gilder joined Scouts BSA in 2019 after the organization began allowing girls to join.
"I was told by a lot of people that I wouldn’t be able to make it to eagle," she said.
Gilder was honored last month during a ceremony, achieving an honor only 5% of all Scouts ever achieve.
"I consider myself to be a big feminist, so I think it’s pretty awesome," she said.
The former Girl Scout jumped at the opportunity to join Troop 5613, an all-girl troop, after watching her brother enjoy the organization growing up.
"I love fires, I love camping, I enjoy the outdoors, I like hiking," she said.
Since joining, Gilder said she's learned practical skills.
"Welding, environmental science, first aid and citizenship in the world," she said.
To become an Eagle Scout, Gilder did a project to build four Free Little Libraries across White Plains. The standalone displays allow anyone to borrow or donate a book and encourage more people to read.
The 19 year-old said her membership in Scouts BSA has opened doors to the world. She just returned from a trip with fellow Scout members to Alaska.
The teen, who hopes to become a teacher one day, has realized her potential and what it means to push limits.
"I hope it will inspire other people to get involved in BSA, hopefully more girls, and they will learn about all these things and all of these practical life skills," said Gilder.
She is taking her experience in Scouts and blazing her own trail as she enters college, wearing this badge of honor with pride.