For Tanya Schwab, prioritizing her Girl Scouts has been the hallmark of her 15 years as a dedicated volunteer.
Tanya has been a volunteer since 2008, starting as a troop leader in Westmoreland County. She has been an associate cookie manager, associate service unit manager, and camp trainer.
She first signed up to volunteer as a troop leader for her daughters’ education. “I was looking for another opportunity to be able to educate them because I was doing traditional homeschooling. I thought that Girl Scouts would be an awesome way to be able to do that and do things in the community that go toward their homeschool education, and it definitely fulfilled a lot of that for my girls. I was just taking a lot of other Girl Scouts along with us as I was doing it with my own girls.”
For 15 years, she has always focused on the Girl Scouts. “My motto has been for all those years is ‘it’s all about the girls,’” she says.
Tanya continues to volunteer year after year because she sees how impactful her work is. Through her, the girls have learned how to lead and celebrate each other, and they have gotten comfortable with problem-solving.
“I will never forget the summer camp where I sat at a campfire with a leader. I remember her saying that for some of those girls in that troop, this was their summer vacation. Going away for 48 hours to summer camp was their vacation because their families couldn’t take them on a traditional summer vacation. Those are the moments you realize why you’re doing what you’re doing.” Tanya says. The magnitude of that moment really changed the way she thought about her role, and only encouraged her to make these experiences even better for her troop.
I remember the leaders and I got together, and I told them, ‘If we go home, we’re teaching these girls to quit.’ The weather was kind of rough for 24 hours, but we knew it wouldn’t be for the next 48 hours. I said, ‘I don’t really want to do that,’ and they were in agreement with me. And the rest of the trip was fine. The girls had a blast, and to this day, the stories they will tell you . . .
Tanya Schwab
Through troop camping trips, Tanya and her girls have had so many growing and leaning opportunities. They get to learn real-world skills based on their experience. Her favorite memory is of a camping trip to Assateague Island. “We had 23 or 24 of us. Our trip didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to because we had terrible weather and had to move things inland for a day. We got to see the horses, and thankfully, we had no run-ins with the horses eating our food. That was my favorite trip.” Tanya saw the stormy weather as a teaching opportunity for the Girl Scouts, keeping their character and growth in mind.
Tanya says that volunteering is nothing short of rewarding when she sees the Girl Scouts learn and grow. “Every volunteer needs to figure out what their niche is. There are so many ways an adult can help. It’s work, but it’s so much fun, and the awards you get from it, from seeing what the Girl Scouts accomplish, it’s great. It’s wonderful to see that,” she says.
Tanya’s strength and courage continue to inspire and encourage both Girl Scouts and fellow volunteers, and her impact on the Girl Scout community is truly felt throughout her community!
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