Those words have hung above my bedroom door for as long as I can remember. My dad put the sign there when I was an infant, a reminder to dream big and never let something that seemed impossible stop me from trying. I did not truly understand what they meant until I joined Scouting — and an internship at Ford showed me how far that lesson could take me.
In February 2019, at the age of 13, I became a founding member of Troop 19 in Short Hills, New Jersey, one of the first all-female Scouts BSA troops in the country.
When I joined, I was not naturally comfortable speaking in front of groups or stepping into visible leadership roles. My first position was “Scribe,” recording meeting minutes and maintaining attendance records. It was a behind-the-scenes role, but it taught me that leadership starts with being dependable.
Click to Enlarge
Honored to receive congratulations from congressman Tom Malinowski at my Eagle Scout Court of Honor.
As I gained experience, I took on greater responsibility, becoming a Troop Guide and later Assistant Senior Patrol Leader of Advancement. Eventually, my fellow Scouts elected me Senior Patrol Leader, planning meetings and leading a youth team that supported nearly 60 Scouts through our troop's return to in-person activities after the COVID-19 pandemic.
That experience taught me something I still carry with me: Confidence rarely comes before the challenge. More often, it grows because you choose to step forward, prepare, and learn along the way. I progressed to leading an entire troop and later serving as a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster.
For my Eagle Scout project, I founded the Koala Conservation Crew after seeing the devastating impact of the Australian bushfires on koalas and their habitats. What began as a service project grew into a nonprofit dedicated to protecting koalas and other endangered wildlife. We raised more than $10,000 for the Koala Hospital in Australia, built and shipped wildlife drinking stations to conservation groups in Kenya, and led a petition supporting stronger legal protections for koalas.
Click to Enlarge
Honoring my dad with the Eagle Scout parent pin was a small way to thank him for the support that made my journey possible.
In February 2021, I became a member of the inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts, meaningful not only as a personal achievement but also because it showed what girls could accomplish when given the opportunity.
This summer at Ford, I've realized just how much those lessons still guide me. As a Product and Brand Communications intern, I've contributed to projects ranging from the reveal of the Explorer ST Sinister and storytelling about Electric Spice in the Tremor lineup to media planning and product launches. Each assignment challenged me to learn quickly, ask questions, and confidently share my ideas with experienced professionals.
Much like Scouting, communications is built on trust, preparation, and teamwork. Whether interviewing subject matter experts, researching and presenting strategic recommendations, or collaborating with colleagues across the company, I often found myself stepping into new situations. Instead of seeing that uncertainty as something to avoid, I recognized it as an opportunity to grow — the same mindset Scouting had taught me years earlier.
One of the biggest lessons I will take from my internship is that leadership isn't defined by a title. It's reflected in everyday actions: being prepared, supporting your team, staying curious, and having the confidence to contribute, even when you're the newest person in the room. Those are the same lessons I first learned around a campfire and on weekend campouts.
The sign above my bedroom door still serves as a reminder of how far I have come. "Dream the Impossible" does not mean ambitious goals will be easy. It means being willing to take the first step, even when the path has not yet been created.
That mindset helped me become one of the first female Eagle Scouts. It helped me turn my passion for wildlife conservation into a nonprofit organization. And it gave me the confidence to contribute at Ford, surrounded by professionals whose work I had admired long before I walked through the doors.
