faces
By Megan Roth
Fly Like an Eagle Katie Thompson achieves the highest rank in Boy Scouts
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Getting Involved Thompson’s father, Ryan Thompson, a BSA employee, knew his daughters would be involved in scouting as soon as it became gender inclusive. Thompson’s older brother is an Eagle Scout, and her two younger sisters also joined the program. However, Thompson initially had no interest in joining Boy Scouts. “I started to make some connections within the troop,” she says, “but I still was not invested. I went to the meetings and participated because I knew (my dad) wanted me to.” When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Thompson ran for senior patrol leader to stay involved despite the shift to a virtual atmosphere. It was then that her passion for working with the troop took off. When in-person events returned, she attended a National Youth Leadership Training Program through BSA, which allowed her to see the value scouting could add to her life. 14
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Photos courtesy of Katie Thompson
n February 2019, girls were first allowed to join the Boy Scouts of America. Since then, girls have been given the opportunity to rise through the same scout ranks as their male counterparts, including being able to work their way to the highest, most coveted rank in scouting, Eagle Scout, which only 4-8 percent of Scouts achieve according to the BSA. In July 2021, Katie Thompson became the first female Eagle Scout in Pickerington.
