Girl Scout Alums, Evie Clement and Mohdis Baker
Evie Clement, a senior at the University of Maine studying Communications, Speech Pathology, and Psychology, joined Portland Rising because she “Knew it was going to be a unique opportunity to meet and play with some incredibly talented women, but also to support women’s ultimate frisbee in general.”
Clement was a member of Troop 497 in Falmouth. She emphasized that the Girl Scout community she had as a child, and even as an adult, reminds her of the women’s frisbee community she has now with Portland Rising. “I am surrounded by a strong group of females with a shared interest who I am inspired by and can learn from and grow with. As women, it is important to keep lifting each other up and communities like these make that a lot easier.”
“One of my favorite and most vivid memories as a Girl Scout was when our troop took a trip down to Boston. We got to explore the city, but I think the best part was that we got to sleep in the aquarium. I remember other troops were also staying there as we all curled up in sleeping bags on the floor like one big sleepover. In our troop, we weren’t all friends before Girl Scouts, but we became friends because of it. I think being a part of Girl Scouts taught me how to be curious and creative, especially when working with others. I still keep in touch with a lot of my friends from Girl Scouts (granted, I only graduated a few years ago) and love reminiscing about our shenanigans. Looking back, it is such a great feeling to know I had a community of girls with shared interests as a support system to learn and grow with. We were able to do things like volunteer and give back to our community and have fun doing it.”
Mohdis Baker, Bates College Alum, and Westbrook resident, was a Girl Scout from Troop 2161 in Portland. She now works as a Lab Scientist at IDEXX and coaches an award winning women's ultimate frisbee team at Bates.
Baker went to a launch party for Portland Rising and “Couldn’t believe how much energy was already surrounding the team. Like most of our ultimate community, I was thrilled that not only would there be a professional ultimate team coming to Maine, but the first professional women’s team the state has ever had.”
“Girl Scouts actually translates really well into sports, where you are able to transfer your leadership skills, use your teamwork, and apply your self-discipline to achieve the goals that you desire. It also taught me how to make home-made ice cream with snow, which I still use to this day.”
“Despite not being able to compete on a field this season, we have still actively been learning about ongoing issues and using our platform to fight for social justice.”
Baker’s fondest memory of being a Girl Scout was the bridging ceremony from Brownie to Junior. She said, “Although the bridge is symbolic, it was a monumental experience for me where I felt recognized for my achievement and wanted to continue to do good for myself and my community.”
“Thanks to Girl Scouts, I developed a passion for remaining involved in my community. The more you're able to give back to your community, the more it can benefit you. I've found it especially important to give back to the younger generations so that they can learn and grow from our experiences and feel empowered to become future leaders,” said Baker.
Both Clement and Baker have advice for girls who are now and forever a part of the Girl Scout Network:
“In terms of advice, one thing I keep trying to remind myself is to make time to give back. With all the responsibilities that come with this fast paced world, it can be easy to get lost and feel like you only have time to just keep yourself moving. But cultivating connections with others and giving back to people and communities that you care about is so important, whether it be volunteering in your community or just checking in with an old friend. . . plus It can also be a form of self-care because you usually feel better afterward,” said Clement.
“My advice is to stick with the hobbies you're passionate about. Not only will it help you grow in that field, but you can gain lifelong friendships and relationships from it. Although we may be out of our youth years, continue to set goals for yourself. You can never stop learning, growing, and improving yourself and the world around you,” said Baker.
