Alumnae Story
I Wore a Uniform

By Tessie Williams

Why Girl Scouts? If my mother had not put me in Girl Scouts, I do not know if I would've beaten the odds in my community. Participation in Girl Scouting affords young impressionable girls the exposure to incredible leaders and role models in their community.

I grew up in what was then a small city in New Mexico, Las Cruces. It's actually now the second largest city in New Mexico after Albuquerque. My mother signed me up for Brownies, I still have that one and only "onesie" Brownie uniform dress that I loved wearing and hated taking off at the end of the day. I was a Girl Scout until around fifth grade, when we moved. When I returned to New Mexico I was in Junior High and became involved in other extracurricular activities, band, cheerleading, student council and science club; but all because of the wonderful influences I picked up being in Girl Scouts.

My memories of being a Girl Scout are cherished ones for me. I remember my first swap meet and making jump ropes out of plastic bread bags to trade at the swap meet. I also remember doing my first macramé plant holder and being so proud because my Mom actually used it to hang a plant and it didn't fall apart (or come down until I was almost in college). I remember how I loved that my sash had gotten so full with badges and pins, I felt so accomplished and I loved my uniforms.

After college I was hired as a USDA Plant Protection and Quarantine Officer in Los Angeles, Calif. I was one of the officers that you would encounter after Customs and Immigration to check for prohibited food or agricultural items—and yes, I WORE A UNIFORM with a badge/shield! I still have a badge as I have since moved to Arizona after being selected as the USDA APHIS PPQ Port Director of both Sky Harbor and Tucson International airports. I now cover ten states working with agricultural export and trade issues. I have hosted foreign officials from China, Mexico and Canada. Girl Scouts was the first place I learned about other cultures and that affinity for learning about other countries, cultures and peoples has stayed with me my entire life. Girl Scouts for me was a way to connect with other girls and learn about social issues, about ourselves and the world around us through community. It taught me about perseverance and dedication and best of all, about excelling. Besides my day job, I also have a small business that I plan on expanding, it's called The Orchid Cookie Company, and it started out as a business offering Biscochos - the official cookie of the state of New Mexico.

Because of Girl Scouts I have become driven to follow my dreams and to do things that I may not have otherwise. Growing up as a young Hispanic female in this world is amazingly scary, no one expects young Hispanic women to achieve ANYTHING. But I am living proof that organizations like Girl Scouts can be the difference between a life of unmet potential and a life, however full of challenges and setbacks, fulfilled. I signed up my daughter as soon as she was allowed to—first Daisies, then Brownies, then Girl Scouts and she loves it too. Although we moved around a lot, we always knew she would find community in Girl Scouts and so to me, my greatest success is the fact that I now have a teenage daughter who is creative, driven and committed to being a good person. And so the cycle of Girl Scouting goes. I expect that she will also someday have her daughters join the best organization for girls in the world.