Alumna Stories - Marly Graham
Tell us about your Girl Scout journey.
I first joined Girl Scouts when I was in kindergarten, so I have been in since day 1. Heidi at the daycare in Lockwood that I was going to at the time wanted to start a troop and asked if I wanted to join. I really don't remember this, but that is what my mom told me. I was a Girl Scout both in Billings, Montana, and Sheridan, Wyoming. I moved to Sheridan when I was around age 10.
What is your favorite Girl Scout memory?
My favorite Girl Scout memory has to be Camp Sacajawea in Casper, Wyoming, during the Aces of Archery camp in August of 2021 right before my junior year in high school. I went to camp previously for leadership training, but this was my first time really participating in an activity-based camp. I was very hesitant at first, I am not a huge fan of overnight camps, but it turned out to be the best camp that I ever went to. The camp really sparked my interest in archery, prompting me to join 4-H archery for the rest of my high school career. Now, I compete at indoor and 3D tournaments all over Montana and Wyoming with my recurve bow. I also started the University of Montana Shooting Sports Club, featuring archery, speed steel, airgun, and shotgun disciplines. My goal is to make shooting sports, including archery, more inclusive to college students, allowing them to feel that spark that I felt during the Girl Scout camp.
Another really prominent memory of mine was the yearly camp-outs at Camp Tatoka in Story, Wyoming. I participated in the camp for around 8 years, first starting off as a member, but the next years, I came in through leadership positions. One camp, in particular, we were learning survival skills, which included building a fire and shelter, just to name a few. That night, we were paired up into groups and told to build a shelter to sleep in for the night. I created this great lean-to shelter using a large rock, really proud of myself there. Throughout the night, I was the only one that stayed in my shelter the entire time, but boy did I not get any sleep that night. Every little sound woke me up the entire time. It took so much to wake me up the next morning after that night, I slept like a rock.
Tell us more about your journey.
What you are up to now?
Girl Scouts really helped me foster those social relationships between both fellow Girl Scouts and troop leaders. It allowed me to learn more about my community and give back to the people. I have always struggled with making friends, so this organization has given me a space to foster those friendships without a lot of pressure. It also allowed me to develop my leadership skills, which have prompted me to now step into several leadership roles in my everyday life. I don't know if I would be the same person today without those leadership opportunities in Girl Scouts.
As far as my college journey, after high school, I started at Sheridan College in Sheridan, Wyoming, in Fall 2023 to take some general credits. Then, I transferred to the University of Montana studying journalism with a minor in psychology the following year. I am graduating here this May and moving into a marketing job with freelance journalistic work on the side. Throughout my journalistic career, I have worked with The Sheridan Press, the Montana Free Press, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and the Outdoor Journal. Here at the University of Montana, I have also helped out with a few Girl Scout archery camps at the Western Montana Game and Fish Association Deer Creek Shooting Range, allowing me to give back to current Girl Scouts and connect back to my roots.
What is your favorite Girl Scout achievement?
My favorite Girl Scout achievement was my Gold Award, like many others. In Sheridan, Wyoming, community members are encouraged to come out and place American flags on the Veteran's graves for Memorial Day. For as long as I have known, my Girl Scout troops have participated in this event, but I have always noticed several flaws in the system that I really wanted to help iron out. I worked with the American Legion, among others, to create a procedure for the flag placement event. I had everything planned out from the stake placement to maps of the cemetery to group assignments in each section. I also placed thousands of small stickers on every one of the veteran's graves in the cemetery so it is easier to find them the day of. It was months of work after school to get that done, bringing in other groups to help me as well like the Boy Scouts. In the end, I received a lot of compliments on my new system and talked about how to implement it even after I leave the project.
If you could give a young Girl Scout of today some advice, what would it be?
Getting involved in everything you can through Girl Scouts truly makes a difference. The more you learn, explore, and challenge yourself now, the more prepared you will be for college and life beyond. Take advantage of the opportunities in front of you, especially the chance to build meaningful connections. Through Girl Scouts, I formed lasting friendships and valuable professional relationships that have had a real impact on my career path. Beyond that, it gave me a strong sense of community and experiences that are often much harder to find later in adulthood. If you lean in and make the most of it, Girl Scouts can shape not just what you do, but who you become.
