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Local teen one of first female members to earn Eagle Scout ranking in Boy Scouts
A South Sound teen set out to join the Boy Scouts of America, and this year, she became one of the first female members to receive her Eagle Scout rank.
TACOMA, Wash. - A local teen is making headlines today after becoming one of the very first females in the nation to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. It’s the highest achievement for the Boy Scouts of America and about only 4 percent of scouts have earned that rank, but this is not her first time breaking barriers.
"I'd been tagging along with my brother for the past 10 years and I was like I wanna do Boy Scouts, but they wouldn’t let me because I was a girl," said 18-year-old McKenzie Ward.
Ward is proof – where there’s a will, there’s a way.
"From day one, I was like I'm going to be an Eagle Scout, I have this much time and I am going to get it done," Ward said.
Q13 News first spoke to Ward back in January of 2019 – after the Boy Scouts of America allowed girls to register for the first time in history.
Ward participating in Troop 692.
"Just learning more survival skills and knot tying and to be able to hopefully get my Eagle Scout rank," said Ward in a 2019 interview.
Ward shared her goals shortly after joining her South Sound troop. Today she attends Montana State University, but still considers Tacoma and Troop 692 home.
"Within like the first couple months, I earned 5 ranks. I learned how to tie knots, how to do campouts, how to work as a troop and be a leader," she said.
Becoming an Eagle Scout is a lengthy process, which includes challenges like earning 21 different merit badges and completing a volunteer service project.
"I took my scout book and in the back, it has all the requirements for the ranks and certain ranks have more requirements. So I took sticky notes and labeled the date I had to have it done to Eagle as fast as I possibly could," said Ward.
A year and a half later, Ward is one of the first females to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, and in turn, she’s taking others under her wing.
"No matter who you are no matter how you identify, you can find your place in Scouts... it ended up being an amazing experience and I learned so much more than I ever expected," she said.
Ward is studying chemical engineering at MSU, and considering minoring in material science and psychology. She said she'll stay involved with her home troop in Tacoma where she continues to serve as junior assistant Scout Master.