Donor Spotlight: Marisa Beck
Girl Scouting isn’t something you do—it’s a piece of who you are. That’s what Marisa Beck has always believed and continues to hold in her heart as a Girl Scout alum. Marisa has been active with supporting GSCCC for several years through her business, Latitude Climbing + Fitness Center, with locations in Norfolk and Virginia Beach and a third location opening at Peninsula Town Center in Hampton the first part of 2023. Latitude is one of the region’s premier climbing facilities and features bouldering, sport climbing, and top ropes, as well as daily yoga and fitness classes.
This savvy entrepreneur grew up in Boston and has loving memories of being a Girl Scout and getting her business smarts start through the annual door-to-door cookie sales and booths. Her favorite treats are still Thin Mints today! Being a Girl Scout and selling Girl Scout Cookies was fertile ground for grooming this Hampton Roads business leader. She paired her love for health and wellness, interests supported through Girl Scouting and school sports, with her love for business to launch Latitude.
“Girl Scouts really set the pace for me,” she said. “It taught me never to quit. It gave me confidence. Some of my best childhood memories were made at Girl Scout camp. I loved being outdoors and doing things like hiking and orienting.” Marisa remembers earning a lot of badges and patches, including one for car maintenance; she says the knowledge gained from that patch came in handy as a young adult working on her own car.
“I recall sitting in the passenger side of our family car parked in the driveway and reading the manual, as instructed by the patch,” said Marisa. “I learned so much about cars from earning that patch! Without Girl Scouts I wouldn’t have ever done that, and I still have confidence about car maintenance to this day because of it.”
As a Girl Scout Ambassador, Marisa went on to earn her Gold Award, the highest honor and achievement a Girl Scout can earn. The memory of earning the Gold remains vivid. “I created a website for alumni from my cross country team so everyone could review current stats like fastest runner and best hill times. I planned a dinner to bring prominent alumnae together. We had a really special coach who told stories of girls who had run cross country in years past and helped us connect even though we had never met. It developed a legacy and helped us become a strong team that won the State championship that year.”
As a Girl Scout alum, she partnered with Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast in 2019 to develop the Explore Latitude Climbing patch, offered the council’s Cookie CEOs (top cookie sellers) a place to hold their celebration, and most recently has agreed to sponsor the council’s annual Cookie Classic Run for the second consecutive year. She also volunteers her time to serve on GSCCC’s Philanthropy Committee.
“Marisa Beck is an amazing person who continues her love of Girl Scouting as an adult,” GSCCC Philanthropy Director, Sally Swanson shared. “She brings a positive energy to the Philanthropy Committee and excellent ideas on how to engage girls and adults. Marisa and our volunteers have taken the Philanthropy Committee to the next level where they are having fun while making a difference.”
When girls succeed, so does society. With the support of donors like Marisa, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast is able to create opportunities for girls to discover their skills and interests, connect with supportive peers and adults, and make an impact on their world. Learn more about how you can support us today.
