Alum Spotlight: Angie Salerno
As a young girl, Angie Salerno was busy falling in love with Girl Scouting; that love has persisted to the present, and created a lifetime of cherished memories for her and her daughter, Ariel.
“I was a Brownie in 1976, the year of the Bicentennial. We marched in the Bicentennial parade and buried a time capsule,” Angie shared. “Our troop met in Franklin, Virginia. Camp Darden is where I made many memories, including carving my own friendship stick.”
She remained an active Girl Scout for seven years, until her family moved to an area where there were no active troops. “I vowed if I ever had a daughter, she would always have a leader. And she did! My daughter got to be a Girl Scout from Daisy to Ambassador and she earned her Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards.”
Angie has been volunteering for more than twenty years now. “I haven’t stopped being a leader and fill in at whatever level needs me. I've led all levels and have taken several different groups on trips,” she said. “Some of my favorites were to Our Chalet in Switzerland, Pax Lodge in England, Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, Disney World, Disneyland, and of course, Savannah a few times.”
She and her daughter have gone back to Camp Darden, most recently with Troop 946, where Angie still serves as a leader.
Outside of Girl Scouts, Angie has spent more than thirty years as an elementary school art teacher. She was selected as the Virginia Art Education Association (VAEA) Virginia Art Educator of the Year in 2022, earned the 2024 Chowan University Distinguished Alumni Award, 2004 Kilby Shores Elementary Teacher of the Year, and 1994 Kilby Shores Rookie Teacher of the Year. “I currently serve as the VAEA Secretary and Archivist. I am also a member of the Tidewater Basketry Guild and serve as co-chair this year for the Guilder’s Weave Basket convention and will be the chairperson next year for the four-day weaving event,” she said. “I can’t wait to come weave with the Girl Scouts at A Place For Girls in December!”
She has also played handbells at her church for more than thirty years, and says she is looking forward to playing handbells at Disney World this Christmas. We look forward to many more years of watching Angie help our Girl Scouts grow!
