Girl Scout Alum Nina Magaldi is Leading with Experience Boxes
Meet Girl Scout alum Nina Magaldi, leader of Troop 636 in Virginia Beach. She spent the majority of her Girl Scout years growing up in the Greater New York Council.
“One of my favorite stories to tell is that when my first troop in New York City disbanded at the end of elementary school, I called the council myself to find a new troop,”Nina said. “My mom worked late in Manhattan, so if there was something I wanted to do, I often had to figure it out for myself. Girl Scouting was important enough to me that I made sure I found a way to continue.”
Nina recalls that she had three amazing leaders who really excelled at engaging older girls. They made sure the small but mighty troop were involved in activities and always had something to look forward to.
“The Girl Scout Council of Greater New York had an amazing program that would bus girls from every borough into Manhattan to complete badges at Barnard College. I remember learning to code a website, learning ASL, and taking a textile class where we developed our own stamps,” she said. “Each one of those badges helped me either professionally or personally as an adult and it’s an experience I wouldn’t have had without Girl Scouts.”
Another huge milestone for Nina was serving as a National Delegate for the council and going to the 2005 National Convention in Atlanta, Georgia.
“I remember every part of that trip with my leaders,” Nina shared. “Getting to participate in the democratic process and vote on policies that would impact Girl Scouts across the country was a once in a lifetime experience. It is absolutely what led me to focus on political science and advocacy in college.”
Upon high school graduation, Nina chose to attend Virginia Wesleyan College, where students were always encouraged to connect their passions with their work and community. When it came time for a senior internship, Nina's professor encouraged her to get involved with advocacy. She went straight to where she had learned to be an advocate and connected with Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast (GSCCC). She did an advocacy internship with GSCCC and did an outstanding job; so much so that upon college graduation she joined the GSCCC staff. Her professional involvement did not end at GSCCC, later she moved to New York and took a position with Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey as a Development Specialist where she launched an alumni program until finally shifting into marketing in the private sector. Today, Nina still works in marketing but in the private sector.
“Girl Scouting was always my safe space and a place to make friends,” she said. “I moved a lot as a kid, and regardless of where we moved, I was able to stay connected to my troop and my friends. Having that consistency meant so much to me. No matter what else was changing around me, I always had this one place where I knew I belonged. It was also a place where I was allowed to fail, try again, learn something new, and figure things out without feeling like I had to be perfect.”
Nina wants that same experience for Camila, her daughter. When she said yes to volunteering, she was thrilled to learn about the Experience Boxes that were made available to new leaders. Complimentary Experience Boxes are delivered monthly right to the troop leader’s door. Each box includes simple scripts, easy instructions, and ready-to-use supplies for fun, stress-free meetings. Leaders can expect to receive up to seven themed boxes, depending on when the troop starts.
“My co-leader and I met as strangers at a ‘Make New Friends’ event the summer before Camila started Kindergarten,” she said. “Starting a troop is overwhelming. Even as a former staff member I’ve never been responsible for leading a troop and I didn’t know where to begin. Signing up to receive the Experiences Boxes made launching our troop so much easier. It took the mental load of planning, shopping and executing off of our plates. We could walk into any meeting prepared with everything we would need to ensure both the girls and leaders left feeling successful.”
Nina wants the girls she leads to know that Girl Scouts is a place where they can feel safe trying something new, making mistakes, and trying again. She wants them to know they are supported unconditionally and that they always have a place where they belong. Most importantly, she wants them to have fun and be able to look back on their Girl Scout memories with a full heart!
One of Nina’s suggested activities for troops to do when celebrating Juliette Gordon Low’s Birthday (October 31) is Pancake Flipping! This is a traditional Girl Scout game often played on Founder’s Day. It’s a fun and simple game that Juliette Gordon Low used to play herself as a child.
- The Prep: Make real pancakes and overcook them slightly so they become firm and durable, or use slices of bread or felt cutouts for a mess-free version. For younger girls, use paper or plastic plates as light “pans”.
- The Rules: Give each participant a small pan, plate, or spatula and a pancake. On the count of three, players gently toss and flip the pancake into the air and try to catch it again on their plate or pan.
- The Challenge: See who can complete the most successful flips in a row without dropping it, who can flip it the highest, or turn it into a relay race by adding obstacles like spinning in a circle or walking around a chair.
