The excitement was tangible. Girls as young as 6 years old and as old as 15 nearly buzzed with anticipation to see a Navy ship. A meager three feet tall, bouncing around with a smile plastered across her face, the youngest scout, a daisy who had just turned six the day before, ran onto the ship ready to see everything there was to offer.
Behind her bright blue daisy vest, is a girl who, despite not having a home, still finds joy in new experiences, who also loves grapes, and is willing to talk with anyone who will listen. She is one of the many girls who make up New York’s Girl Scout Troop 6,000.
Girl Scout Troop 6,000 visited the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) for a tour and luncheon May 27, 2023, during Fleet Week New York 2023.
Troop 6,000 is a special troop unique to New York. Girl scout troops are ordinarily based on location or school districts, but what about girls who live in homeless or women’s shelters and are always transient? This troop allows for a sense of community for girls who otherwise would not have it.
The troop leader, Evelyn Santiago, came to the U.S. as an infant so to her becoming the troop leader felt like an obvious choice.
“Well, to me, as an immigrant myself, I came here when I was their age, and I’ve been here my whole life but never got to experience things that a lot of New Yorkers do,” Santiago said. “This is their first time in this country, and I want them to experience everything that there is to offer. I want them to know that there is a lot of things for them to see and visit.”
Throughout the tour, the girls were able to get hands-on with some of the equipment displayed around the ship.
“My favorite part is watching their faces and the appreciation and love in return,” Santiago said.
Joselyn and Valerie are both cadets in the troop and said they love that they can learn new things, travel to new places and meet new girls and other troops.
“What I liked the most was the cars and meeting all the Sailors,” Joselyn said. “I’ve always wanted to meet [them] and want to be in the military when I grow up.” She said she also wants to be a police woman, a veterinarian and a pilot.
The scouts’ tour of Wasp was in honor of Girl Scout Career Day which allows the girls the opportunity to see women in a variety of career fields. Female Marines, Sailors and Coast Guardsmen were all present during the tour, however one unique aspect was that all these women were also bilingual and spoke both Spanish and English. Many of the girls in the troop are recent immigrants to New York, which can create various barriers, but with bilingual tour guides, language was never one of them.
“I appreciate what the Navy did for these girls,” said Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Shayri PerezRamos, a translator and tour guide, assigned to Wasp. “Growing up in Puerto Rico, there was always hardships, but bringing them here and giving them the opportunity to see what the Navy’s like, made me feel very prideful. Especially meeting people from my country and being able to speak in my native language once again made me feel like I was doing something good today.”
After lunch, there was a Q&A panel which allowed the girls to ask about what the many women from the three branches have experienced. It concluded with many hugs, selfies and a group photo.
Fleet Week New York, now in its 35th year, is a time-honored Sea Service celebration that gives citizens of New York and the surrounding tri-state region the opportunity to witness today’s maritime capabilities first hand. The 2023 celebration will host nearly 3,000 Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen this year.