NDA Student One of First Female Eagle Scouts

Julie Remington poses with one of her Ottomans in the Martin L. Nesbitt, Jr. Discovery Academy atrium.

By Tim Reaves
BCS Communications Department

Julie Remington is a trailblazer.

The Martin L. Nesbitt, Jr. Discovery Academy sophomore is among the first young women to become an Eagle Scout, the highest rank within the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). After the Boy Scouts opened their ranks to all genders two years ago, Julie joined and quickly earned all the merit badges and leadership accolades needed to reach the pinnacle achievement. She and a few other young women are the first-ever class of female Eagle Scouts. Julie also has been a Girl Scout for years and is working on her Gold Star Award – the highest rank within the Girl Scouts.

“I wanted to become an Eagle Scout, because my older brother became one,” Julie explained. “I got to see a lot of that process, and decided I wanted to do it as well. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have different atmospheres, and they take different approaches, so I think it’s good to experience both.”

For her Eagle Scout project, Julie created a lending library for her school. She organized a group of Scouts to build four Ottomans with inset bookshelves for the school’s atrium, where students often eat lunch and relax between classes. Julie demonstrated her leadership skills by designing the Ottomans, soliciting material donations from local hardware stores, planning group workdays, and sticking to a tight schedule – all while navigating the difficulties posed by COVID-19.

The lending library, freshly stocked with novels, will function like many others in the community, Julie said. Students can take books to borrow or keep, donate their own books after they are approved by the school, and share as they please.

Julie said an engineering class at her STEM-focused high school helped her design the Ottomans

“It helped me visualize the project,” she said. “I could put it down on paper and see the finished product.”

NDA Principal Heather Brookshire said Julie’s project represents the kind of forward-thinking leadership NDA aims to foster in its students.

“When I first met with Julie about her project, she was so focused and knew exactly what her vision was – I had very few questions,” Ms. Brookshire said. “Now her project is going to enhance the school for all the kids.”

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