Fort Collins' first female Eagle Scouts smash barriers after organization's 2019 change

There may not be a "glass ceiling shattering" merit badge, but that's just what two Northern Colorado teens did earlier this year when they became the first female Eagle Scouts in Fort Collins.

Emma Turner, 18, of Loveland officially reached Eagle Scout rank in April. Kathryn Skonning, also 18, of Fort Collins completed her Eagle Scout requirements in May.

Both Turner and Skonning were the first women to reach the ranks in their respective Fort Collins-based troops. Turner is part of Troop 97, while Skonning is in Troop 83.

The pair's accomplishments come three years after Boy Scouts of America started allowing girls into its flagship Boy Scouts program in early 2019, changing its name to Scouts BSA in the process.

"I was ecstatic," Turner said. "I immediately started looking for a troop."

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Both Turner and Skonning said they were interested in joining Scouts BSA after seeing their brothers participate in the program.

Turner, who was a Girl Scout in elementary school, said she felt more drawn to what her older brother, Ethan, was doing as a Boy Scout.

"Typically, when you think about Boy Scouting, you think about first aid and tying knots and camping, and that really was interesting to me," she said.

Skonning, too, said her younger brother and father would come back from Boy Scout camping and hiking trips with fun stories. Although her brother ultimately left the Scouts BSA program, Skonning joined in 2019 and stuck with it.

"From the beginning, I knew I wanted to get as far as I could," she said.

To become an Eagle Scout — the Scout BSA program's highest rank — scouts must complete requirements for seven total ranks, hold leadership roles, be a Life Scout for at least six months, earn a minimum of 21 merit badges and complete an Eagle Scout project all before turning 18. Scouts often join the program at about 10 or 11 years old.

"It typically takes scouts seven to eight years to earn their Eagle award, and it seemed super intimidating when I first joined," Turner said. "It was seven years worth of work in three years."

On top of that, Turner said she joined Troop 97 right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020 — pushing in-person scout meetings online.

"When we would meet virtually, (Turner) was silent," Troop 97 Scoutmaster Kim Miller said. "She would not speak."

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But after weeks of hosting fireside Zoom meetings in her backyard, Miller said the troop was finally able to start getting back outside, starting slowly with socially distanced meet-ups in local parks.

With time, Miller said Turner started coming out of her shell and became an active member in the Lunar Crane Patrol — Troop 97's girls-only patrol that consisted of four members around Turner's age.

"They were my biggest support system," Turner said, adding that the patrol worked on most of their merit badges together and grew especially close on their overnight camping trips — sharing meals and tents on their own campsite separate from the troop's boy members.

Skonning joined Troop 83 when she was in ninth grade. Stymied, too, by the COVID-19 pandemic, she said she ultimately had to file for a three-month extension to finish the necessary requirements for her Eagle Scout rank.

Despite the pandemic slowing down Skonning's plans, she said she started to see the light at the end of the tunnel as she graduated to new ranks and earned new merit badges.

"As I went further down that path, it became clear I could (make Eagle Scout)," she said.

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While she was the first girl to join Troop 83, there are now six to seven younger girls who just moved up from the troop's Cub Scout program to Scouts BSA.

"It's really fun to see that," Skonning said.

Skonning's and Turner's recent Eagle Scout achievements represent a new chapter in scouting for Miller.

After being involved in Boy Scouts of America for more than 20 years — ever since her now-grown sons were Tiger and Cub scouts — Miller said she can't even remember how many girls talked to her about wanting to join Boy Scouts.

Each time, until the scouting change in 2019, Miller said she had to tell them they couldn't.

But now, Miller said, not only can girls join Scouts BSA, but they can look up to women Eagle Scouts like Turner.

"I don't cry very often, but I did shed a couple tears (when Turner made Eagle Scout)," Miller said. "It's just ... it's one of the things I wanted to witness my entire life, and Emma achieved it."

After reaching their Eagle Scout ranks, both Skonning and Turner graduated from area high schools this spring. Skonning is a recent Rocky Mountain High School graduate, and Turner graduated from Mountain View High School in Loveland.

Skonning has enlisted in the Army Reserves and will be headed to Maryland's Fort Meade for six months of training before enrolling at the University of Tennessee in the fall. She wants to study forensic anthropology.

Turner will attend Colorado State University this fall.

Both women plan to remain involved in Scouts BSA. Skonning said she plans to continue supporting her troop, and Turner said she hopes to be a merit badge counselor for hers. Part of that will include recruiting more girls into the Scouts BSA program — ensuring that while she may have been her troop's first female Eagle Scout, she won't be its last.

Erin Udell reports on news, culture, history and more for the Coloradoan. Contact her at ErinUdell@coloradoan.com. The only way she can keep doing what she does is with your support. If you subscribe, thank you. If not, sign up for a digital subscription to the Coloradoan today. 

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Meet Fort Collins' first female Eagle Scouts