'An incredible feat': Marshfield 15-year-old could become town's first female Eagle Scout

MARSHFIELD – Fifteen-year-old Alyssa Budd hopes she'll soon join the elite company of Neil Armstrong, Steven Spielberg, President Gerald Ford, Gov. Michael Dukakis and thousands of other leaders  who earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

A member of Troop 424, Alyssa is hoping to become Marshfield's first female Eagle Scout with her project to build a fire pit pergola at the Marshfield Boys & Girls Club. Over two days, 45 volunteers – including Alyssa, her fellow Scouts and her parents –  spent 290 work hours working on the pergola.

“I love hanging out with people and enjoying my time with my friends and my family,” Alyssa said. “So I wanted to make a space that could bring people together.”

The Marshfield Boys & Girls Club sponsors Troop 424 and has been hosting the all-girl troop since it was first chartered in February 2019.  Alyssa said her Eagle Scout project shows her gratitude for their support.

“It made my heart melt,” said Jim Bunnell, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club. “With her leadership and her vision, she wanted to be able to provide a place for kids to come and recreate and socialize, meet and enjoy friendships.”

To get supplies for her project, Alyssa visited Marshfield businesses wearing her Scout uniform and asked for donations.

“I've also learned how loving of a community Marshfield is and how eager they are to give back if you just reach out,” Alyssa said.

Bunnell said he's been impressed by  her hard work, maturity and leadership.

“It is an incredible, incredible feat that she's going to accomplish,” Bunnell said. “All the other badges that they need to earn to become an Eagle Scout, and then doing the project, is an incredible amount of work altogether and balance it with school, and her other activities, is incredible at her age.”

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Alyssa said she appreciates what scouting has given her, and how it has shaped her.

“Scouting has really developed my leadership skills,” she said. “It has also helped me make friends and be a more personable person.”

There weren't any older female Scouts to mentor her or to show her  that it was possible for a girl to become an Eagle Scout. She said the leadership of Troop 1920 in Plymouth  showed her the ropes.

“(Troop 1920) helped me feel like I belonged,” Alyssa said. “And they showed me all of the cool adventures that you could do in scouting.”

Because of her experience, Alyssa said she wants to be there for the younger Scouts joining the troop and be  a role model.

“I love being able to show girls that we have equal opportunity in this world,” Alyssa  said. “I want to be able to show all of the girls that look up to me that they can do it too.”

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Alyssa Budd aims to be Marshfield's first female Eagle Scout