From Girl Scout to Waymonaut

Earlier this month, we teamed up with Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) to transport cookies for the annual Girl Scout Cookie Program with our Waymo Via truck fleet. Girl Scouts has long encouraged girls at every age and from all different backgrounds to explore science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields through their girl-centric programming. And at Waymo, we need a diverse group of people to develop the Waymo Driver and deliver on our mission, so we look for opportunities to open these dialogues with younger generations who will forge the future of autonomous driving technology.

Our new partnership with Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas inspired us to ask if any of our Waymonauts are Girl Scout alums and how their experience influenced their journey to Waymo. With the organization’s focus on STEM, entrepreneurism, and leadership skills, it’s no surprise we found many alums among us, with really inspiring stories about what being a Girl Scout meant to them personally, how they found themselves in STEM roles, and how those two things are very closely intertwined. 

Emily Warman, Software Engineer, Planning/Behavior

5 years as a Girl Scout in Dupage County, IL

“To me, [being a] girl meant inside voices, dolls, clothes I couldn't get dirty, legs without bruises, being small. I felt limited. I wanted to be seen for things I was good at: how fast I could run, how high I could climb, how brave I was... Girl Scouts was the first time I felt like I was a part of a group of girls. I didn't have to be anything I wasn't in Girl Scouts. It was the first time I felt like being a girl was OK, maybe even great.”

Maggie Graupera, Recruiter, Hardware Engineering

3 years as a Girl Scout in San Jose, CA

"I was a Girl Scout for several years. Cookie sales was a formative experience for me. The act of selling is a skill I started to harness at an early age through Girl Scouts. That experience prepared me in my career and ultimately led me to my role of selling the experience of working at Waymo (as a recruiter).”

Megan Quick, System Engineer

16 years as a Girl Scout and Girl Scout camp counselor in Colorado

“I think that some parts of the Girl Scout curriculum really helped with understanding STEM careers, and introducing STEM and engineering concepts. I became a mechanical engineer and that was influenced by many things, but the hands-on experiences that I got at the Girl Scout camps definitely gave me early experience with this. I also think that my leadership experience that I got in the Girl Scouts likely helped me to get a scholarship to college.”

Michelle Peacock, Global Head of Policy and Government Relations

4 years as a Girl Scout in Pasco, Washington

“What does being a Girl Scout mean to me? The answer can be found in the Girl Scout Promise. ‘On my honor, I will try to serve God and my country, to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout Law.’ I literally use this pledge to think about how I should move about my life every single day. I also try to help those who reach out to me for career advice or networking. I do whatever it takes to make the time because that's how you learn! I stay in touch with many women I've worked with throughout my career and am super proud to see them grow and be successful.”

Sandy Karp, Senior Communications Associate

7 years as a Girl Scout in Peninsula Bay Area

“I’d say there are a lot of similarities between our mission at Waymo and the Girl Scout Law. At Waymo, we're teaching the Waymo Driver to be friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, to respect authorities, and use resources wisely, and to make the world (and our roads) a better place.”

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_{Image caption and source: Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas cheer the new branding on a Waymo Via truck used to fulfill Girl Scout Cookie Program logistics (GSNETX staff photographer)}