Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri Launch Scholarship with STLCC

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri (GSEM) proudly announces a groundbreaking partnership with St. Louis Community College (STLCC) to launch the first-ever community college scholarship dedicated to Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. This transformative initiative not only honors the leadership, service, and impact of Girl Scouts—but also provides a powerful pathway to higher education for girls, staff, and adult volunteers across the eastern Missouri region.

At the heart of this partnership is a shared belief: that every young woman deserves access to opportunity, no matter the path she chooses. By investing in these changemakers, STLCC affirms its commitment to educational access and to equipping the next generation of leaders with the skills, knowledge, and comprehensive support to achieve lifelong success!

The scholarship program offers a $1,500 renewable and stackable award for eligible GSEM high school graduates who enroll full-time at STLCC. This partnership marks GSEM’s sixth collegiate collaboration and its first with a community college system as part of its newly launched ADVANCE HER© Leadership Initiative, a bold movement designed to promote academic achievement, career readiness, and long-term leadership development for girls across Eastern Missouri.

In a meaningful expansion of this initiative, GSEM staff and adult volunteers will also be eligible to receive scholarship support to pursue their undergraduate degrees at STLCC, reinforcing GSEM’s commitment to cultivating leadership at every level of the organization.

"We are thrilled to partner with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri to offer this unique scholarship opportunity. By supporting these exceptional young women, we are investing in the future leaders of our community, said Jeff L. Pittman, PhD, Chancellor of St. Louis Community College. “This scholarship recognizes their dedication and service and provides them with the resources they need to succeed in higher education and beyond. St. Louis Community College is committed to making education accessible and empowering students to achieve their full potential."

To qualify for the GSEM-STLCC renewable scholarship, students must:

• Meet STLCC’s admission requirements
• Maintain full-time status (minimum of 24 credit hours per year)
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher
• Enroll within two years of high school graduation

Beyond financial support, the partnership includes a comprehensive student success experience: STLCC will offer personalized campus visits, FAFSA workshops, and wraparound academic advising to help Girl Scout scholars thrive in their college journey. GSEM and STLCC will collaborate to monitor student progress and provide the guidance needed to support degree completion.

“We are excited to welcome St. Louis Community College as a partner in the ADVANCE HER© Leadership Program,” said Natissia Small, EdD, CEO of Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. “Together with STLCC, we’re empowering girls with clear paths to success on their own terms. STLCC’s student-focused approach aligns perfectly with our mission to develop bold, transformative leaders. As our sixth higher education partner, and our first community college system, we see this as a powerful step forward.  We’re eager to drive change together and build a future where Girl Scouts in eastern Missouri can grow into leaders who will thrive and create empowered futures.”

This partnership represents more than access to education, it is an intentional investment in the potential of every girl, every volunteer, and every future leader within the Girl Scout of Eastern Missouri community. Through the GSEM ADVANCE HER Leadership© initiative, we are redefining what it means to prepare girls for college, career, and a lifetime of impactful leadership.