Three years ago, the Boy Scouts of America allowed girls to join, and the name was changed to Scouts of BSA in 2019. Identical twins Selina and Alison Zhang didn’t want to miss the opportunity and became the first girls and the first Asian American girls to make it to Eagle Scout in Brooklyn.
The Scouts BSA’s highest rank, Eagle Scout, is often regarded as the pinnacle of achievement. Bill Gates, the father of Microsoft, and Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, were both Eagle Scouts.
The 17-year-old twins didn’t really like all the arts and crafts at the girl scouts, as they find outdoor activities interesting which are offered to boys including cycling, hiking, gun shooting, kayaking, and water rafting, as well as leadership skills. They’ve also handled the issue of Asian prejudice in one of their projects.
The young teens were the target of bullies when they first moved to the U.S. from China, but now that they’ve discovered their passion, they are excited to lead a new generation of younger scouts. The twins are also working on a project that will address the persistent problems of hate crimes against Asians.
