What do you feel when you indulge in a Girl Scout cookie? It may be the sweet feeling of nostalgia, reminding you of your time as a Girl Scout and the wonderful memories you made with your troop. Or you may feel an overload of satisfaction as the flavors hit your taste buds. The way the Trefoils melt in your mouth, or the perfect crunch you take out of a Thin Mints – there’s nothing quite like it. There is something to be said about the power of Girl Scout cookies, no matter the flavor. So, what makes Girl Scout cookies so iconic?
Meet Effie Nestrud, a former Girl Scout who is on a mission to perfect each flavor of Girl Scout cookies. Effie is the Laboratory Head at Ferrero North America. Ferrero is the parent company of Little Brownie Bakers, which, as you may know, is our council’s Girl Scout cookie bakery. Effie’s responsibilities include developing ingredient formulations for Girl Scout cookies and other Ferrero brand cookies, ice cream cones, fudge, and chocolates. If your mouth isn’t watering yet, it will be soon! Part of the job for Effie also includes taste-testing each food item – talk about the best job ever!
One of Effie’s most memorable work projects was developing the Adventurefuls Girl Scout cookie. Adventurefuls were added to the Girl Scout cookie lineup in 2021, which means they were the only Girl Scout cookie to be developed and launched during a pandemic. Effie and her team excitedly overcame the challenges of social distancing and were able to get deliciously creative with their creations after Ferrero employees received the initial briefing for developing a brownie-inspired cookie with salted caramel and fudge. Some of the first Adventurefuls prototypes were square-shaped, which, as we know now, didn’t make the cut. There were many trials to get each ingredient just right. “It was a big challenge for the team, and I can remember when we finally accomplished it, we were all so very excited”, said Effie.
Being able to face challenges with confidence is something that Effie carried forward from her time as a Girl Scout. From shaking past the nerves of knocking on a door to sell Girl Scout cookies, to caring for the well-being of horses during her time at Girl Scout summer camp, Effie developed her confidence and learned life-long practical skills. Her troop was made up of some of her closest friends, and they had developed great relationships throughout their time in Girl Scouts. “I remember feeling quite supported by the individuals in my troop because, again, as I kind of grew up with a lot of them, it was always this safe space to come back. If I tried something new, maybe tried out for the basketball team and maybe wasn’t doing great because I’m not super coordinated, it was always nice to have this group to come back to during those challenging times.”
Being a Girl Scout helped Effie speak up about her passions. “Girl Scouts helped me with that initial confidence of having maybe a younger voice that was more uncertain and saying, hey, I might not know the answer, but at least I feel confident to speak up or ask questions and understand or contextualize something better.” Girl Scouts also created a safe space for Effie to explore her curiosity for STEM. “I’ve always been curious about food and food science, and Girl Scouts helped me understand that it’s OK to be curious about those things. Being in food science today is largely driven by me feeling encouraged to lean into STEM throughout many of the touch points in Girl Scout programming I participated in when I was younger.”
Through her time as a Girl Scout, Effie learned first-hand how to dream big and work hard to accomplish her personal and professional dreams. She encourages all Girl Scouts to do the same. “Trust yourself and know that if it’s something that you’re really interested in and you’re really passionate about, then do it.”
As you prepare for another cookie season, know there is power in every box of Girl Scout cookies. Power to allow each girl to unbox her future. A future where she’s not afraid to take risks or use her voice to speak on topics she’s passionate about. A future where she’s not overwhelmed with what everyone else is doing and instead forges her own path with courage, confidence, and character.