by Alvernia University
Alvernia University President Glynis A. Fitzgerald, Ph.D., is one of four women leaders that will be honored by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania at its 2024 Take the Lead Berks County. President Fitzgerald enjoyed spending a day with local Girl Scout Sophie ahead of the event.
“I am where I am today because of others who have mentored me along the way. At Alvernia, we look for opportunities for mentorship as a way to enhance experiential learning experiences for students together with others in our community,” said Fitzgerald. “I’m grateful for the recognition by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania and for the honor and the privilege of spending the day with Sophie. She is a remarkable young woman.”
As part of the Take the Lead program, high school-aged Girl Scouts are paired with each honoree to shadow them for a day, gain valuable career and leadership insights, and receive guidance on building their professional network. The girls, who are selected through a competitive application and interview process, then creatively reflect on the experience and deliver presentations at the event. In addition, Girl Scouts will serve as presenters, emcees, event hosts, social media influencers, and chorus at the event.
Sophie arrived at the John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne with Girl Scouts of Eastern PA staff and kicked off the day with the marketing team to discuss upcoming events, as well as a tour and meeting with Alvernia’s O’Pake Institute staff. After Starbucks and a campus shuttle ride to tour the rest of campus, Sophie attended a commencement meeting and ended the day with lunch and time to interview President Fitzgerald.
“I loved my day with Dr. Fitzgerald and loved seeing how respected she is as a woman and in her workplace,” said Sophie.
Take the Lead Berks County honorees were nominated by the community and selected by a committee of past honorees as they exemplify the Girl Scouts’ mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. In addition, officials shared that honorees are leaders in industry and the community, who serve Berks County and its residents not only as part of their professional careers but also through their commitment to causes and communities they support, in a release. Fitzgerald and three other women leaders will be honored at a Girl Scout-led event at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Reading on April 3, 2024.
“Our 2024 Take the Lead Berks County honorees have impacted Berks County through their authentic leadership journeys. Their pursuit of excellence, commitment to service, and passion for making the community better inspire us all, and we are thrilled to honor them this year,” said Kim E. Fraites-Dow, Chief Executive Officer of GSEP. “These exemplary leaders are incredible role models for our Girl Scouts who are building their courage, confidence, and character to make the world a better place.”
Alvernia University is a Catholic comprehensive university with a liberal arts foundation founded by the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters in 1958. The university serves over 3,000 students in Reading, Pottsville, and Philadelphia with a unique blend of rigorous liberal arts education, strong technical training in many high demand majors, ever-expanding experiential learning opportunities through study abroad and internship experiences, and community engagement through its Franciscan-based community service model.
Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP) is the largest girl-serving organization in Pennsylvania and builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. What was started in 1912 in Savannah, Georgia by founder Juliette Gordon Low as one small, yet dedicated troop of diverse girls has grown into 2.8 million Girl Scouts across the U.S. today. GSEP serves more than 25,000 girls in partnership with more than 11,000 volunteers in Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia counties. Today, 80 percent of women in leadership and executive roles in the U.S. were Girl Scouts. Girl Scout alum comprise 70 percent of women in the U.S. Congress. For further information about Girl Scouting, how to join, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, call 215-564-2030 or visit www.gsep.org. Follow @GirlScoutsEPenn on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
