C is for cookie and champion for a Bay Ridge Girl Scout.
Ashleigh F., 12, was named the top cookie seller in all five boroughs by the Girl Scouts of Greater New York.
She sold a massive 2,528 boxes of cookies this year. She was able to sell a large selection of the sweet treats, from Thin Mints to Samosas.
“I felt really excited because I never thought I would be first,” she told the Brooklyn Eagle. “I thought I’d be second or third because the all-time seller used to sell 5,000. I felt really excited when I made the top.”
Ashleigh F. selling Girl Scout cookies when she was younger. Photos courtesy of Girl Scouts of America
Ashleigh, who was also the top Brooklyn cookie seller for two years, said the biggest experience was mostly learning to handle the money she received and how to talk to people.
“Sometimes it’s harder than others,” she said. “It takes persistence. When someone says, ‘I don’t have cash, ‘ I say, ‘We also do Venmo.’ They say, ‘I don’t want them in my house.’ Then I say, ‘You can donate them.’ Sometimes people feel bad just saying no. And if you don’t say no, I’ll just keep asking you.”
Girl Scout Cookie season ended in early April. According to Girl Scouts of Greater New York, the program is the largest girl-led business in the world and helps girls develop five essential skills that set them up for success: goal setting, decision making, money management, business ethics, and people skills.
“The more you sell, the more people you get to know and the more they will buy from you,” she said. “Then they’ll ask their friends and family, and you just get a wider horizon if you keep selling.”
She said one spot where she would sell cookies was near the subway.
“On weekdays, I would be at a train station after work because people want something sweet after work, because it’ll keep you up,” she explained.
Since she won, she’s received a lot of media attention.
Popular cookies she sold were Samoas, Thin Mints, and Tagalongs.
Ashleigh has been a Girl Scout since she was five years old and has enjoyed her time each year.
“My [favorite part] is to make and meet my friends,” Ashleigh said of the Girl Scouts. “Now I’m homeschooled, and this is my only time to hang out with my friends I’ve had from school.”
She also loves going on trips, such as Washington D.C., seeing “Aladdin” on Broadway and indoor water park Kalahari.
Ashleigh F. selling Girl Scout cookies when she was younger. Photo courtesy of Girl Scouts of America
Girl Scouts of Greater New York said it is New York City’s oldest and largest girls’ leadership organization, reaching tens of thousands of girls ages 5 to 18 in every zip code of the five boroughs. Through Girl Scouts, girls also explore STEM, business and entrepreneurship, environmental leadership, and outdoor adventure, advocacy, and more.
“In our troop, we learn how to camp and social skills, entrepreneurship, and it’s about learning how to work with your fellow scouts,” Ashleigh said. “My favorite part is going on camping trips with my friends and all Girl Scouts in general. It’s a whole lot of fun.”
Ashleigh’s goal in the future is to receive the Gold Award, the highest award for the Girl Scouts.
“When you reach your last four years of Girl Scouts, you have a chance to get your Gold Award, which is 80 hours of work,” she said. “It has to be sustainable when you leave Girl Scouts. It’s not just something you just give away. It’s something you have to work for.”
“We are so proud of all the hard work she puts into hitting her goals,” her mother, Amber, said. “The cookie program has really taught her over the years how to be a small business owner.”
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