Janey Jennings
Janey Jennings is about to enter her eighth year as a Girl Scout troop leader
Marketing and Events Specialist
Girl Scout Troop Leader
If you think the Girl Scouts sell cookies only to raise funds for their troop and the organization, you’d be wrong.
Janey Jennings (’03, Communication, ’18, M.A. Communication), marketing and events specialist in the Fowler College of Business, has been involved in Girl Scouts as a troop leader, a troop cookie manager and a parent and she says there is much more to the cookie sales than just fund raising. “The girls are really empowered by their ability to set goals, develop a sales plan, practice communication skills, and learn how to deal with difficult customers,” said Jennings. “The work ethic they gain through cookie sales stays with them as they evolve into strong, independent leaders in other activities whether it be in school or in sports.”
Jennings, who was not involved in Girl Scouts as a youth, became involved with scouting when her oldest child joined as a first grader. “After seeing how rewarding it was for her, I signed up to lead cookie sales,” she said. “The following year, I started a new troop for my younger daughter, who was in kindergarten at the time. That troop now has 13 members as they enter the sixth grade — half of them have been with the troop since the very beginning.”
Jennings (far right) with Troop 4827 on a trip to San Francisco
Beyond their role with cookie sales, Jennings points out that scout members play an active role in the planning of community service activities such as volunteer work at Feeding San Diego, visiting retirement communities, participating in beach clean-ups, working at animal shelters and mentoring younger troops.
Now entering her eighth year as a scouting leader, Jennings is also entering her seventh year as the chief organizer of the Women in Leadership (WiL) conference, one of the flagship events for Fowler and for SDSU. “As with the girls I lead in Girl Scouts, I manage four student interns for Women in Leadership and I aim to help each girl or woman grow and learn in a way that is meaningful to them,” said Jennings. “But it is especially gratifying to watch a shy kindergartner grow into a confident middle schooler, and to be there along the way as they face and overcome their fears, while learning how to accomplish their goals.”
