Girl Scouts Samantha and Rebecca W. of Rifle in the Mountain Communities region are headed to Girl Scouts of Colorado summer camp after receiving the Mary Jo Jacobs, M.D. Memorial Girl Scout Adventure Fund. Samantha will attend “Warriors.” Rebecca will attend “Mermaids.” Both are five-day camps at Tomahawk Ranch in the summer of 2019. To be chosen for this award, the girls wrote essays.
“Dr. Jacobs followed her dreams even when it was tough for her. This is a really great character trait. I want to encourage others just like she did. Her story encourages me to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals,” Samantha wrote.
“The most important thing I’ve learned from Girl Scouts is to be kind, loyal, friendly, and have fun! Dr. Jacobs was an example all of these things because she was a Girl Scout. I love being a Girl Scout, and think Dr. Mary Jo Jacobs was a good role model because she was always learning,” Rebecca wrote.
Mary Jo’s four children established the scholarship in December 2014 to honor their mother’s extraordinary legacy. As an 8-year-old girl growing up in 1937, Mary Jo wanted a new pair of roller skates. She wanted them more than anything in world— until she learned her Brownie troop was going to be able to go to summer camp. Mary Jo had to make a choice: spend the $8 she had worked so hard to earn on roller skates or Girl Scout camp? For Mary Jo, the decision was simple. She was going to Girl Scout camp. Mary Jo’s mother walked her to the local Girl Scout office, so she could be the first to register. A reporter for the Artesia Daily Press in New Mexico even wrote a story about Mary Jo and her decision.
After returning home from camp, Mary Jo continued to participate in Girl Scout activities, including going to camp. Eventually, she became a doctor and worked tirelessly to serve the people of Eagle and Garfield Counties, Colorado.
The Mary Jo Jacobs, M.D. Memorial Girl Scout Adventure Fund provides Girl Scouts from Eagle and Garfield counties in Colorado with a scholarship so they can experience the learning opportunities, joy, and camaraderie of attending Girl Scout Camp. “Our hope is that that many girls will have the same positive experience, education and adventure that mom had through her involvement in Girl Scouting and her opportunity to attend Girl Scout camp,” said Dr. Patricia VanDevander, daughter of Dr. Mary Jo Jacobs.