Prominent Girl Scout alumna visits Girl Power! at the Institute of Texan Cultures
Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas CEO Rose González Pérez welcomed Judith A. Canales, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, to the Girl Power! exhibit at UTSA’s Institute of Texan Cultures on March 28. Canales, a native of Uvalde and resident of Eagle Pass, was appointed to her position in April 2012 on behalf of President Barack Obama. She is the first Hispanic woman in her position. While touring the exhibit, Canales reflected on her time as a Girl Scout growing up in a rural area and what the organization does for girls from all backgrounds.
“Girl Scouts, to me, is about leadership,” Canales said. “It is about the fact that all girls have it within them to become natural leaders, and it’s a positive environment for girls to come together to get to know each other, to support each other.”
In her position with the USDA, Canales has had the opportunity to exercise many of the leadership styles she first experienced as a Girl Scout.
“I think what (women) do is bring to the table a very different style that is inclusive and collaborative, and it values people,” Canales said. “And that’s what I bring to my job, even now. Serving in this administration, I’m trying to build those bridges that were the examples I saw growing up because of Girl Scouting.”
The Girl Power! exhibit looks back on a century of Girl Scouting as the program enters another 100 years of service. At the core of Girl Scouting are three principles: Engage, Empower and Experience. The exhibit explores and illustrates each of these themes with stories from local “Girl Scout Greats” and artifacts from local and national Girl Scout programs.
“The exhibit is an opportunity to educate people about the profound history of Girl Scouting in this region and to inform those who don’t have the same background or knowledge that this is what has been the history and here is the future,” Canales said. “That’s the best part of Girl Scouts. It is constantly evolving with the realities of what girls are about and what they will become.”
Girl Power! will be open to visitors through July 14. The Institute of Texan Cultures is located on the UTSA HemisFair Park Campus, 801 E. César E. Chávez Blvd. Regular hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $8 for adults (ages 12-64); $7 for seniors (ages 65+); $6 for children (ages 3-11); free with membership, UTSA or Alamo Colleges identification. For more information, call 210-458-2300 or visit TexanCultures.com.
About Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas (GSSWT):
In partnership with more than 7,000 adult volunteers, Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas serves 23,500 girls in its 21-county jurisdiction. Girl Scouting helps girls in grades K–12 develop the courage to experience new adventures, the confidence to defy self-doubt, and the character to impact a community. For more information, visit girlscouts-swtx.org.
