Quaker Valley High School student soars as 1st female Eagle Scout in Sewickley

Once 14-year-old Katie Steinfurth has a goal in mind, there is little that can stand in her way on her path to accomplish it. The Quaker Valley High School student maintains above a 4.0 grade point average, competes on the track and cross country team, and participates in student council and chorus.

Her latest accomplishment is earning the highest rank available in the Boy Scouts of America and becoming Sewickley’s first female Eagle Scout.

“She has been absolutely fantastic scout for the troop,” said Ken Smith, scoutmaster for Troop 9198. “She is goal oriented and driven but also very laid back and loves to have fun with the troop.”

In May 2018 the Boy Scouts of America changed the program’s name to BSA Scouts and allowed girls ages 11 to 17 to join. In February 2019, Katie joined Troop 9198, Western Pennsylvania’s first BSA troop for girls. After obtaining six ranks, 13 required merit badges, eight elective badges and 325 requirements — including a community service project — Katie is now the highest rank in BSA.

Katie decided to get involved with the BSA after seeing her older brother, Ryan, in the Cub scouts.

“My brother has been a member of the BSA for a long time,” Katie said. “He started in the Cub scouts and my dad is actually one of the leaders for that troop. I would oftentimes come to his meetings and participate in the actives they had or help him with selling popcorn or things like that.”

While Katie is also a Girl Scout, she also joined the BSA because of the “adventure aspect.”

“We do more camping and learn things like first aid skills (in BSA),” Katie said. “I thought that would be fun for me and it kind of intrigued me. My Girl Scout troop wasn’t as active, we did more things like crafts and we were inside and not really outdoors. So I wanted to try something a little bit different and do more adventurous things.”

Joining the BSA has allowed Katie to be outdoors and adventurous. For instance, one of Katie’s favorite badges that she earned on her way to becoming an Eagle Scout was the “climbing merit badge.”

”Climbing is something that I do in my personal life,” Katie said. “It was fun to do the badge because I learned more things, like knots for belaying. It was something that was more fun and hands on.”

For Katie’s Eagle Scout project, she beautified an existing courtyard at the Masonic Village of Sewickley retirement center. Under Katie’s leadership and with the help of multiple volunteers, she worked with the facility to prepare beds, install more than 175 new plants, power wash the cement and wooden trellises and purchase and assemble new benches to be placed for the residents to enjoy the area. The project took more than 120 hours of manual labor to complete.

Katie said that the idea was inspired when she and her family were visiting retirement homes for her grandmother.

“This seemed like a really nice opportunity to bring joy to the residents there,” Katie said. “The project that I did was kind of a central courtyard, so it was a great way for the residents to come outside and see everything.”

Executive director of Masonic village of Sewickley Eric Gross said he was impressed by Katie’s leadership.

“Katie was an ambitious and impressive young lady that led a group of scouts to transform one of the resident courtyards on campus,” Gross said. “She demonstrated initiative and maturity beyond her years. We appreciate the contribution on our campus.”

Katie’s father, Adam Steinfurth, is the assistant scout master for her troop and said he is proud that both his children accomplished such lofty goals at a young age. Ryan, 16, also achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

“I do think it pushes the kids,” Adam said. “Becoming an Eagle Scout and also just the advancement though the program as it does pushes them into leadership opportunities where they make decisions and have to be good role models for the kids.”

As for Katie, she said she learned something about civic service and becoming a leader on her path to becoming an Eagle Scout.

”I learned that it’s important to give back to your community,” Katie said. “It not only benefits the community but yourself, too. When leading it’s important to get the work done, but also having fun during the process.”