April 26, 2024
Interviewed on Friday, March 8, 2024, at the GSSI Office & Shop
A Girl Scout and a Mayor Meet
On a Friday morning in early March, a Junior Girl Scout walks into her local council office prepared and excited to interview the first woman and person of color to be elected mayor of her city. Jaezah is 10 years old, living in Evansville, Indiana where she is a member of Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana (GSSI). She enjoys swimming, talking with her friends, and reading. In fact, Jaezah would read books all day long if she could, but on this day, she has taken some time out of home-schooling to be able to speak with Evansville’s new and inspiring mayor during Women’s History Month.
A few moments later, Mayor Stephanie Terry walks into the GSSI Office & Shop, greeting everyone with a smile. Mayor Terry is a lifelong resident of Evansville, where she graduated from Bosse High School before earning a Bachelor of Science in biology from Kentucky State University and later a Master of Science in health service administration from the University of Evansville. Prior to becoming Mayor, she was a Public Health Administrator with the Indiana State Department of Health, served in both personnel and financial capacities for Angel River Health & Rehabilitation, was the first Deputy Director at the Carver Community Organization, and, for the last 12 years, was the Executive Director of the Louis J. Koch Family Children’s Museum of Evansville (cMoe). While at cMoe, Mayor Terry was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the Vanderburgh County Council, but about five months later, she was elected to the same position as the first African American woman to serve on the council. She was subsequently re-elected in 2014, 2018, and 2022.
Apart from her career and her participation in government, Mayor Terry has dedicated her time to serving the Evansville community on the board of directors of Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare, YWCA, Visiting Nurse Association, City of Evansville Board of Public Safety, E-REP, and the Women’s Equality Day Committee. She also recently completed a four-year term as the Indiana State Coordinator for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a private, not-for-profit organization that is a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council whose purpose is to provide assistance and support in communities throughout the world through established programs.
As head of the city, Mayor Terry is a very busy woman, but she was kind enough to set aside time that morning to be interviewed by Girl Scout Jaezah. So, after some hellos and introductions, the two sat down together, and they began to talk.
The Interview
1. Girl Scout Jaezah: You are the first woman and person of color to be elected Mayor of Evansville, Indiana. How does it feel to make history like that?
Mayor Terry: Well, it's an amazing feeling. I had the opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to inspire other girls and women to feel good about the fact that they can accomplish anything they put their minds to. I want to do the best that I can to serve this community well and be a good representative for women across the city who are already amazing leaders.
2. Girl Scout: Why did you first become Mayor?
Mayor: Well, I wanted to become mayor because growing up, I was raised in a house where service was a priority. And so, most of my life I've spent in that space, even as a professional; I worked for a non-profit organization that was committed to serving others and the children and families in our community. In terms of politics, I started very early through my sorority and advocating at the state and local level for policies and things that are important issues to me and women. So, it was a natural progression. When I came home, I ran for school board for the first time, probably just right out of college, a couple of years out of college. And then, later on, I ran for city council. I wasn't successful at that time, but I really stayed engaged with local elected officials and ensured that my voice was heard when it was appropriate. And, then, just last year, the opportunity presented itself for me to pursue this opportunity. I had served on the Vanderburgh County Council for about twelve years, so I've been in the local government space for some time, and I think I've really cast a net that really positioned me to pursue this opportunity as the chief executive of our city. So here I am. I took a leap of faith and really had to be bold and courageous, too, because it was a big deal for me as a woman to feel that I could run the city of Evansville. I'm pretty proud of the journey thus far and am looking forward to the work ahead.
Tell me, why did you become a Girl Scout?
Girl Scout: I first became a Girl Scout to make friends and try new activities.
Mayor: Excellent, and have you made good friends?
Girl Scout: Yes!
3. Girl Scout: What do you do as mayor? What are your responsibilities?
Mayor: The mayor is, number one, the chief leader of the community. So, as mayor, we have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others by ensuring that they have beautiful and nice parks, that we set policies and programs that ensure that our roads are smooth and that there's infrastructure for water and utilities and services to go to houses in our community. We help determine where houses can go, and what other businesses and small businesses can be developed in our community. We also are the chief spokesperson for the city, so I get to sell the city. I get to talk about all the exciting things that happen here in our community. But most importantly, mayors get to listen to the residents of the community, that's young and old, and hear about what matters to them the most, and then try to respond to that so that everyone in our community has a better life. I'm really proud to be in this role and to make some meaningful impact as mayor.
Can you tell me a little bit about what you do as a Girl Scout, Jaezah, and what your favorite part of being a Girl Scout is?
Girl Scout: As a Girl Scout, we volunteer at events and we do activities. My favorite thing about being a Girl Scout is making swaps. “SWAPS” are “Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere.”
*SWAPS are small tokens of friendship that Girl Scouts exchange with one another. Each SWAP uniquely reflects a fellow Girl Scout, their troop, or a memory of a special event. They’re a great way to share stories and get to know Girl Scouts from across the country and the world. GSSI has a SWAPS Wall at the shop so that local Girl Scouts can trade a SWAP when visiting.
4. Girl Scout: How did you get to where you are now, and what was your journey like?
Mayor: Honestly, it's been an amazing journey. I started out very active as a young girl, much like you. I was involved in everything. I played basketball. I played volleyball. I ran track. I was in the speech and debate club. I loved being on the stage. At heart, I'm a performer. I'm a singer, too. So that's when I am at my best, and so I stayed active growing up and involved in a lot of the things that really help you build leadership skills, much like the Girl Scouts. That continued throughout my journey and carried on into college as I stayed involved at that level as well. I actually went to college on a scholarship to sing, so I performed in the choir at the college level, and I also joined a sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, which is a big part of who I am. Our responsibility is public service to the community, and so I was very involved there, and I still am in that organization. Through that I was exposed to social action and political action work and got to be an advocate for other people. That is really what fueled my interest in being in local government. And I'll tell you, last year was an amazing experience as I went through the campaign I connected with so many people who were excited about the future of our city and how they'll be a part of the forward progress that we're going to make together, whether that's through our establishment of an interfaith council, whether that's bringing an education roundtable to ask “How are we investing in the youngest citizens in our community? How are we ensuring that we're doing the best we possibly can to ensure they have a great quality of life in our community?” So that is really how I've gotten to this place. My parents, early on, instilled in me the value of helping other people, and I'm so grateful to them for really teaching me what matters the most, and that's people, and what you do for people, and how you uplift other people. So, I'm excited to be in this position, and I hope that I do a very good job for the city of Evansville.
How about you? Tell me how Girl Scouts has helped you.
Girl Scout: Being a Girl Scout has helped me be more proud of myself and to be more brave.
Mayor: Those are great characteristics, I tell you.
5. Girl Scout: How does your work as mayor impact me and girls like me?
Mayor: Well, I think initially, as being the first woman and first African-American, I hope that it inspires young girls to believe that they can accomplish anything they put their hearts and minds to, but also put in the work, anything that if they take the right steps and put the right people around them, that they can accomplish whatever their hearts desire. And I think beyond that, in my position as mayor, I also have an opportunity to be sure that you have a voice in how your government works for you. One of the things I'm pretty excited about, and I hope that you'll be a part of, Jaezah, is our kids' town hall meeting that we're going to have. I want all ages in a room full of young people sharing their ideas, their dreams, and desires for our city, and how we can do a better job ensuring that you're successful.
Do you have any ideas for me for what you'd like to see me accomplish as mayor?
Girl Scout: You could visit a hospital, and visit the girls there to support them, or you can volunteer with Girl Scouts and be a troop leader!
6. Girl Scout: Do you have any advice for the girls who may want to follow in your footsteps?
Mayor: I sure do! It's work hard, but never give up. When things get challenging, press through it and persevere. Be resilient and, more importantly, inspire and encourage other girls along your journey, and make sure they come along with you as you excel and do great things. But most importantly, I think also be sure that you have a strong support system around you throughout your journey. I couldn't have made it to this position without some great people, women and men, standing right with me. I think it's important to never stop learning, to be bold and courageous every day that you possibly can, and to be sure to uplift yourself and take care of yourself so that you can give your best to others.
Can you tell me how you would like to impact the world as a leader?
Girl Scout: Yes, I want to help homeless people. So, for one of my Girl Scout projects, I'm going to donate food and a first aid kit to homeless shelters.
Mayor: Do you have any advice for me?
Girl Scout: Yes, I do. You should be brave, be proud of yourself, and stand tall!
A Girl Scout and a Mayor Say Goodbye
After Mayor Terry’s final question to Girl Scout Jaezah, there was plenty of chatter, requests for pictures of the two, and many “thank yous” given to the Mayor for her generosity in taking the time to come and answer the questions that Jaezah had for her. The sit-down interview was now officially over, and everyone said their goodbyes, but Mayor Terry left us some impactful words of wisdom:
- Inspire and encourage girls to believe that they can accomplish anything they put their hearts and minds to.
- Be bold and courageous, every day.
- There is value in helping others.
- Never give up, even when things get challenging.
- Take care of yourself, so that you can give your best to others.
- Along your journey, make sure you uplift others and bring them with you as you excel and do great things.
Mayor Terry may not have been a Girl Scout herself, but her answers to Jaezah’s questions and these special words of encouragement certainly reflect a key aspect of the Girl Scout Movement: to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
You should really consider becoming a Girl Scout Leader, Mayor Terry.
You can learn more about Mayor Stephanie Terry’s story here, and about the City of Evansville here.
If you would like to support local girls by donating to Girl Scouts, please visit www.girlscouts-gssi.org/donate.
If you or a girl you know may be interested in joining Girl Scouts, please visit www.girlscouts-gssi.org/getinvolved to learn more and sign up today!
