6 girls from an Edina, Minnesota, troop made the rank of Eagle Scout

Fewer than 6% of scouts ever achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.  But in Edina, 6 girls from Troop 123 just accomplished that rare feat. 

John Lauritsen sat down with 5 of the girls to talk about how they did it, and the message they have for others. 

"I don't think we think about it enough but it's definitely a big deal, yeah," said Samantha Kushins. 

Kushins is one of the girls who just achieved scouting's highest honor. Over the years, they racked up a total of 126 merit badges.

"It's crazy. I mean, especially since there are 6 of us that got it. It's unreal," said Iris Nordin.

As a new Eagle Scout, Nordin isn't the only who feels that way. The girls are close friends, and they did this as a team. They became inspired when in 2018, rules changed allowing them to join boy scouts. 

"We just kind of had to make our own path. We were kind of the blueprint for the next girls joining. So we had big shoes to fill but also to create," said Madeleine Frey. 

Along this journey, their merit badges were earned in a variety of ways from civic duties and science, to technology and camping. 

"We all lived on a boat for a week together. So just being able to do all these cool experiences," said Sylvia Vannorman. 

 But it's their final Eagle Scout projects that they're most proud of. 

"I built a Little Free Library and a bike rack for Morningside Theater Company," said Sophia Hoffman. 

"I built a shelving unit for an animal shelter," said Nordin. 

"I worked at Beth Shalom Congregation, my synagogue, and I renovated the Holocaust memorial," said Kushins. 

On Sunday, in front of friends and family, the girls were recognized and celebrated for their accomplishments. Since they were all high school seniors, this was like a second graduation but instead of diplomas they got Eagle neckerchiefs and Eagle badges. 

"Being able to do this with my friends has defnitely made it a lot more fun than doing it on my own," said Hoffman. 

"It taught me a lot of values like civic responsibility, the value of community service, and a great appreciation for the outdoors which I think are values I'm going to carry through my entire life," said Vannorman. 

Marit Peterson was the 6th scout to achieve Eagle Rank status from Troop 123. 

Each of the girls is going to college next year and they wanted to thank their parents and all the adult volunteers who helped them achieve their goal.