In 2018, Astrid Loken made the decision to join Boy Scouts after seeing what her older brother got to experience in the organization.

“I started out in Girl Scouts with my mom being the leader of that. But then I saw that my brother was obviously in Cub Scouts and going through that process, and I was like, ‘That’s really cool. I want to learn those skills that my brother’s learning and knows’,” recalled Astrid. “So I joined the Boy Scouts with another girl from my area and we started up our own like Girls troop in the Boy Scouts.”

Astrid has since then gone through the ranks of Boy Scouts, all the way up to her Eagle Scout project. After trying different ideas, she ended up making 50 care boxes for teachers at Hermantown Middle School. Each box has snacks, bandaids, feminine care products, and other items that students may need. 

“It was really neat seeing her just step up. Take that leadership. Looking for the donations, organizing the people, and then getting them delivered into the classrooms, and it was just really cool because it connected back to something that she felt she needed when she was in the classroom,” said Scout Leader Cheyenne Deters. 

With the project complete, Astrid officially became an Eagle Scout on Tuesday. 

“It was a huge accomplishment,” said Astrid. “It’s just like this huge weight off my shoulders of like, it’s done. I’m there. We made it. You know, it was a good feeling.”

Astrid’s mom Melissa said she cried when she found out about the accomplishment her daughter has spent so much time working towards. 

“She’s going to school, going to college while she’s in high school and working,” said Melissa. “So it’s been a lot of work and a lot of time spent on it, and she’s done a really excellent job.”

There have been other female Eagle Scouts, but Astrid is the first in the Arrowhead region.

“It’s hard being a girl in a boy organization,” said Melissa. “So she’s struggled with things, but she just made us stronger and made her a better person. It’s an important skill to have in life to be able to have adversity like that and still shine no matter what.”