NewsPasco County

Actions

Two teens are first females in Tampa Bay area to ever earn prestigious Eagle Scouts rank

Ming Torres and Sianna Eldert joined two years ago
scouts.jpg
Posted at 3:18 AM, Feb 15, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-15 08:05:10-05

ODESSA, Fla. — Ming Torres and Sianna Eldert are flying in rare air.

These remarkable young women from the Tampa Bay area are among the first-ever females to earn the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.

"This wasn't just about me," says Ming, 16. "I wanted to prove to other girls that they could do it, too."

"You have to work hard," says Sianna, 18. "You have to do so much work to get where we are."

These good friends from the same troop, no less, decided to go for the presitigious honor two years ago, when the Boy Scouts first started allowing all children to join the program.

Ming and Sianna achieved the rank with impressive speed, checking off the minimum 21 merit badges in just two years.

In the 100-plus year history of the Scouts, a miniscule percentage of participants ever reach Eagle Scout status.

"Only 300 girls (in the whole nation) got to where we are (this year)," says Sianna. "And two of them are right here!"