On Sept. 25, Shady Side Academy senior Katy Appleman became the first female to achieve the distinguished rank of Eagle Scout in the Laurel Highlands Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The Laurel Highlands Council serves nearly 10,000 members in 15 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland.

Appleman joined the Boy Scouts in 2019 and is a member of Troop 9380 in Fox Chapel. For her eagle project, she chose to remove a non-native invasive plant species, Japanese Barberry, from a one-acre section of North Park. The dense bushes block sunlight from the forest floor, making it difficult for anything else to grow, and can harbor large tick populations.
"Once I realized that it was possible to reach eagle before I turned 18, I definitely wanted to reach this achievement," said Appleman. "It's one of the few awards that you can receive before you are an adult which can continue to say something meaningful about your character for the rest of your life. I think that it's incredible to be the first woman Eagle scout in our Council, and I hope that my experience might encourage more young women to strive towards this award as well as experience the incredible community which I found in Boy Scouts."
Katy has completed a backpacking trip to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico and is looking forward to a camping trip on the West Coast Trail this summer.  “I think that the Boy Scouts has done a really good job of teaching not only camping skills but also life skills,” Appleman said.  She has served several terms as her troop’s SPL.