Friday, October 11th marks International Day of the Girl AND New Jersey Day of the Girl. As part of our spotlight series to celebrate the occasion, we share Madeleine Freundlich's story, a lifelong Girl Scout and Fulbright Scholar whose experiences exemplify how Girl Scouts nurture young women with courage, confidence, and character. As a 2020 graduate of Stuart Country Day School in Princeton and a recent graduate of Vassar College with a degree in Urban Studies and Italian, Madeleine is about to embark on her Fulbright journey to study for a Master’s in World Food Studies and Mobility at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy.
Madeleine’s Girl Scout journey began before she was even old enough to join officially. "I was attending Girl Scout meetings as early as age four or five because my older sister was already a Girl Scout," she recalled. From then on, her involvement only deepened, and by the time she completed high school, she had earned the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award for her conservation project with D&R Greenway Land Trust. This project involved restoring a property and creating a trail highlighting local women in conservation—an initiative demonstrating her commitment to her community and the environment.
One of the defining experiences of Madeleine's Girl Scout years was her time at Girl Scout camp, which she attended for nine consecutive summers. "Camp is a really beautiful place where you get to stretch what it means to be you and go out of your comfort zone," she reflected. These early experiences helped Madeleine develop a sense of independence and confidence that would later prove essential in her academic and professional pursuits.
The values that Girl Scouts instilled in Madeleine—courage, confidence, and character—were foundational to her decision to apply for the Fulbright scholarship. During the pandemic, she volunteered at St. Michael’s Farm Preserve, where she developed a passion for food systems and sustainability. This passion led her to study food networks in Italy, ultimately inspiring her Fulbright project. "I realized that Food Studies was my passion, and Girl Scouts taught me the importance of pursuing what you love," Madeleine explained.
Her thesis, "Meat Your Maker," explored traditional food networks in Italy's Maremma region and earned the Ashish Patil Memorial Prize for interdepartmental studies at Vassar. Madeleine will continue this work through her Fulbright Scholarship, focusing on the intersection of food systems and mobility. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is an international academic exchange program designed to increase international understanding and collaboration. Madeleine believes this project combines her academic interests with her commitment to community and sustainability.
Madeleine Freundlich Lifetime Girl Scout, Fulbright Scholar
For Madeleine, Girl Scouts was more than just an after-school activity. "It’s a lifestyle," she said. "Girl Scouts provided me with the toolkit for life—courage, confidence, and character—which I carry with me in everything I do." This sense of self, cultivated through years of leadership opportunities and service projects, empowered her to pursue a Fulbright scholarship and continue impacting the world.
As Madeleine embarks on her journey to Italy, she serves as a shining example of the transformative power of Girl Scouts. Her story is a testament to the importance of providing girls with the resources and support they need to achieve their goals, break barriers, and contribute to a more equitable world.
On this International Day of the Girl, we celebrate Madeleine's achievements and the potential of every girl to change the world when given the opportunity.
For more information on how you can make an impact as a Girl Scout, Volunteer, or Donor, visit www.GSCSNJ.org
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them.