Stella Prophater packs a lot of activities into her days.
The Mercer Island High School (MIHS) senior plays violin for the school orchestra, she’s the captain of the cheer and swim squads and the Science Club and she thrives in the classroom with a 3.9 grade-point average while taking all honors courses.
There’s more. Last month, Prophater — a founding member of the all-girl Scout Troop 678 — became the first female Eagle Scout from MIHS, joining her father and grandfather in the Eagle realm. The troop formed in early 2019 when Boy Scouts of America opened scouting to females.
During her scouting experience, she’s risen through ranks, completed heaps of service hours and earned 24 merit badges to reach Eagle status. She went above and beyond the call of duty since only 21 merit badges are required to attain the Eagle rank.
“It’s awesome. It definitely took a lot of work. It was a great experience. I learned so much,” said Prophater, 17, while taking a well-deserved break after school at the south end Starbucks on Dec. 7. “A lot of scouting really connects to your future goals.”
She hopes to attend medical school down the road and has received insight into the field from people she’s met through scouting.
Prophater said that scouting has given her a strong foundation of morals and values, which have come to the forefront of her life during her Eagle Scout project that focused on being an “upstander.”
Joining forces with the MIHS student athletic leadership team, she created a five-minute video about speaking up if you see something wrong happening. The team’s goal is to encourage students in the grandstands to let their positivity flow at games — cheering for their team and not yelling degrading words to the opposing team and crowd. Prophater showed the video to the MIHS student body at an assembly and sent it to nearby high schools.
Standing tall with a robust voice as an upstanding citizen has been a growing experience for Prophater.
“You see that all through every stage of life. You see it from middle school bullying. I’m sure it’s going to be a problem forever. It’s something you always have to teach,” she said.
Prophater has also stepped into a mentorship role and is paving the way for other female scouts who are working toward their own Eagle Scout rank. With the scouting motto, “Do a good turn daily,” firmly wedged into her DNA, she is always looking to make each day count.
“The biggest thing is definitely helping younger scouts, because the big thing about scouts is giving back,” said Prophater, adding with a smile that she’ll be helping her younger brother and sister along their scouting course.
