Emilia Menna

Emilia Menna from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was awarded the $2,000 Savage Family Scholarship. She belongs to Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and is a member of Scouting America Troop 147 in the Cradle of Liberty Council.

Menna truly embodies the idea of servant leadership. When asked why volunteering is important to her, she responded, ” As a Catholic Scout, I volunteer because my faith calls me to serve others, and Scouting gives me a clear and meaningful way to live that out. I try to look to both my faith and the Scout Law as guides for living out my life, helping me grow into the person God calls me to be.”

In service to the Catholic Church, Menna volunteered at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish as an active member of the choir throughout her high school years. She earned two Catholic Religious Emblems offered by Catholic Scouting America, completing Parvuli Dei and Ad Altare Dei.

Menna served her community through extensive volunteer work with Friends of Treasure Island, where she contributed to community cleanup and conservation efforts. She also served as a peer mentor for students with disabilities at Archbishop Carroll High School and sang with the chorus.

At Archbishop John Carroll High School, Menna was president of the Tri-M National Music Honor Society and  an officer of the National Honor Society. She was also a member of the Science National Honor Society. Menna held officer positions in Student Council and chorus. She was an active member of the Community Service Corp, Interact Club, Archbishop Carroll Theater Society and campus ministry. Menna also competed on the junior varsity swim team for two years.

In Scouting, Menna held numerous leadership positions in her troop, including senior patrol leader, junior assistant Scoutmaster and patrol leader. She is a member of the Order of the Arrow (OA), Scouting America’s honor society, where she served as a chapter officer, Elangomat and staffed several OA events. For her Eagle Scout Project, Menna led a team of volunteers to provide fifty customized duffle bags filled with essential items, such as bed sheets and hygiene kits for young adults aging out of the foster care system. She designed the project to be sustainable by creating a custom logo for the bags and compiling a list of required items, allowing Covenant House to continue the program beyond the initial distribution.

This year, Catholic Scouting America awarded fifteen service scholarships totaling $40,000 to recognize Scouts nationwide for outstanding service and leadership in four areas: the Catholic Church, their community, school and Scouting. Since 2005, Catholic Scouting America (NCCS) has awarded a total of $348,000 in scholarships to 146 Scouts nationwide.