Local teens among first female Eagle Scouts in the nation

Boy Scout Troop 186 of Wantagh will make history on Feb. 15 when three of its troops become the first female Eagle Scouts in the nation. 

Amritha Jacob, of Bellmore, Julia Kirpalani, of Merrick, and Lea Feiner, of Levittown, will be officially bestowed the rank of Eagle Scout at a special ceremony on Monday. The trio, along with Scout Master Mike Sarlo, gathered at the Nassau County Legislature Building on Thursday to receive congratulatory certificates from Executive Laura Curran. 

They will be among hundreds of young women across the country who make up the Inaugural Class of female Eagle Scouts. 

"They're pioneers," Sarlo said, who leads a troop that includes 25 other girls. "They're encouraging those 25 girls to put themselves on the right path." 

Jacob, Kirpalani and Feiner had been members of Troop 186's Venturing unit before the Boy Scouts of America welcomed girls into Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA. BSA's co-ed programs, such as Sea, Venturing, Exploring and STEM Scouts have been offered to young women for decades. 

The opportunity for girls to join the Scouts BSA program — previously known as Boy Scouts, serving youth ages 11-17 — opened February of 2019. Since then, tens of thousands of young women of have joined Scouts BSA. 

Eagle Scout is the program's highest rank — only about six percent of Scouts achieve it. To earn it, individuals must take on leadership roles in their troop and community; earn a minimum of 21 merit badges that cover topics such as first aid and safety, civics, business and the environment; and research, organize and complete a large community service project. 

For her project, Jacob beautified her childhood church in Bellmore by constructing a quiet place for reflection alongside the building. Next year, she plans to study law and public policy in college to later benefit her community on a local and global level. 

Kirpalani supported veterans at the Northport VA Hospital for her Eagle Scout project. She gathered toiletry care packages and raised money to purchase Uber gift cards to help transport veterans for doctor visits. She also organized a garden clean-up and planted new shrubs and flowers along the Vietnam War and Wall of Wars memorials on the grounds of the hospital. 

Kirpalani will attend Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., in the fall. She plans to serve the country as an officer in United States Army. 

Feiner's Eagle Scout project benefited the Wantagh Animal Shelter in Wantagh. She constructed perches for cats using shelving and tires to create a dynamic environment for the felines at the facility. 

Feiner is current attending Nassau Community College, where she is working toward an Associate's Degree in Education. She plans to continue her studies at Queens College. 

"I'm extremely proud of all three," Sarlo said. "They always wow me — they deserve it." 

This story will be updated.