Local teen earns Girl Scout recognition

HOWELL – If you purchased Girl Scout Cookies this year, there is a good chance you got them from Marisa Brandon of Howell. She was recently recognized by the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore as its top cookie seller in 2018, with sales of 5,021 boxes.

Marisa has been one of the top 10 sellers for the past five years, selling an average of 1,250-2,300 boxes each year. This year, she exceeded her previous sales through additional hard work, effort and commitment under a tight schedule.

Marisa, who just completed her sophomore year in high school, sold the cookies at various locations in town as well as in Asbury Park and Belmar Beach beginning in the middle of January until the end of May. She sold delectable Thin Mints, S’mores, Samoas, Tagalongs, Trefoils, Do-si-dos and more at booth sales held at supermarkets, gas stations, schools, restaurants and other businesses. She also visited developments for door-to-door sales.

Her customers bought an average of three or four boxes, and the most popular flavors were Thin Mints and Samoas.

So, what is the secret to selling so many cookies?

“By doing a lot of door-to-door sales and booth sales and building up a reputation, causing loyal customers to come back year after year,” said Marisa.

She also added that “standing at certain locations for hours at a time [and] keeping a positive attitude” also helped.

On May 20, Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore’s CEO Eileen Higgins congratulated Marisa and other girls who sold 500 or more boxes of cookies during the organization’s annual celebration honoring top cookie sellers in Monmouth and Ocean counties. The event was held at iPlay America in Freehold.

Girl Scouts gave customers the option to purchase cookies for themselves or to donate to local food banks and the military. According to its website, the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore donated 11,543 points of cookies to Fulfill, the former FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, on May 21.

The Girl Scout Cookie program’s net revenue stays local with the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore in both Monmouth and Ocean counties and supports activities for the girls, according to its website. The cookie sales also help the Girl Scouts gain experience with important life skills such as setting goals, making decisions, managing money and interacting with customers.

Marisa explained that being a Girl Scout has been a positive influence in her life.

“It has taught me the basic fundamentals of running a business, and it helped me to work better with other girls. I was able to help the community when I completed my Bronze Award. I have gotten to meet a lot of new people and experience a lot of new things,” she said.

Along with Girl Scouts, Marisa is quite busy with other activities as well. She is a member of the Howell Police Explorers; Howell PAL; Navy Junior ROTC; ROTC Drill and Athletic (PT) team; high school cross country, basketball and varsity track; and BOM travel soccer and Pinelanders Youth Soccer Club.

She also coaches children with special needs in the Pinelanders’ Challengers soccer program and continues to participate in approximately 100-200 hours of community service events for the various organizations that she is affiliated with throughout the year.

Marisa’s future goals include going to college, participating in ROTC and serving the community as a police officer.