It’s that time of year where everything gets a little more sweet. Why? It’s Girl Scout cookie season in State College.

For many residents in State College, buying cookies is a yearly tradition. Cookies can be purchased in late February through March, and in popular locations such as Walmart and 5 Guys.

While mostly younger Girl Scout members and their parents can be seen selling their confectionary treats at various locations, girls of all ages benefit from the Girl Scouts program. Willow Martin, a sophomore, can attest to this.

“I’ve been a girl scout since I was five, in Kindergarten,” Martin said. “When I was younger I had a lot of fun with arts and crafts,” she said, “As I got older, I enjoyed working on more extensive projects like my Bronze Award and my Silver Award.”

Girl Scouts win awards such as Bronze and Silver for completing tasks which impact their local community. The hardest award to achieve is the Gold Award, which leaves a lasting mark on a community through taking action. “I’m very excited about getting started on my Gold Award project this year and making a positive impact on the community with it,” Martin said.

Martin also explained that Girl Scouts has been a learning experience. “Girl Scouts really does teach a wide variety of things to scouts, whether through camps, troop meetings, experiences, or other opportunities,” she said. “I’ve gained teamwork, communication, business, and leadership skills through Girl Scouts.”

Some of these skills can be learned from the annual cookie selling.

“Selling cookies has taught me patience for sure,” Martin explained, “During cookie booths, I’ve ended up outside in whiteout conditions and below-freezing temperatures for between an hour and four hours.”

With selling cookies, Martin explained that the money goes several places, but can be especially helpful for troops. “Troops use the money for renting meeting spaces, buying patches and other Girl Scout materials, funding service projects, and going on trips,” she said. “Through Girl Scouts, I’ve had opportunities to attend events done with Graduate Women in Science, go to Girl Scout camp, lead younger students in activities, and go on a trip to Savannah, Georgia.”

Martin has definitely benefited from her experiences as a Girl Scout, and believes that being a Girl Scout can have an impact on the rest of a girl’s life.

“Being a Girl Scout sounds good when applying to colleges and jobs, and can help girls advance in society educationally through college acceptance,” she said. “Going forward, I think that my role as a Girl Scout will help me with project planning, service projects, and getting into colleges and jobs that I want.”

Girls all over like Martin are dedicated Girl Scouts members, too. They help others through hard work, and learn life skills along the way.

Each cookie box may contain a small list of ingredients, but there is so much more than that. So, when you bite into a Samoa in the next few weeks, remember that there is more to the cookie than just caramel and coconut.