In nature circles, the name "eagle" is used to refer to both the female and male members of genus Aquila. Miriam Lester is more than OK with that.

A 2023 graduate of McCaskey High School, Lester recently achieved the Scouts BSA's highest rank of Eagle Scout. Lester is one of more than 5,000 female Eagle Scouts, and she recognizes the hard work and dedication that were required to accomplish the feat since she joined Scouts BSA in 2022.

"I had a friend who was in BSA and she recruited me to join," said Lester. "I had a connection to someone in Boy Scouts, and I wanted a very rigorous experience. I learned so much about myself. There were so many opportunities presented to me through BSA."

Lester was one of four female members of Scout BSA's Troop 99G, which is affiliated with Highland Presbyterian Church, 500 E. Roseville Road in Manheim Township. Scouts BSA's Troop 99B is made up of about 50 males.

"I feel really honored to be an Eagle Scout," said Lester, who's currently majoring in social anthropology and politics at The University of Edinburgh in Scotland. "I've definitely worked hard as a student to achieve things, but this is one of my biggest accomplishments. I felt proud of myself when I finished. It's recognized as a pretty big accomplishment. It was a lot of work and time."

Or a lot of work squeezed into a little bit of time. Once she set her mind on becoming an Eagle Scout, it took Lester only about a year to reach her goal.

"I joined not with the intention of becoming an Eagle Scout, but as a way of going on hikes and hanging out with people who enjoy the outdoors," said Lester. "On my 17th birthday, I realized I had a year - just enough time - to become an Eagle Scout. I was miles behind everyone my age. I told my mom, 'I think I can do it.' I got a lot of credit for work I had done previously."

Lester's Eagle Scout project consisted of her constructing three take-a-book-leave-a-book mini libraries out of refurbished grandfather clocks and positioning them throughout buildings in the School District of Lancaster. She also ran drives to collect donated books that were used to populate the small libraries.

"McCaskey is historically underprivileged," said Lester. "I wanted to make books accessible to my classmates because I love to read. The merit badges and project allowed me to go into my community before I left it. It made me think about my community more and how I can help it."

Lester also earned 21 merit badges, in disciplines like nature skills, survival skills, leadership skills, environmental science and American heritage.

Xyla Carlson, one of the founding members of Troop 99G and Troop 99G's first female Eagle Scout, is credited with recruiting Lester to join.

"I wanted to be in Scouting," said Lester. "I was treated very well by a lot of the boys."