Notwithstanding

YOUTHENIZING

The Girl Scouts have always held a special place in Elicia Pegues Spearman’s life.
“My mother was a Girl Scout Brownie when she was growing up,” Pegues Spearman told the CBIA BizCast. “I was a Brownie here in Connecticut, and my daughter was a Girl Scout, and I was a coach, troop leader.”
Despite that history, Pegues Spearman never imagined leading Girl Scouts of Connecticut.
“I’ve enjoyed my career as a lawyer,” she said. “I’ve had a really good career.”
Her career included legal counsel and HR roles at the State of Connecticut, the FBI, Aetna, Hubbell Incorporated, General Dynamics Electric Boat, and Quinnipiac University.
She reconnected with Girl Scouts in 2022 when she received a Breakfast Badge, an award honoring woman for community contributions.
She stayed in touch with the then-CEO and, in 2024, became CEO herself.
“The Girl Scouts is a lot of fun,” she said about making the career shift. “I don't like to be bored.”
While cookies often come to mind when you think of the Girl Scouts—it’s the organization’s biggest initiative teaching entrepreneurship, customer service, and money management—the organization’s purpose runs deeper.
“We are more than cookies, camps and badges,” Pegues Spearman said.
“Our whole mission is to build girls of confidence, character, and courage.
“To do that, we have many programs and skill building that build leadership development that our girls are involved in.”
Pegues Spearman said the Girl Scouts of Connecticut focus on outdoor skills, life skills, business skills, and STEAM education.
Pegues Spearman highlighted Camp Sikorsky and Camp CEO as examples of programs that give girls experiential learning opportunities.
The Girl Scouts of Connecticut focus on outdoor skills, life skills, business skills, and STEAM education.
“I just feel like we're giving them the secrets to success earlier on in their lives,” Pegues Spearman said.
“They kind of have a roadmap about what it means to be successful.”
One of the best parts, she said, is watching girls interact and grow in confidence.
“Seeing that sparkle in their eye and that like, ‘wow, I just did that,’” she said. 
As the leader of a nonprofit, Pegues Spearman said being successful means navigating challenges.
“I think the biggest challenge is obviously resources. We're a nonprofit. We have tight budgets, and we depend on volunteers,” she said.
Pegues Spearman credits her team of paid employees and volunteers for the success of the organization.
“My staff loves our mission, and we work every day with that mission in mind,” she said. “It's easy when you’re supporting youth.”
As part of its mission, the Girl Scouts of Connecticut is working to expand access for girls of all abilities and backgrounds, with a special focus on underserved communities.
“We want all girls of all abilities to be able to access Girl Scouts,” she said.
In addition to her role with the Girl Scouts, Pegues Spearman serves as the North Atlantic Regional Director of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
The sorority is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women.
Pegues Spearman said she finds natural alignment between her work with the sorority and her role with the Girl Scouts.
“Being the leader of the Girl Scouts, going to an all-women’s college, being in an all-women’s sorority—it's natural for me to be involved with girls and youth,” she said.
“This is my special passion—to mentor girls and have them be their best and have them try things they would have never tried.”
Related Links:
Girl Scouts of Connecticut
Website: https://www.gsofct.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gsofct/
Elicia Pegues Spearman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliciaspearman/

CBIA
Website: https://www.cbia.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

Giving Girls a Roadmap to Success

Join us in this episode as we discuss what to do as we wait to hear from God. 

Youth Podcast - Silence - Ep174

Alpinatraum feat. Simplix - Jung sein

Check out Zone 14 Coaching below:
https://zone14coaching.com/

Check out MSC Insider:
https://modernsoccercoach.mimentorportal.com/subscriptions

Are we making youth players too robotic?
Two-time MLS Defender of the Year Ike Opara joins the Modern Soccer Coach Podcast to dive deep into youth development, problem solving, growth mindset, and why young players need far more than a fixed “system” to truly learn the game.

We explore the growing tension between structure vs. adaptability and how the coaching behaviors we reward (clarity, certainty, strict patterns) sometimes discourage the exact qualities the modern game requires: courage, reflection, creativity, and independent decision-making.

Ike shares insights from his career in MLS, his transition into coaching, the challenges he sees in the US youth landscape, and why reflection — not more information — is the missing link for most players.

He also introduces Zone 14 Coaching, a company built by coaches for coaches, using intentional planning and reflective journaling to help players and coaches learn more deeply and stay engaged all season long.

If you’re a coach, parent, or player who cares about player-centered development, this conversation hits every major topic shaping the future of youth coaching.

Why Youth Players Need More Than One System to Truly Learn the Game with Ike Opara

Lyrics: 

I remember being young 
and so fucking reckless
dancing non-stop 
with high heels on 
until the sun came up 

drinking the devil’s juice
waking up next to strangers 
walking home feeling empty 
stuck in a chronic daydream
i should feel nostalgic but i don’t

i spent 
my youth
destroying myself

(holy rebel)
(known better)
(disappear) 

(looking for God)
(looked above)
(somewhere in the sky
in the cushions of clouds)

maybe i was searching
for a softer place to land
in the bottom of a bottle
or the warmth of 
someone else's hands

deep down i just wanted 
my mother’s love
never knowing what to do next
or where to go 
do i leave my homeland?
pack up and go
explore? 

I was a holy rebel 
maybe i should’ve known better
than thinking my pain
would disappear

I was looking for God 
maybe i should’ve looked above 
somewhere in the sky 
in the cushions of clouds

(i still taste the whiskey in my mouth)

my religion
was rebellion
truth is 
i just wanted 
to be seen 
‘cause i was left 
alone to
my own devices 

my religion
was rebellion
truth is
i just wanted 
to be loved
as the silence grew
louder and louder

I was a holy rebel 
maybe i should’ve known better
than thinking my pain
would disappear

I was looking for God 
maybe i should’ve looked above 
somewhere in the sky 
in the cushions of clouds

(i still taste the whiskey in my mouth)

Holy Rebel! (Demo)

A song featuring the vocals of Jason Fortnight.

After the Dream

Ta Ngồi Ca Hát (Remix)

مشاركة بيرناديت ضمن برنامج "لانّك معي اليوم"، على راديو صوت المحبة - اعداد وتقديم الأخت ميشلين منصور لمشاركة خبرتها كـأم شابة ضمن لقاء قداسة البابا لاون الرابع عشر مع شبيبة لبنان في بكركي

Berna from the Logos Team Featured on Charity Radio

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 every villain has an origin story 💜🐙 ‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡
🕯️i write 🔪 record🩸and produce 🌙 songs in my bedroom 🔮👾✝️💟☯️🦄☂️🪻✨

Zwei Typen fanden eines Tages einen Kassettenrecorder und der Wahnsinn begann...

Craypoe Productions presents an eclectic collection that brings together a diverse lineup of talented guest musicians, each lending their own unique voice to the songs of Bob Craypoe. Every lyric across the album was written by Bob, who also handled full production duties to ensure the record’s cohesive sound and vision.

The sessions were recorded at Bob Craypoe’s Crackle and Hiss Studios in Stillwater Township, New Jersey—a place where raw creativity and authenticity meet. Adding a rich and unexpected dimension to the project, the strings were performed by members of the Crandon Lakes Philharmonic Orchestra, giving the album moments of orchestral depth alongside its grittier tones.

The guest list spans across genres, featuring country pickers, punk rebels, seasoned rockers, and soulful blues musicians. This mix of backgrounds creates a dynamic listening experience, with each track carrying the spirit of collaboration while staying true to the working-class stories and heartfelt grit captured in Bob’s lyrics.

At its heart, this is a testament to the power of music as a shared language—rooted in tradition yet unafraid to cross boundaries, and always grounded in the voice of the people.

I am a blessed father, a happy husband, a theology student, and a civil engineer. I am also the Director of Catechesis and Christian Education in BKERKE JEUNE and a member of the YOUCAT ARABIC team.

From a young age, I have searched for meaning and truth—and the Truth, Jesus, found me.

I’m excited to welcome you to LOGOS Catholic Podcast, where we explore the true teachings and life of Jesus Christ. My goal is to help you deepen your understanding of the Catholic faith and guide you toward meeting Jesus personally, so you can build a close, personal relationship with Him.

Our goal is to bring in-depth content to coaches with a combination of interviews, chats, and personal thoughts on the topics that really matter in the beautiful game and elite-level sport. Enjoy and thanks for listening! - Gary

We are a growing, multi-generational community united and led by Jesus, bringing renewal and peace at home and around the world.

Lonely is me being happy
dont expect me to rock your mind with a soul or even my very own, ITS MUSIC.

A podcast for the business-minded in Connecticut. Interviews consist of business and community leaders who are shaping the future of Connecticut’s economy. The CBIA BizCast provides new content every other week, introduces members of the business community, and tells stories about how businesses are innovating and growing in Connecticut!

BizCast provides new content every other week, introduces members of CBIA staff, and tells stories about how businesses are innovating and growing in Connecticut!

New tracks tagged #Youth