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Girl Scouts Amplified Voices Podcast Shares Stories Beyond the Cookie Booth | WITF
AIRED; February 25, 2026
Listen to the podcast to hear the full conversation.
A new podcast from the Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania is turning up the volume on stories that often go unheard.
Girl Scouts Amplified Voices, hosted by Director of Marketing and Communications Cathy Hirko, was created to spotlight the experiences of Girl Scouts, volunteers and supporters across Central Pennsylvania. Now 16 episodes in, Hirko says the mission is simple: put a microphone in front of people w...
Listen to the podcast to hear the full conversation.
A new podcast from the Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania is turning up the volume on stories that often go unheard.
Girl Scouts Amplified Voices, hosted by Director of Marketing and Communications Cathy Hirko, was created to spotlight the experiences of Girl Scouts, volunteers and supporters across Central Pennsylvania. Now 16 episodes in, Hirko says the mission is simple: put a microphone in front of people w...
Girl Scouts’ mother/daughter pair honored for award-winning film
By Cathy Hirko
About 1 in 5, or roughly 20 percent of the U.S. population is dyslexic, according to the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity.
Stacey and Faith Irwin Phagan the mother/daughter team behind Raising Faith: Stories about Dyslexia couldn’t be more astonished at how their short documentary film has touched a nerve – and continues to accumulate prestigious nominations and film festival awards.
Raising Faith was an Official Selection at the Waco Family and Faith International...
About 1 in 5, or roughly 20 percent of the U.S. population is dyslexic, according to the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity.
Stacey and Faith Irwin Phagan the mother/daughter team behind Raising Faith: Stories about Dyslexia couldn’t be more astonished at how their short documentary film has touched a nerve – and continues to accumulate prestigious nominations and film festival awards.
Raising Faith was an Official Selection at the Waco Family and Faith International...
Taking in 100 Years of Girl Scouts in Northeastern PA
By Cathy Hirko
The second-oldest operating Girl Scout camp in the world is right here in the regional footprint for Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania. And our camp has had a lot to celebrate recently.
Camp Archbald, like GSHPA’s other camps, re-opened this year as Pennsylvania started easing its way out of COVID and the regulations surrounding outdoor, public activities. While providing a safe environment, girls and their families were once again able to enjoy what the Girl Scout out...
The second-oldest operating Girl Scout camp in the world is right here in the regional footprint for Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania. And our camp has had a lot to celebrate recently.
Camp Archbald, like GSHPA’s other camps, re-opened this year as Pennsylvania started easing its way out of COVID and the regulations surrounding outdoor, public activities. While providing a safe environment, girls and their families were once again able to enjoy what the Girl Scout out...
VIDEO: Camp Archbald 100 Year Anniversary
Lessons Learned: Empathy, mentorship and lover of furry friends
By Cathy Hirko
I met Bitsy McCann for the first time a few years ago at an awards program in Harrisburg. Long story short? We get each other. We connected almost immediately.
Some people you meet make relationship-building easy. Bitsy is one of them. Every time I have reached out to her for advice or for work-related reasons she always responds and is giving of her time and resources.
A few months ago I found out that Bitsy had been a Girl Scout and I asked her if she would want to shar...
I met Bitsy McCann for the first time a few years ago at an awards program in Harrisburg. Long story short? We get each other. We connected almost immediately.
Some people you meet make relationship-building easy. Bitsy is one of them. Every time I have reached out to her for advice or for work-related reasons she always responds and is giving of her time and resources.
A few months ago I found out that Bitsy had been a Girl Scout and I asked her if she would want to shar...
Embracing the Changing Media Landscape | Gavin
The media landscape continues to evolve amid large corporate mergers and the dramatic rise in digital, mobile and social channels. Cathy Hirko has seen this shift firsthand, having worked in a variety of local newsrooms and business-to-business media companies for the past 25 years. In this episode, we talk about the digital consumption of news, reaching your target audience through new mediums and the future of traditional media companies.
The media landscape continues to evolve amid large cor...
The media landscape continues to evolve amid large cor...
Crisis mode: Experts hone in on preventative company measures - Central Penn Business Journal
Sponsored Roundtable
Central Penn Business Journal played host to a crisis roundtable discussion earlier this fall.
Experts in litigation, accounting and public relations took part in the hour-long discussion at CPBJ’s office in Harrisburg.Contributing were Stuart O’Neal, a partner at the Law Firm of Burns White; Lisa Myers, principal with Boyer and Ritter; and Mandy Arnold, CEO of Gavin. CPBJ’s associate publisher/editorial director, Cathy Hirko, moderated the panel.
The conversation has bee...
Central Penn Business Journal played host to a crisis roundtable discussion earlier this fall.
Experts in litigation, accounting and public relations took part in the hour-long discussion at CPBJ’s office in Harrisburg.Contributing were Stuart O’Neal, a partner at the Law Firm of Burns White; Lisa Myers, principal with Boyer and Ritter; and Mandy Arnold, CEO of Gavin. CPBJ’s associate publisher/editorial director, Cathy Hirko, moderated the panel.
The conversation has bee...
Our silence is not golden - Central Penn Business Journal
I remember a company department head who repeatedly commented on my looks and my outfits any chance he got. Think catcalls, office-hallway style. He took it a step further and propositioned me on an overnight business trip. He was married. I declined, repeatedly.
While I was covering school districts, one superintendent would frequently chime in on my choice of work clothes, and whether he liked or approved of what I wore when I covered his district meetings (as if I needed his approval). The i...
While I was covering school districts, one superintendent would frequently chime in on my choice of work clothes, and whether he liked or approved of what I wore when I covered his district meetings (as if I needed his approval). The i...
Podcast: Girl Scouts Amplified Voices
Welcome to Girl Scouts Amplified Voices! We feature inspiring stories, empowering conversations, and the incredible voices of our Girl Scouts and volunteers as they share their journeys, passions, and dreams with the world.
The podcast is hosted by Cathy Hirko, Marketing and Communicatons Director for Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania. If you have an idea for a podcast guest, please reach out to Cathy, chirko@gshpa.org.
You can find us where you listen to your favorite podcasts and on...
The podcast is hosted by Cathy Hirko, Marketing and Communicatons Director for Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania. If you have an idea for a podcast guest, please reach out to Cathy, chirko@gshpa.org.
You can find us where you listen to your favorite podcasts and on...
Taking lessons from the youngest of teachers
“Can you come home with me and show my mom how to sew?”
The question came from a Brownie at a Girl Scout troop meeting in Duncannon this past February, our final stop on the inaugural Cookie Buddy program schedule. She stood beside my makeshift sewing station, clutching her freshly made Cookie Buddy pillow as she asked the question.
I couldn’t go home with her, of course, but her spark of curiosity and newfound love for sewing made my heart melt.
In that moment, after months of cutting f...
The question came from a Brownie at a Girl Scout troop meeting in Duncannon this past February, our final stop on the inaugural Cookie Buddy program schedule. She stood beside my makeshift sewing station, clutching her freshly made Cookie Buddy pillow as she asked the question.
I couldn’t go home with her, of course, but her spark of curiosity and newfound love for sewing made my heart melt.
In that moment, after months of cutting f...
Camp-inspired breakfast sandwiches and life-long memories
By Cathy Hirko
By day, York County resident Victoria Connor is helping support legal professionals and connecting countless families and individuals with lawyers to help address their legal concerns.
Connor has been the CEO of both the York County Bar Association and the York County Bar Foundation for more than 10 years. Prior to that, she spent 11 years with the American Red Cross as director of communications and public support. She has been bestowed with many leadership honors, includi...
By day, York County resident Victoria Connor is helping support legal professionals and connecting countless families and individuals with lawyers to help address their legal concerns.
Connor has been the CEO of both the York County Bar Association and the York County Bar Foundation for more than 10 years. Prior to that, she spent 11 years with the American Red Cross as director of communications and public support. She has been bestowed with many leadership honors, includi...
Mentoring benefits: Connections, advice and hard work matters - Central Penn Business Journal
And that’s exactly why Klann appreciates her.
Cooper, who Klann calls Harrisburg’s “unofficial mayor,” works with BB&T. She’s the senior vice president for new business development for the capital region, topping off 30 years’ experience in the local financial services industry.
Cooper serves or has served on local boards, including the United Way, Dixon University Center and the YWCA. She was a past president of the Rotary Club of Harrisburg. She volunteers, she’s active in the business communi...
Cooper, who Klann calls Harrisburg’s “unofficial mayor,” works with BB&T. She’s the senior vice president for new business development for the capital region, topping off 30 years’ experience in the local financial services industry.
Cooper serves or has served on local boards, including the United Way, Dixon University Center and the YWCA. She was a past president of the Rotary Club of Harrisburg. She volunteers, she’s active in the business communi...