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TWIST just hung out with Katherine McNamara! She dished to us about Girl Scout Cookie Day, her favorite badge and what's next for her! Check out our exclusive convo below, and watch her shout-out video!
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XOXO,
TWIST
TWIST: Why did you want to get involved in Girl Scout Cookie Day?
Katherine McNamara: I started Girl Scouts when I was six years old. It's something my mom had done and she always told me all of the great stories about all of the friends she had made, the new experiences she'd had and all of the things she'd learned, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I talked to my friends about it and we all decided we wanted to start a troop because some of their moms had been Girl Scouts, too. It was really neat. It was a great way to bond with our moms and with each other as well. All of those girls that I started the troop with, I'm still friends with now. I can go to them with any problem and they would give me advice and have my back and just be there for me, which is really nice. Girl Scouts has taught me so much and it's really made me the person I am today. I'm so thankful for all the experiences I've had and the lessons I've learned and the friendships I've made. It's a real honor to be a part of Girl Scout Cookie Day, which celebrates the largest girl-run business: Girl Scout Cookies!
TWIST: What's different about Girl Scout Cookie Day this year?
KM: This year they're emphasizing that it's not just a cute little cookie business, it's more than just that. They've actually redesigned the cookie boxes this year to emphasize the five things that they're teaching: goal setting, making decisions, money management, and as far as business ethics go, they have to learn how to run their own business. Sometimes they'll set up a stand and they have to keep track of the cash and learn how to make change and learn to talk to people and handle themselves professionally.
TWIST: Do you remember your first time selling cookies?
KM: I do remember my first time selling cookies! I was a little uncertain because I'd never gone door-to-door before. I always started with the people that I knew better and that made it a little easier to warm up to and get started. Once I got going, I just had so much fun! People love Girl Scout cookies, and when you come to their door, they're so happy because you're bringing them something delicious! It was always one of my favorite things.
TWIST: In Girl Scouts you get badges, were there any badges that you were really proud of that really meant something to you?
KM: One of my favorites was an outdoor activities badge. We went ziplining, which was a lot of fun. We did archery which was one of my favorite things. I love archery, it's a blast for me, I feel like Maid Marion or Katniss! Repelling was the other thing we did, and I think repelling was my favorite of all. I loved it. It was really scary -- you had to climb up this four-story tower and be hooked onto the top and lower yourself down. I was shaking like a leaf the first tie I did it, but once I got back to the bottom I wanted to go again! One of the things I loved about that experience is that nobody made fun of the girls who didn't want to do it. We told them, "Well, it's okay if you want to try," and they're like "No," and we said "Okay, that's fine, we support you." It was a nice bonding experience for all of us. One of the things that I think is amazing about Girl Scouts is that everyone is accepted, no matter who you are, what you are, where you come from, you're accepted, because that's what Girl Scouts is all about.
TWIST: Do you have a favorite Girl Scout cookie flavor?
KM: My favorite growing up was always the peanut butter sandwiches, or the Do-si-do. I would always buy two or three boxes for myself, every year.
TWIST: What's next for you?
KM: Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn will be out this year with Joel Courtney and Jake T. Austin. It's another retelling of the stories, but what's neat about our version is that they've aged the characters up to about 15 or 16 instead of 11 or 12, so it can be a lot more intense, and a lot more action-oriented. The movie's beautiful. I really can't wait for you guys to see it; it's going to be awesome. Also, I did Contest, which is all about bullying and how out of hand things can get. That's always been something that's really important to me because I was bullied a lot as a kid because I was always different and I really wanted to be able to do something about that -- tell that story and open the door. It covers all aspects -- cyber-bullying, bullying in school, bullying among friends, there's even bullying at home that goes on. Another neat thing about Contest is that Kenton [Duty] and I have both recorded songs for the soundtrack and those are both gonna be released sometime in April and all of the proceeds are going to go to a charity for bullying. I've done a couple of episodes of Kickin' It, I did an episode of Jessie and I'm getting ready to do another one. Debby [Ryan]'s like a big sister to me, I love her so much, and Olivia [Holt] of course. After Girl vs. Monster, she's like a sister to me as well, I love them both dearly. I'm also doing my own music, it's gonna be out soon as well.