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UT freshman, Girl Scout Gold Award winner to speak at SXSW

Being a Gold Award-winning Girl Scout may be enough of an accomplishment for some people, but not for Jacqueline Petescia.

AUSTIN, Texas — Jacqueline Petescia is a freshman at the University of Texas.

"I’m majoring in pre-med and health and society and pre-law and government, with a minor in nonprofit organizations," Petescia said with a smile. 

She's also the reigning "Miss Austin" and is set to compete for "Miss Texas." 

Petescia was also a Girl Scout for 13 years and earned a Gold Award after starting an organization called Friends Don't Count Chromosomes

"[The organization] helps kids who have disabilities inside of their community become more involved and integrated," Petescia said. 

She said she hopes to work with lawmakers one day to make classrooms more inclusive. 

"I want to take that to the next level, with the help of Girl Scouts and really that inspiration to want to work towards legislation for something called full inclusive classrooms, which adds general-ed classrooms to special-ed classrooms so that teachers and special ed teachers are working together to make sure they can have a full array of a classroom because that’s where inclusivity really starts," Petescia said. 

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She credits her ambition to Girl Scouts. 

"We’re able to work together as women to help lift other women up," she said. 

Even though she is a Girl Scout alum, Petescia said it's easy to stay involved and give back to the organization that inspired her. 

"You can do something as simple as buy a box of cookies and still be involved with the organization because you’re giving back to that program," Petescia said. "But, for me, I want to take it to that next level and be involved as an alum by helping younger girls become enrolled inside of Girl Scouts and showing volunteers what they can give back to Girl Scouts."

Petescia is scheduled to speak on Friday at SXSW. She will talk about how women in Girl Scouts are changing the world. 

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