Tierney Shaw: scout profile

Meet Tierney Shaw: Sea Scout of Ship 1176, Latter-day Saint, artist, aspiring forensic psychologist, and a quietly remarkable young woman in either Scouting or Church communities.

Tierney grew up watching her mother and siblings pour themselves into Scouting, and the connections between that world and her faith were apparent to her from an early age. “Scouting instills the Scout Oath and Law, and my faith instills the Young Women values and theme,” she says. “This is something that both my LDS faith shows and Scouting honors.” She’s found a kindred spirit in her leader as well. Skipper Petty is also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

As a Sea Scout, her adventures have taken her far beyond the expected. She kayaked through London’s waterways, taking in the city’s iconic sights from the water, and experienced the longboat firsthand. She was also among the Scouts who traveled to South Korea for the 2023 World Scout Jamboree.

But it’s her commitment to leadership development that may define her most. This summer, Tierney will staff NYLT (National Youth Leadership Training) for the fourth time! She’s passionate enough about it to say it twice: “I suggest every Scout not only take but staff NYLT, as it will teach you many things not only for leadership but for your own life outside of Scouting.”

Her message to Latter-day Saints who may be curious about Scouting is straightforward: “The Church builds the core values and faith of the individual, while Scouting takes the individual and builds a community. Scouting gives you the chance to put what you have learned into practice.”

She even sees a direct connection to life in her ward – the leadership skills gained through NYLT, she says, can come straight back home and help strengthen the bonds within a ward.

Off the water, Tierney is heading into her senior year as her school’s lighting captain for theater, responsible for programming the lights for productions, and as the incoming president of her school’s National Art Honor Society chapter. College is on the horizon, with forensic psychology in her sights.

She was recently featured by the National Boatswain. We’re proud to share Tierney’s story here. https://www.instagram.com/national_boatswain/reel/DY0_K2Gh4H0/

Do YOU know a Latter-day Saint Scout or Scouter that we should profile? Send a message to “neal@saintsinscouting.org” to let us know about these amazing folks in the Latter-day Saint Scouting community!