Tiyanna's Song
Winner of the 'Akeelah and the Bee:
Find Your Rhythm' Contest

By Christine Iafrate, staff writer

Tiyanna knows she's got rhythm. This 14-year-old from Girl Scouts of Kaw Valley Council in Topeka, Kans., was the winner of the "Akeelah and the Bee: Find Your Rhythm" Contest.

Busy Girl

She runs track, plays volleyball and basketball, and travels across the country with her dad (her favorite city is Seattle!). No matter how busy she may get, Tiyanna always finds time to express herself through composing lyrics and poems. Her winning song not only displays her talent for writing, it also illustrates the super important role that her Girl Scout Troop has played in her life.

Girl Scout Beyond Bars

When not camping or doing other group activities, Tiyanna's Girl Scout Troop 2026 makes a special trip two times each month to Topeka Women's Correctional Facility. Her troop, made up of over 100 girls, is one of over 60 Girl Scouts Beyond Bars programs located all around the country. Girl Scouts Beyond Bars helps girls reconnect and establish healthy relationships with their incarcerated moms. Having a mom away from home is a very difficult experience that many other girls may not be able to relate to. In Troop 2026, the girls are able to build friendships with other girls who are going through the same experience, forming a strong bond and a sense of Girl Scout sisterhood.

Finding Rhythm and Sharing It

Through her song, which she has taught to all the girls in her troop, Tiyanna shares her story—and she is truly an example of great courage, confidence and character! As the grand-prize winner, she and 50 of her friends enjoyed a private screening of the film "Akeelah and the Bee"—lucky girl! Tiyanna says, "I wrote a song to express my courage. Having a mother in prison is hard. Being a part of Girl Scout Beyond Bars program gave me the courage to live, and my gratitude is expressed through the words of this song. Keep hope alive!"

Tiyanna's Winning Song

Chorus:
There ain't no troop better then the one we have,
we on top and we are the best,
we all from different homes and different towns,
but we come to one room to cheer up our frowns,
2026 helps us with our ups and downs.

Rap:
I see my mother every two week with troop 2026, that's who I represent.
They are the ones who is giving me a chance to let me bond with my mom, yeah she made some mistakes now you can see that she is behind some metal gates.
I use to be a little trouble maker girl with a lot of drama, only act like this like I'm bad because I miss my momma.
But coming to troop 2026 straighten me out and did some kind of fix, I learned more and more about things in this troop, I learn who to trust and not to.
Days and months have pass, people saw me smiling and I wasn't always sad.
The leaders of the troop they know who they are, the leaders of 2026 troop really help.
I started trusting adults and in myself, so I'm sayin' something ya'll know who I represent that troop 2026, we have people that will one day rock this world, Brownies, Juniors, Daisy, don't forget about the those older girls.