After 14 years in the game, Bailey Kinker is retiring.

Now a high school senior, Kinker started her Girl Scout career when she was in preschool.

“It’s kind of weird to think that I’m growing up,” Kinker said.

She sold her last box of Girl Scout Cookies on Friday, earning her lifetime membership.

By being a registered lifetime member, Kinker said she can come back during college and help with the younger Girl Scouts.

“It’s something that clears me for the rest of my life so I can be involved,” she said.

Kinker needed to sell at least 285 boxes to pay for her lifetime membership.

Her mom, Lisa Kinker, said Bailey sold 350 boxes.

Lisa Kinker said she didn’t get the math exactly right and got lucky that she brought extra boxes.

“It was kind of one of those nights that we see faces we only get to see during cookie season,” she said.

As the founder and leader of her daughter’s troop, Lisa Kinker said she’s been “extremely involved.”

She said she’s learned so much along the way because she’s had to do so much planning and research in order to teach her troop.

“I will be an empty nester. She’s my last one,” Lisa Kinker said.

“I’ll be able to get into other activities.”

She said that like she did, she wouldn’t be surprised if Bailey becomes a troop leader for younger kids.

“It’s nice for me to step back while she keeps going,” Lisa Kinker said.

Bailey agreed that she’ll probably continue with the organization.

“It’s cool to think that I’m moving on to help the younger kids,” she said.

She currently works at Dairy Queen; is the Associated Student Body president at Oak Harbor High School; is president of Students Against Destructive Decisions, or SADD; is a member of TATU, or Teens Against Tobacco Use; and teaches enrichment French classes at Broad View Elementary.

Kinker said she knows for a fact that she wants to do something with helping kids. After college, she’s considering going into early childhood education or administration.

She said she enjoys helping kids of all ages.

“My favorite part is probably being able to communicate with all grade levels and doing service projects for the community,” Kinker said.

“I’m in a lot of other clubs and organizations. I always find myself doing things that are service based. I’m happier doing things that help others.”

While Kinker is now happy that she’s earned her lifetime membership, being a Girl Scout wasn’t always easy for her.

She said it was hard sticking with it in middle school. People would said things like, “Oh, you’re a Girl Scout,” Kinker said.

But she said working with the younger girls and knowing she was making a difference in their lives has made it worth it.

When she got into high school, she said it was really hard to continue.

“It didn’t seem like the cool thing to be doing,” Kinker said. “But the more I kept being involved, the more I realized how much it meant to me.”

She admits it’s hard with it being senior year because everyone’s busy with their sports and clubs.

Kinker also said it was harder to sell boxes of cookies as she got older. She said as a cute little kid, it’s easier.

“A lot of people tell me I’m too old to be a Girl Scout,” she said. “They say, ‘Where’s the Girl Scout?’”

Kinker said she’s gotten “really terrible remarks” from people.

“I always try to keep it positive,” she said. “I can’t be cute and little for that long. Someone has to teach the little girls.”

And while she’s sold a lot of boxes throughout her career — the most she’s sold in a season is about 3,000 — this year was the first time in three years she’s eaten a Girl Scout Cookie.

She said she was excited when she was younger, then she got sick of them.

“They were still in my house, and I still had to sell them,” she said.

Lisa Kinker said Friday night was a good way for Bailey to finish out her cookie career.

“It was kind of like winning the Super Bowl.”