Girl Scouts Earn Highest Awards
Date Published: May 17, 2017
Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital is proud to announce our Gold Award class of 2017, made up of 159 inspiring G.I.R.L.s (Go-Getters, Innovators, Risk-taker and Leaders)TM. The Gold Award is the highest achievement a girl can earn in Girl Scouts. Through their projects, Gold Award Girl Scouts advocated for the arts, inspired the next generation to love STEM and financial literacy and fought cyberbullying and the stigma of mental illness in their schools.
The Gold Award represents a girl’s legacy in Girl Scouting, the culmination of over 80 hours of work on a project that has a sustainable impact in her community and beyond.
“Gold Award Girl Scouts demonstrate a higher commitment to service, tackling a broad spectrum of issues that are important to each girl. These remarkable young women have demonstrated drive and determination to become agents for change,” said Lidia Soto-Harmon, Chief Executive Officer at Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital.
At the In Your Honor ceremony, held Saturday, May 13, 2017, Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital awarded 14 outstanding Gold Award Girl Scouts each with a $1,000 scholarship. One Gold Award Girl Scout, Carolyn Z, was recognized as a Young Woman of Distinction and was awarded a $2,000 scholarship. During the ceremony, journalist and author Christine Brennan delivered the keynote address to the honorees and their families.
Each year, Girl Scout Juniors and higher have the opportunity to earn highest awards at their levels. This year in our Council, 2,788 Girl Scout Juniors earned the Bronze Award, 888 Girl Scout Cadettes earned the Silver Award, and 214 Girl Scouts earned the Silver Trefoil Award, an honor unique to our Council.
View photos of this year's scholarship recipients, along with pictures from In Your Honor, on our Facebook page. Learn more about the entire Gold Award class in our Award Yearbook.
2017 Gold Award Scholarship Recipients
Carolyn Z. | Centreville, VA | Katherine K. Hanley Technology
Center |
| Sahana B. | Dunn Loring, VA | The
Happiness Project Sahana created a happier and healthier student body by helping students identify stress triggers and practice techniques to manage and reduce stress. |
| Sarah C. | Vienna, VA | Rhyme Literacy
Party Sarah hosted a literacy party for preschoolers from low-income communities. Using crafts and nursery rhymes, Sarah helped the students develop critical literacy skills for their future. |
| Beth D. | Centreville, VA | Healthy Being for a
Strong Heart Beating Beth conducted an afterschool health and fitness workshop for elementary school students to teach them about healthy habits they can use throughout their lives. |
| Caroline D. | Potomac Falls, VA | Laughs to
Confidence - Youth Improv for Girls Caroline hosted a series of improvisation workshops for young girls to help build their confidence. |
| Annabelle E. | Woodsboro, MD | Structures for
Sustainable Horticulture Anna built hops trellises on the grounds of her school, Saint John’s Catholic Prep, to educate the students in multiple classes about horticulture. |
| Taylor G. | Woodbridge, VA | Save the Bees Taylor's project addressed the decline in honeybee colonies and their important role in our food supply by starting a club and a beehive to educate the public. |
| Richa G. | Ashburn, VA | Computers to the
Rescue Richa helped the Shri Nirmal Vivek School set up and utilize a computer lab to expand the curriculum and provide vocational training for students with intellectual disabilities. |
| Syndey H. | Centreville, VA | Establishing a Writing
Center in a Local Middle School Sydney set up a writing center at her local middle school that included a mentoring program between high school's tutors and the middle school tutors. |
| Erika K. | Monrovia, MD | Shake and Bake
S'more Erika designed an exercise circuit and rebuilt a fire pit to inspire healthy living and give Girl Scout troops a place to get together and make S’mores. |
| Gabriela O. | Silver Spring, MD | The Giving Pantry Gabriela created a program for children who attend CentroNia community center in Langley Park. The children learned about giving back to their community by contributing to the pantry when able and using it when needed. |
| Jeanine Marie R. | Bethesda, MD | Cultural
Ambassador! Jeanine created a volunteer youth translator program to help embassies provide language translation for their visitors. |
| Melissa S. | Great Falls, VA | Trigger
Warning: The Truth About Self-Harm Melissa made videos and brochures to educate students and parents on the topic of self-harm. The videos and brochures are now being used in medical offices and schools. |
| Maya S. | Upper Marlboro, MD | Feel Like a
Princess Spa Day Maya hosted a spa day for teens with cancer and other illnesses to help build their self-esteem and combat stress. |
| Carson W. | Washington, DC | Senior Citizens Fair:
Preserving Your Life and Legacy Carson organized a senior citizens fair with speakers discussing estate planning, healthcare, safety and how-to-use social media. |
