GSCNC 2017 Gold Award & Scholarship Recipients

As one of the Service Unit Press Representatives for Service Unit 34-8, I am glad to share for GSCNC (Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital) the list of girls in the whole council who have earned their Gold Award.

If you don't know, Gold Award is like the Eagle Rank in Boy Scouts. It is very highly involved, but is spearheaded by the girl themselves. The Gold Award is the highest achievement within the Girl Scouts of the USA, earned by Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts. Only 5.4% of eligible Girl Scouts successfully earn the Gold Award.

THE GIRL SCOUT PROMISE 
 On my honor, I will try:
To serve God* and my country To help people at all times, and To live by the Girl Scout Law *Members may substitute wording appropriate to their own spiritual beliefs for the word “God.”


THE GIRL SCOUT LAW 
 I will do my best to be Honest and fair, Friendly and helpful, Considerate and caring, Courageous and strong, and Responsible for what I say and do, And to Respect myself and others, Respect authority, Use resources wisely, Make the world a better place, and Be a sister to every Girl Scout.

You can see all the 159 girls who earned the Gold Award in this council here:
GSCNC 2017 Gold Award Yearbook

For our Service Unit 34-8, Special Shout Outs to:

Laura Pham in Silver Spring, MD
Police and Citizen Interaction
Laura educated high school students, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and their parents on how to properly interact with law enforcement.

Nihira Mugamba in Silver Spring, MD
 Reading to Excel
Nihira started a reading program to address literacy needs for Loy Kindergarten students in Kampala, Uganda.

Lynn Phan in Silver Spring, MD
Things About Money You Should Know (But You Probably Don't)
Lynn held workshops for teens and parents on important financial skills. Topics included college tuition, applying for credit cards and filing taxes.

Lauren Queen in Silver Spring, MD
Building Bridges
Lauren worked to implement a social network for students with disabilities that incorporated social and tech skills, along with information on postsecondary opportunities.

Sophia Varnai in Silver Spring, MD
Art and Self-Discovery Camp
Sophia created a week-long summer camp for young girls at her local library focusing on self-love, self-care, and self-expression through the arts.

Here is the Press Release for not all the Gold Award winners, but the top of the crop this year who have also received scholarships based on their work in the Gold Awards:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 10, 2017

Girl Scouts Earn Highest Award: the Gold Award

 

DC, Maryland, Virginia— Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital is proud to announce the Gold Award class of 2017, made up of 159 inspiring G.I.R.L.s (Go-Getters, Innovators, Risk-taker and Leaders)TM from the Greater Washington Region.  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.

Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital awarded 14 outstanding Gold Award Girl Scouts each with a $1,000 scholarship. One Gold Award Girl Scout who demonstrated exceptional leadership was recognized as a Young Woman of Distinction and was awarded a $2,000 scholarship.  

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.

Presenting the 2017 Gold Award Scholarship recipients:

Gold Award: Young Woman of Distinction

Carolyn Ziegler | Centreville, VA

Katherine K. Hanley Technology Center

Carolyn started K.A.T.E., Kids Achieving in Technology and Education, to provide educational learning software to help children who are homeless succeed and excel in school.

Gold Award Scholarship Recipients

Sahana Bhagat | 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 Cole 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 Dickman | 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 Dunn | 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 Eyler | 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 Guilford | 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 Gupta | 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.

Sydney Hamrick | 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 Kosar | 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 Oquendo | 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 Reilly | Bethesda, MD

Cultural Ambassador!

Jeanine created a volunteer youth translator program to help embassies provide language translation for their visitors.

Melissa Schuey | 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 Sullivan | 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 Wheeler | 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.  

A big congratulations to these 159 Girls/women who have been such a blessing to those that they have and will continue to serve through the seeds they have planted right where they are and around the world. 

Thank you for being girl scouts and be amazingly you! 
Please support the girls and share this to share what they have done and how they are inspiring others!