Girls Only

Girl Scouts Receive Highest Honor

Macedonia, OH
Girl Scouts of North East Ohio (GSNEO) presented the Girl Scout Gold Award to 68 outstanding young women Saturday, June 19, at the Twinsburg Hilton Garden Inn.  The third annual Gold Award Achievement Celebration recognized the achievements of Girl Scouts who demonstrated their ability to lead and the desire to make a difference in the world.

The Gold Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn.  It recognizes that girls, 14 to 18 years old, have embraced the values of Girl Scouts and have designed, developed, and led projects that have facilitated positive change in their communities.  These women are part of an elite group that set a challenging goal, and persevered to achieve that goal. Only about six percent of eligible girls take the rigorous path toward earning this prestigious award, but those who complete the journey change the lives of others – and their own in amazing ways.

“These girls are the finest example of what the Girl Scout mission is all about,” said GSNEO Chief Executive Officer Daisy L. Alford-Smith, Ph.D.  “Achieving the Gold Award sets the foundation for a productive lifetime of giving back to the community because of the strong leadership and organizational skills that have been gained through their experience.”

A Girl Scout who has earned the Gold Award is a proven community leader.  Through leadership and hard work, she has built life skills, explored career options and discovered that one individual can make a profound difference in the quality of life in her community.

Through Girl Scouting, girls develop the core values that will be beneficial to them as they grow up and discover who they are and what they want to do with their lives.

Central Service Area Gold Award Recipients:

Abigail Marie Tanner, graduate of St. Vincent-St. Marie HS
Rebecca Wolf, 2009 graduate of Nordonia High School
Megan Hach, graduate of Highland HS
Sarah Coyne, senior at R-S Central HS in North Carolina (formerly from Medina HS)
April Porter, graduate of Nordonia HS
Lara Schoeffler, graduate of Trinity HS
Alyssa Mauser, graduate of Ravenna HS
Maria Hughes, graduate of Tallmadge HS
Rebecca Carman, graduate of Green HS
Deanna Kettlinger, senior at Archbishop Hoban HS
Stephanie Kettlinger, graduate of Archbiship Hoban HS
Natalie Weekley, graduate of Highland HS
Melissa Anne Rose Paydo, senior at St. Vincent-St. Mary
Katherine Anne Mary Paydo, junior at St. Vincent-St. Mary
Lyndsey Herman, graduate of Highland HS
Heather Benya, graduate of Wadsworth HS
Lauren Buser, graduate of Green HS
Nora Wisor, graduate of St. Vincent-St. Mary HS

South Service Area Gold Award Recipients:

Megan Capitena, sophomore at Walsh University
Rena Steiger, salutatorian graduate of Perry HS
Olivia Lemley, graduate of Lake HS (Stark)
Brittany Trout, honors graduate of Highland HS (Medina)
Lauren Raymond, graduate of Perry HS
Amanda Dobson, graduate of Green HS
Betsy Dobson, graduate of Green HS
Lydia Hakola, graduate of Lake HS (Stark)
Sarah D’Nelle Beres, graduate of Lake HS (Stark)
Rachel Betz, graduate of Copley HS

North Service Area Gold Award Recipients:

Hillary Stradtman, graduate of Bay High School
Christianna Joy Holmes, graduate of Olmsted Falls HS
Brittany Lynn Ranchoff, senior at Padua Franciscan HS in Parma
Emily Mills, graduate of Olmsted Falls HS
Emily Steffen, senior at Westlake HS
Rachel Ann Murry, graduate of West Geauga HS
Allison Gray, graduate of Westlake HS
Mary Walters, graduate of Notre Dame Cathedral Latin
Kate Okrez, graduate of West Geauga HS
Esther D’Mello, graduate of Brecksville-Broadview Heights HS
Elizabeth Bucklen, graduate of Kenston HS in Chagrin Falls
Emily Kardamis, senior at Strongsville HS
Brianna Ziganti, graduate of Notre Dame-Cathedral
Sarah Pelger, senior at Rocky River HS
Alisa Blumenthaler, graduate of Brecksville-Broadview Heights HS
Victoria Gruber, senior at Bay HS
Lisa Marie Gillmore, graduate of Fairview HS
Julie Haumschild, graduate of Olmsted Falls HS
Rachael Stone, honors graduate of Bay HS
Kelsey Brax, graduate of Bay HS
Annemarie Balfe, graduate of North Olmsted HS

West Service Area Gold Award Recipients:

Danielle Reddinger, graduate of Lorain Southview HS
Amber Wiley, graduate of Brookside HS
Cassandra Eve Nix, graduate of Midview HS
Christina Herbst, graduate of Avon HS
Kyleigh Whitsel, graduate of Brookside HS
Margaret Elkanick, 2009 graduate of Midview HS
Lindsay Mudrak, graduate of Brookside HS

East Service Area Gold Award Recipients:

Christina Shobel, graduate of Boardman HS
Megan Smith, graduate of South Range High School in North Lima
Kayla Marie Reardon, graduate of Conneaut HS
Kory Brady, graduate of Chalker High School in Southington
Kayla McMinn-McCoy, graduate of Maplewood HS
Anna Bumgardner, graduate of LaBrae HS
Heather Pownell, graduate of Trumbull Career and Technical Center
Susan Lee-Maher, 2009 graduate of Mineral Ridge HS
Heather Martin, 2009 graduate of LaBrae HS
Maria Reibstein, graduate of Newton Falls HS
Sarah Ritchie, senior at Grand Valley HS
Jamie Caldwell, graduate of Trumbull Career and Technical Center

Click here to view the pictures taken from the Gold Award.