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.