Girl Scouts of North East Ohio (GSNEO) is proud to honor 43 Gold Award Girl Scouts this year. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador may earn. The Gold Award project challenges girls to identify an unmet need or core issue in their community, research and investigate it, recruit volunteers, and build a team to create a plan to address the issue or need. Across Northeast Ohio, members of the community are seeing great changes take place. Elementary schools are receiving valuable STEM resources. Places of worship are seeing improvements to their buildings and to the safety of their congregations. Animals have new habitats and resources to support their populations. These things were all made possible because of Gold Award Girl Scouts!
According to recent research, Gold Award Girl Scouts are more likely to fill leadership roles at work and in their personal lives and are more civically engaged than their non-Girl Scout peers. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of Gold Award Girl Scouts agree that earning their Gold Award gave them skills that help them succeed professionally. Seventy-two percent (72%) said earning their Gold Award helped them get a scholarship. Changing the world doesn’t end when a Girl Scout earns her Gold Award. Ninety-nine percent (99%) of Gold Award Girl Scout alums take on leadership roles in their everyday lives.
Nationwide, only five percent of eligible Girl Scouts go for the gold. This year, 43 Gold Award Girl Scouts from Northeast Ohio will join the ranks of generations of young women who are recognized for making a difference, both locally and globally. It’s not only Girl Scouts who understand the value of the Gold Award. Some universities and colleges offer scholarships unique to Gold Award recipients, and girls who enlist in the U.S. armed forces automatically enter the military one rank higher.
2024 Girl Scout Gold Award recipients including city and project title:
· Giavanna Anamasi, Avon, Running Camp for Kids
· Alice Baumann, Medina, Kindness Closet
· Emily Berdis, Chesterland, Bat House Conservation Project
· Morgan Brotz, Madison, Batters Box
· Rebecca Brown, Canton, Plant Pals
· Leah Campbell, Lakewood, Recycling Education Campaign
· Nicolette Ellis-Corle, Uhrichsville, Metal With Meaning
· Zoe Fisher, Cortland, Walls Lake Park
· Sage Fossaceca, Chagrin Falls, Activoting
· Rebecca Fullerman, Chardon, Rebecca’s Closet Remodel
· Mariah Goist, Fowler, Lead, Excel, Inspire: Music
· Anna Gracon, Chesterland, 3rd Grade Book Club
· Kathryn Gus, Strongsville, Magnificat & Rocky River Blood Donation Awareness
· Emily Hall, Wadsworth, You Are Worthy of Love
· Hope Heinle, Cleveland, Rain Barrels for Water Collection
· Jodie Hellickson, Brunswick, Jitterbug for Wisdom
· Mariel Juszli, Stow, Community Art Gallery Boxes
· Teaghan Knierim, Valley City, Rejuvenation of the Pollinators Gardens at Buckeye Elementary Schools
· Sophia Maiorana, Avon Lake, Repurpose With Purpose
· Caitlin Mann, Chesterland, Sunnybrook Park Little Library
· Briana Massi, Chardon, Sensory Activities for All
· Megan McGinnis, Chesterland, Implementing Fitness in Nature Through Community Park Sign
· Lilly Metzger, Lakewood, Our Instruments
· Rose Mira, Bellevue, Communication For All
· Alyssa Mobley, Chesterland, Community Pinewood Derby Track
· Savannah Moon, Chesterland, Duck Days
· Morgan Palchick, Chesterland, Tranquility Garden
· Ricki Reed, Doylestown, Cheer
· Grace Romanoff, Chardon, Arbor-bench Garden
· Allyson Schultz, Copley, Church Busy Bags
· Sarah Sheldon, Grafton, Revitalizing Personal & Environmental Health at Midview Schools
· Josephine Smyser, Mentor, Exploring Engineering
· Gavrielle Steele, North Lawrence, Flores Mel
· Samantha Sunderhaft, Chagrin Falls, Every Mind Matters
· Makayla Tarr, Cortland, Project Red White and Blue
· Katelyn Unke, Hudson, Memorial Garden Renovation
· Emily Vieira, Chesterland, Preventing the Spread of Invasive Plants
· Sophie Voudris, Chagrin Falls, STEAM Night
· Jocelyn Walbeck, North Canton, Paint the Playground
· Penelope Wendling, Avon, The Little Free Art Library
· Contessa Wilson, Novelty, Adult Inpatient Improvement
· Carissa Wood, Grafton, Hound Hollow Dog Park
· Haley Yackshaw, Sheffield Lake, Gardening for Wildlife
Bios can be found at gsneo.org/goldaward.
Earning the Gold Award is just one of the amazing things girls can do as part of Girl Scouts. To join Girl Scouts of North East Ohio, or learn more about volunteering, please visit gsneo.org.
To set up an interview with a Gold Award Girl Scout, please contact Girl Scouts of North East Ohio at 880-852-4474.