Girl Scouts of North East Ohio (GSNEO) is proud to honor 32 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!
When compared to non–Girl Scout alums, Gold Award Girl Scouts soar when it comes to seeing themselves as leaders, providing service to others through volunteerism, and having positive attitudes about themselves and the lives they lead. Over 90% of Girl Scouts not only attributed their success in life to Girl Scouts, but they also said they could not have had access to the same experiences anywhere else.
Nationwide, only five percent of eligible Girl Scouts go for the gold. This year, 32 Gold Award recipients 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.
2023 Girl Scout Gold Award recipients including city and project title:
· Eliza Botzman, Independence, Let’s Bring Happiness
· McKayla Buck, North Canton, Calm Corner
· Sascha Burgess, Avon, Cemetery for Animals
· Elizabeth Caruthers, Madison, Blessing Box
· Ella Clapper, Medina, Fall Prevention and Walker Safety
· Lilly Colbeck, Avon, Historical Children’s Book “The Story of Avon”
· Isabella Cuff, Mentor, Greenhouse Project
· Megan Earp, Hudson, The Big Kick
· Selena Frantz, Norton, Connecting Students and Charities
· Sarah Friedlander, Orange Village, Wheelchair Accessible Picnic Table
· Isabel Gracon, Chesterland, Beginning Bassoon
· Ellamarie Green, Avon Lake, From Label to Able
· Grace Guy, Sagamore Hills, Cart Corral
· Sarah Hall, Canton, Playground Project
· Sarah Hermann, Northfield, Native Plant Garden
· Aubriana Hills, Richmond Heights, Community Garden
· Charlotte Hosek, Munroe Falls, Special Goals
· Keely Jackson, Chardon, E-Concessions
· Avery Junkins, Westlake, The Positivity Post Box
· Erin Keener, Madison, Pollinator Way-Station
· Lillian Kensicki, Parma, The Pop-Up Compliment Shop
· Caroline Niederhausen, Strongsville, Cherry Tree Free Little Library
· Camille Paoletta, Chagrin Falls, Pants for YWCA Women’s Shelter
· Chloe Porter, Wadsworth, School Window Coverings
· Eleanor Ramos, Concord Township, The Only Truth is in Music
· Makenna Ricketts, Chardon, LAX-ABLED An Adaptive Lacrosse Initiative
· Madeline Silver, Wadsworth, The Pursuit of Arth Through the Years
· Hannah Strack, Strongsville, Garden Christian Academy Musical Upgrade
· Megan Valloric, Uniontown, John Torok Community and Senior Center – Raised Rain Garden
· Rachel Whary, Grafton, The Gold Obliteration Room
· Caelum Wolak, Mentor, Project Hope for the Homeless Memorial Garden
· Nina Zargari, Chesterland, “In Her Kiss I Taste the Revolution!” Zine
