Recipients of the
2013 Gold Award
2013, Volume 3, Issue 1
Celebrating Girl Scouting’s Highest Achievement
800-49-SCOUT • gshom.org
1
Going for the
Gold
Earning Gold as a Girl Scout demands a high level of
determination and dedication.
Girls who are the recipients of the Girl Scout Gold Award
—the highest and most coveted honor—must commit a
significant amount of time and expertise to developing
a project that will positively impact their community.
These girls also must demonstrate their plans for
sustainability of the work they’ve begun without their
ongoing involvement.
The ability of our Gold Award recipients to make a
positive and lasting impact on their communities
and become part of an illustrious group of Girl Scout
Alumnae, is a tribute to the leadership skills they have
developed during their active Girl Scouting years. These
skills position them well to seek out and secure college
scholarships at world-renowned schools such as the
University of Michigan, Purdue University and Western
Michigan University.
Completion and submission of the Girl Scout Gold
Award Project Proposal asks for the following:
•
Basic personal information.
•
Completion dates for prerequisites such as two
Senior or Ambassador Journeys or one Journey and
the Girl Scout Silver Award.
•
A beginning and ending date for the project.
•
Names of individuals and organizations who also will
work with a girl on her project.
•
•
Title of the project, target audience and reasons for
selecting it.
A discussion of the strengths, talents and skills which
will be used as well as skills which will be developed.
•
A description of the steps involved in putting the
project plan into action.
•
Names of people and organizations to be informed
and involved.
2
Recipients of the 2013 Gold Award
•
Estimate of overall project expenses and how those
costs will be met.
•
Methods or tools used to evaluate the project.
•
Description of how the project will be sustained.
•
Description of how others will be informed about
the project.
But wait…there’s more!
•
An interview about the project with GSHOM staff
and volunteers prior to starting.
•
Once the project is completed, there is a final report
which must be submitted. Included in this report is
a detailed time log which lists the number of hours
put in by the girl’s team of volunteers.
•
An expense log is submitted at the end of the
project.
Hopefully, this gives you a better idea of why these Gold
Award recipients are held in such high esteem.
Each of their projects will improve the lives of residents
in their communities by encouraging volunteerism and
highlighting the importance of community service. Our
Gold Award girls are living proof of GSHOM’s mission to
build girls of courage, confidence and character who will
make the world a better place.
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.
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.
The young women highlighted in this commemorative yearbook
have earned the highest award possible from Girl Scouts. You will
see why they are our 2013 Gold Award recipients as you read about
the projects they developed and brought to life through months of
painstaking work. All of us with Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan are so
very proud of these young women and awed by the level of leadership
skills they have demonstrated throughout their years in Girl Scouts.
These Gold Award recipients represent all that Juliette Gordon
(“Daisy”) Low had in mind when she assembled the very first troop
of 18 girls in 1912 in Savannah, Georgia. At that time, women had very
few rights and even fewer choices. What a difference 100 years make.
Women now have a seat at every table on a local, state, national and
global level. Many of them are Girl Scout Alumnae who will tell you that
their experiences as part of the premier leadership organization for
girls laid the foundation for the success they have achieved.
Our Gold Award recipients now have the privilege of becoming part
of this exclusive group of Girl Scout Alumnae. We can only imagine
the amazing ways in which they will make our world a better place,
and we look forward to seeing what they do next!
Yours in Girl Scouting,
Jan Barker, CEO
Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan
800-49-SCOUT • gshom.org
3
Recipients of the
2013 Gold Award
Mary Flegal Chair, Board of Trustees
Jan Barker Chief Executive Officer
Matt Bates Chief Information and Property Manager
Jackie Bucsi Chief Membership and Program Officer
Karen Micklatcher Chief Development Officer
Priscilla Smith Chief Administration Officer
Jane Parikh Writer
Catherine Below Graphic Designer
on the cover
The thirty 2013 Gold Award recipients showcased in
this yearbook have developed unique projects that
include designing a website to make community service
opportunities easier for high school students to access
and renovating rooms for clients of the Detroit Rescue
Mission Ministries. They take their place among a hugely
For Sponsorship Opportunities*,
Email Jordan Ritchie, [email protected],
or call 800-49-SCOUT
*Statements made by our sponsors do not reflect the opinion of GSHOM.
The inclusion of sponsors’ material shall neither constitute an
endorsement by GSHOM, implied or in fact, of their product or service,
nor is the veracity of any claim warranted or guaranteed by GSHOM.
2013, Volume 3, Issue 1
by Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, Inc.
talented group of Girl Scouts who since the founding
of the organization in 1912, have also earned this most
distinguished award.
Whether they received precursors to the Gold Award—
First Class, Golden Eaglet or Curved Bar—we honor them
for using their leadership skills to create powerful and
meaningful change which will stand the test of time.
Six Locations to Serve You!
Jackson Regional Center
4403 Francis Street, Jackson, MI 49203
Phone 800-322-1209 Fax: 517-784-9553
Kalamazoo Regional Center
601 West Maple Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
Phone: 800-788-4919 Fax: 269-492-1439
Lansing Regional Center
1223 Turner St., Suite 200, Lansing, MI 48906
Phone: 800-968-9421 Fax: 517-699-9405
Saginaw Regional Center
5470 Davis Road, Saginaw, MI 48604
Phone: 800-968-1185 Fax: 989-799-1450
Turkeyville Office
(Located inside Cornwell’s Turkeyville USA)
18935 15 ½ Mile Road, Marshall, MI 49068
Phone: 269-781-8720 Fax: 269-781-8726
Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor Regional Center
444 James L. Hart Parkway, Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Phone: 800-497-2688 Fax: 734-714-3037
4
Recipients of the 2013 Gold Award
In this issue Gold Award 2013
2 Going for the Gold
6
16
17
18
20
21
2012 - 2013 Gold Award Recipients
Miranda Niemiec: 2013 Young Woman of Distinction
Hannah Reiser: 2013 Young Woman of Distinction, Honorable Mention
Graduating Seniors
2012 - 2013 Silver Award Recipients
2012 - 2013 Bronze Award Recipients
How do you
make the world
a better place?
The Girl Scout Gold Award
800-49-SCOUT • gshom.org
5
Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan Proudly
Presents Our 2013 Gold Award Girl Scouts
The Girl Scout Gold Award is “what you really want to be remembered
for” in Girl Scouting. It is the highest award that Girl Scout Seniors (high
school freshmen and sophomores) and Girl Scout Ambassadors (high
school juniors and seniors) may earn. The leadership skills, organizational
skills, and sense of community and commitment that come from “going
for the Gold” set the foundation for a lifetime of active citizenship.
The Gold Award project is the culmination of all the work a girl puts into
earning the award. It is something that a girl can be passionate about,
fulfills a need within a girl’s community (local, regional or global) and
creates sustainable change. The project is more than a good service
project—it encompasses organizational, leadership and networking skills.
Amelia Balinski
Girl Scout Juliette, Tecumseh
Helping other students achieve
Amelia organized a tutoring program for her fellow students at Tecumseh High School.
She said she felt that the school lacked a peer-mentoring type program. With help and
support from individuals and organizations such as the high school’s administration
and counseling staff, National Honor Society and Key Club, and Communities in
Schools of the Tecumseh Area, Amelia worked towards building a tutoring program
which will benefit each student who takes advantage of it. She said the Tecumseh
High School Tutoring Program already has had a positive impact on the school’s
academic and student community.
Tecumseh High School
Jennifer Benedict
Troop 80349, Portage
Grow and give
Jennifer worked with fellow Girl Scout, Sydne Gernaat, on a garden which yielded
affordable vegetables for people in need in the Portage community. The girls said
they fulfilled a need for these fresh food options and created a recipe book containing
healthy and easy options using the vegetables grown in their garden located at the
Portage Community Center. Jennifer said she and Sydne used resources wisely
to create and maintain the garden and never wasted materials used. They say the
garden is an environmentally friendly way to help others while improving the land
where seeds were planted and the environment overall.
Portage Northern High School. Plans to
attend Aquinas College, major in Nursing.
6
Recipients of the 2013 Gold Award
Jessica Bernard
Troop 40855, Northville
Simplifying volunteer opportunities for students
Jessica worked with fellow Girl Scouts, Miranda Niemiec and Molly O’Sullivan, on a
project called Community Impact Awards (CIA) which was designed to help high
school students in her community access community service opportunities and
bundle them into awards to include on various applications. The CIA uses a Ning
social network to match students with service opportunities at www.ciaforstudents.
com. This website is available to any high school student residing within the Northville
Public Schools boundaries. Since August 2012, there are more than 300 students
and 40 interested adults representing service organizations.
Northville High School, attending Michigan
State University, major undecided
Brianna Bittenbender
Girl Scout Juliette, Vicksburg
What not to feed your pet
Brianna worked with Megan Foster, a fellow Juliette from Vicksburg, on a project which
educated various people who deal with pets about the toxic ingredients contained
in a number of pet foods. The girls met with their teacher, a 4-H leader, the director
of a boarding facility, Brianna’s dog’s groomer, and veterinarians about displaying
fliers and using a Powerpoint they created which identifies toxic pet foods. Their
Powerpoint is being included in the school’s Animal Science courses. Brianna said
she learned a lot about animal health and diets, how to set goals and be on time for
appointments, and improving her public speaking skills. She said she feels more
connected to her community because she was able to resolve an issue with their help.
Vicksburg Community School. Plans to
attend Western Michigan University and
major in Education.
Andrea Bonomo
Troop 40728, Brighton
Teaching kids to respect planet earth
Brighton High School
Andrea’s project focused on educating local children in grades 4-6 about the
importance of sustaining the environment. She partnered with the Brighton
District Library, where she held four one-hour sessions with a different nature and
environmental theme. The children planted an herb garden during the first session,
participated in organic tie dying during the second session, constructed bird feeders
made out of empty water bottles during the third session, and made picture frames
out of twigs and leaves as well as taking a nature walk during the fourth and final
session. To wrap up her project, Andrea made a paper bag for each child containing
seeds with instructions on how to grow them into plants as a way to help them
continue the project.
800-49-SCOUT • gshom.org
7
Aurelia Busse
Troop 40855, Northville
Creating a well-read space
Aurelia’s project addressed the issue of low literacy rates and lack of reading materials
for inner city children. She built a Reading Center at the Detroit Rescue Mission
Ministry Genesis House II, a domestic violence shelter, by providing bookshelves and
books for the children living there. Aurelia feels that books allow children to enter a
new world which allows them to focus on things other than the problems they may
be facing on a daily basis. To secure the sustainability of her project, she compiled
a list of the books she collected through donations so that future volunteers at the
Reading Center will be able to determine what types of books need to be added to
the collection. Aurelia plans to continue running book donation drives.
Northville High School
Kaleigh Elizabeth Carlone
Girl Scout Juliette, Novi
Helping girls feel special
Kaleigh worked with girls at Vista Maria, located in Dearborn . The non-profit
organization which was founded by Catholic nuns more than 120 years ago takes
vulnerable girls living in challenging circumstances and provides them with housing,
schooling and special care. Kaleigh raised a little over $16,000 to renovate a supply
closet and transform it into the “Vista Maria Boutique” – which provides a more
beautiful and upscale space where girls go to receive Welcome Bags containing
items such as a stuffed animal, pajamas, a journal and personal care items. Kaleigh
also renovated a changing room where the girls can go to try on clothes and a fun
room contacting games and books. Kaleigh said her project was created to boost
the girls self esteem and let them know they are loved.
Attending Northville High School
Elise Conley
Troop 80022, Allegan
Blankets for linus
Elise made blankets for terminally ill teenagers living in southwest Michigan. She
did this project as a way to provide comfort to these teens. Her work furthered
the efforts of “Project Linus”, a national organization which fosters compassion in
the “blanketeers.” Elise originally had planned to make child-size blankets until she
found out about the need for these among teens. She learned that by being caring
and considerate she could make the world a better place.
Allegan High School. Plans to attend
Michigan Technological University to major in
Engineering College to major in Engineering.
8
Recipients of the 2013 Gold Award
Rachel Crittenden
Troop 41360, Northville
Extreme room makeover
Rachel gave women at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM), a domestic
violence shelter, hope by decorating and beautifying a room for them. She purchased
furniture and accessories including a daybed, bunkbed, mattresses, sheets, curtains,
lamps and pillows. The funds for these purchases came from the sale of cards which
she made and also from individuals she sent letters to ask for donations. Rachel
said she faced a real challenge when the shelter relocated midway through her
project, but she said she was determined to provide women at the shelter with a
beautiful space to call their own. DRMM staff have assured her that they will continue
to maintain the room, so future residents will have the same opportunity enjoy a
nice space.
Attending Northville High School
Kristina Denniston
Troop 40859, Northville
Room for family
Kristina renovated a room at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, a nonprofit
organization in downtown Detroit, which provides a home and services to women,
children and men. She collected and returned cans to raise funds for her project and
sought out donations from the Home Depot and friends. As a result of her dedication
and their generosity, Kristina was able to paint the room, build new beds, and purchase
bedlinens and furniture. She said she wanted to create a safer feeling environment
for residents of the facility, which provides drug and alcohol rehabilitation services,
assists teen mothers with completing high school, teaches living and job skills to
those recently released from prison, and provides free medical care to children
and families.
Northville High School
Alexandra Draybuck
Troop 40855, Northville
Room re-do
Alexandra worked with a volunteer coordinator at Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries
(DRMM) to transform a sparsely decorated and furnished room at this multipurpose
nonprofit into a sanctuary for DRMM clients. In addition to working on this project
after school, Alexandra also put in time on Sundays to work around the organization’s
schedules. She also had to hand-deliver batches of supplies as a security precaution
to protect the identities of women staying there. Although re-doing the room was
her main task, she said she got a tremendous sense of satisfaction from the bedding
supplies and toiletries she was able to get donated for 18 other rooms at the DRMM.
Alexandra said a well-supplied shelter will enable staff to serve the needs of more
Northville High School, attending University individuals.
of Michigan, Biology/pre-med major.
800-49-SCOUT • gshom.org
9
Laura Esqueda
Troop 40855, Northville
Mentoring mddle school girls
Northville High School
Laura created a mentoring program based on the concept of goal-setting as her
project. Her target audience was girls at Hillside Middle School and the desired
outcome was teaching them about the required focus to achieve their goals. Laura
created worksheets for participants to write down their thought processes while
creating goals. These sheets also required the girls to create a schedule and list
potential obstacles as well as ways to overcome them. Through her ongoing work
with children, Laura has noticed that some children are born with a drive to succeed
while others struggle. She said she wanted to develop a program that will give girls who
lack the skills to be driven to achieve their goals. Her focus on middle school resulted
from the crucial role it plays in a very pivotal time in the lives of girls.
Megan Foster
Girl Scout Juliette, Vicksburg
What not to feed your pet
Megan worked with Brianna Bittenbender, a fellow Juliette from Vicksburg, on a
project which educated various people who deal with pets about the toxic ingredients
contained in a number of pet foods. The girls met with their teacher, a 4-H leader, the
director of a boarding facility, a dog’s groomer, and veterinarians about displaying
fliers and using a Powerpoint they created which identifies toxic pet foods. Megan
and Brianna’s Powerpoint is being included in the school’s Animal Science courses
for future use. Megan said she learned a lot about animal health and diets, how to set
goals and be on time for appointments, and improving her public speaking skills. She
said she feels more connected to her community because she was able to resolve
an issue with their help.
Vicksburg High School. College choice
undecided, major in a field
involving animals.
Molly Gannon
Troop 41215, Hamburg
Artistic expression at the library
Pinckney High School
10
Recipients of the 2013 Gold Award
The Pinckney Library had books aplenty when it moved into a larger facility. What
it didn’t have were works of art to display and that’s where Molly came in. She was
able to combine her love of scouting with her passion for creativity to paint three
40” X 30” canvasses which are now on display at the library. She said members of
her troop helped her scout out the best prices on the supplies she needed. After
completing the paintings, Molly created a flyer which she placed in her high school’s
Student and Family Service Center to encourage other students to make and donate
their own works of art to the library, solving the need to purchase artwork for future
display. She learned that by applying skills she already possesses, she could make a
significant impact on the lives of others.
Sydne Gernaat
Troop 80349, Portage
Grow and give
Sydne worked with fellow Girl Scout, Jennifer Benedict, on a garden which yielded
affordable vegetables for people in need in the Portage community. The girls said
they fulfilled a need for these fresh food options and created a recipe book containing
healthy and easy options using the vegetables grown in their garden located at the
Portage Community Center. Sydne said she and Jennifer used resources wisely
to create and maintain the garden and never wasted materials used. They say the
garden is an environmentally friendly way to help others while improving the land
where seeds were planted and the environment overall.
Attending Portage Northern High School,
major in screenwriting.
Blair Guilfoile
Troop 40855, Pleasanton, CA
A primer for incoming freshman
Blair’s project addressed the numerous questions and uncertainties faced by
incoming freshman and their parents as they make the leap to high school. She
created a website called “Freshman FAQ” to answer questions such as “What is the
student parking lot like?” and “What are the most popular spirit days?”. Blair said
she sought input from 2,000 other students at the high school to develop her list of
questions and answers. She feels that an experienced student rather than a student
handbook can better answer questions about how a student’s life changes during
high school. She is especially pleased with the diverse opinions on the FAQ website
because it will give freshman a more well-rounded view of what they may experience.
Attending Amador Valley High School.
Shannon Hayes
Troop 40010, Northville
Rescuing the rescue mission
While helping a fellow Girl Scout renovate a room at the Detroit Rescue Mission
Ministries, Shannon came across a female resident there who wished she had
carpeting in her room. Shannon was so touched by this comment that she decided
to renovate a room there from an institutional-feeling space into a home. In her
discussions with a DRMM staff member, Shannon learned that many women don’t
want to stay in shelters because they feel embarrassed, alone and misunderstood.
The staff member told her that recently updated shelters encourage women to seek
out the help they need. An added bonus of the improvements Shannon made to
the room, is that future residents will be able to enjoy the decorations and furniture
she added.
Attending Northville High School
800-49-SCOUT • gshom.org
11
Rebecca Jenks
Troop 30617, Lansing
Great gardening
Rebecca’s project addressed a growing obesity issue by working with children ages
3-13 to teach them the importance of making healthy eating choices. She put up
fliers and posters around the community to let people know about her program.
Rebecca showed participants how to build and maintain a vegetable garden which
will produce some of the healthy foods she talked about with them while also
getting them outside and physically active. By showing community residents how
to garden and be healthy, Rebecca hopes they will maintain the garden and pass on
the knowledge they gain to others about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. She said
she was particularly pleased with the growth of the garden and the way the children
interacted to make it a success.
Everett High School, attending Michigan
State University, Engineering major.
Jennifer Kowalczyk
Troop 40844, Northville
Playroom makeover
Jennifer created a more inviting and comfortable playroom at Alternatives for
Girls, a homeless shelter in downtown Detroit for teen girls ages 15-20 and their
young children. She gave the room a Dr. Seuss theme by placing wall clings of Seuss
characters on the walls. In addition, she used shelving units to organize toys, installed
two small tables: one with drawing supplies and child-size stools, and created a
bookshelf with age-appropriate books for children and teens. Jennifer said she
feels bad for teen moms who lack resources and places to care for and develop a
relationship with their newborns. She wanted her project to make them feel at home
and make them feel better. She hopes the playroom will provide them with a safe
environment to inspire positive change in their lives.
Northville High School. Plans to attend the
University of Connecticut to major in Early
Childhood Education or Sports Medicine.
Catherine LoSchiavo
Troop 40438, Northville
Room makeover at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries
Attending Northville High School.
Planning on studying Liberal Arts.
12
Recipients of the 2013 Gold Award
Catherine concentrated on transforming a room at the DRMM’s Sorrento Care Center
from a dreary, hospital-like setting into a bright and inviting space for women and
children who reside in this temporary housing shelter. The room she worked on
typically houses clients who are pregnant or require additional attention. Because
of this, she wanted to make the room extremely comfortable and accessible to its
occupants. To make this happen, she installed a new showerhead in the bathroom
and painted over the exisiting pink walls with blue paint for a crisper, cleaner look. A
new wardrobe and mirrors were added and furniture was rearranged to give the area
a more contemporary look and feel. Catherine said she hopes whoever stays there
will feel more at home as a result of her efforts.
Amber Love
Troop 30617, Lansing
Giving young people alternatives
Amber wanted to give children and youth in the Mount Vernon neighborhood positive
ways to spend their time while on summer vacation. She noticed that many of them
would spend their days wandering around the neighborhood and became concerned
that they would end up getting in trouble or facing unsafe situations. Amber was able
to secure a space which gave her the opportunity to teach children and their families
about fun and engaging ways to stay safe and healthy. Neighborhood leaders have
agreed to continue Amber’s project and she is confident that the children she taught
will use the tools they’ve been given to make positive changes in their lives.
Everett High School, attending
University of Chicago.
Michelle Menzies
Troop 41360, Northville
Making something out of nothing
A room at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM) had nothing but a set of
bunkbeds and a few dressers before Michelle Menzies made it a priority to bring in
furniture and sew sheets, curtains, pillows and blankets to make it a home. Women
who are the victims of domestic violence are in desperate need of room renovations
at the DRMM which will make them feel safe and welcomed. This project was important
to Michelle, who has lived in the Metro-Detroit area all her life and knows the profound
impact the DRMM, has on the lives of the people who reside there while working to get
their lives back on track. She said the efforts of residents to work towards successful
futures will benefit the city of Detroit and its surrounding communities.
Attending Greenhills School, plans on
majoring in Pre-med.
Rikki Miller
Troop 40855, Northville
Dancing the summer away
Rikki taught children at Northville Kid’s Club to be more confident and develop
memory and motor skills and flexibility through dance. At the end of each week, the
participants would perform a dance, with noticeable improvement, for the entire
group. Parents told Rikki that their children were less shy after taking her classes
and are more likely to go out and try new activities because of the confidence they
acquired. Rikki put together instruction booklets and videos for future instructors
who will keep her project going after she is no longer involved. The videos also can
be put on YouTube so that others will be able to teach a dance class.
Northville High School
800-49-SCOUT • gshom.org
13
Kristin Nelson
Troop 30617, Lansing
Physical fitness awareness
Kristen taught children ages 4-13 living in the Mount Vernon neighborhood about the
importance of exercising and getting outside. When she first began the program,
there were very few neighborhood children enjoying the outdoors; but, as time went
on, the number of children heading outdoors to play increased. Because of their
ages, many of the children didn’t know what exercising was so Kristen introduced
games and worksheets which involved learning about ways to get and stay active. She
also had them play games which strengthened different parts of the body. Kristen’s
efforts resulted in providing positive activities for children from one of the area’s lowincome neighborhoods. Many of these children don’t receive the kind of attention
they got from Kristen.
Everett High School, attending Central
Michigan University, Business major.
Abigail O’Meara
Troop 41360, Northville
A room to call your own
Abigail took a non-descript room at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM) and
over the course of a weekend infused it with personality by painting, carpeting and
replacing furniture. Because of limited funding, the DRMM—a nonprofit which works
with Detroit’s needy residents—must design rooms as inexpensively as possible,
which doesn’t necessarily address comfort issues for the individuals who stay there.
In addition to sprucing up and adding places to sit and relax, Abigail increased the
amount of storage space. She hopes that her efforts will motivate residents of the
shelter to work hard so that they may someday have similar amenities in their own
homes.
Attending Northville High School
Morgan Ostrander
Troop 30617, Lansing
Awesome eating
Morgan taught children about the importance of good nutrition and these lessons
were easy enough to go home and share with their families. Morgan’s lessons involved
the types of foods that should be included in a meal and the appropriate amounts of
each to consume. Proper nutrition and health are major issues in the United States
and Morgan wanted to do her part to make a difference one child at a time. At the end
of the summer lessons, Morgan arranged an event where the kids showed what they
learned throughout the summer. She is confident they will take what they learned
and apply it to their everyday lives.
Everett High School, will attend Michigan
State University, Zoology or
Veterinary major.
14
Recipients of the 2013 Gold Award
Kelsey Reitzloff
Troop 40855, Northville
Animals around us
Kelsey taught a group of children at Kids Club about animal extinction and the
deteriorating environment. She focused on the proper way to care for animals that
are pets or living in the wild and how important it is to treat them with love and respect.
She also taught the children about ways they could fix the mistreatment of animals
and the environment. In addition to using posters and other materials, she brought in
experts who spoke to these issues with the children. Kelsey created a book describing
her project as a guide for others who want to recreate the program for others. She
hopes the students will take what they learned and share it with others.
Northville High School
Lauren Santucci
Troop 40855, Northville
CIA for students
Lauren worked with fellow Girl Scouts, Jessica Bernard, Miranda Niemiec and Molly
O’Sullivan, on a project called Community Impact Awards, which was designed to
help high school students in her community access community service opportunities
and bundle them into awards to include on various applications. The CIA uses a Ning
social network to match students with service opportunities at www.ciaforstudents.
com. This website is available to any high school student residing within the Northville
Public Schools boundaries. Since August 2012, there are more than 300 students
and 40 interested adults representing service organizations.
Greenhills School
Kelly Shashlo
Troop 40855, Northville
Learning is fun
Northville High School
Kelly designed games which were used to increase the literacy rates and reading
levels of students in Kindergarten through 5th grade at Neinas Elementary School
in Detroit. The games she created help students to memorize the sound of words,
teach them proper sentence structure, write letters and words, and read with speed
and accuracy. Kelly also organized and created activities for a field day event for
students enrolled in Summer School at Neinas. This gave them a fun way to end
school and showed them that learning can be fun. In addition, she has spent time
reading with the students to build up their skills and confidence and helped organize
the school’s library to make it easier for the students to locate and check out books.
800-49-SCOUT • gshom.org
15
Megan Westley
Troop 80367, Portage
The Ark Welcome Home Project for homeless youth
Megan collected supplies and funds for homeless youth learning to live independently through the Ark’s Welcome Home Project sponsored by Catholic Charities. She
selected this effort as her project because she wanted to raise awareness in the
community about homeless youth and help the Ark. She organized fundraisers at
area restaurants, connected with various clubs at her school, and organized a pop
can drive to raise money to purchase supplies such as personal care items, clothing
and household items. She said she relied on her strengths – organizational skills and
determination – to complete the project.
Portage Northern High School
Dear Michelle,
Abby and Rachel,
Thank you for
the privilege of
walking this road
with you. I am so
proud of you!
Congratulations!
Love, Mrs. M
16
Recipients of the 2013 Gold Award
Miranda Niemiec
2013 Young Woman of Distinction
recipients whose final projects demonstrate extraordinary leadership, have
a measurable and sustainable impact,
and address a local challenge related to
a national and/or global issue, according
to officials with GSUSA. More than 3,000
girls each year achieve Gold recognition,
the highest and most prestigious honor
awarded by individual councils.
The creation of the CIA was a learning
experience for Miranda, who plans to
attend the University of Michigan to
major in Environmental Biology. She
said it reinforced her belief that hard
work to meet goals will pay off.
“Doing these projects forced me to
reach out to community leaders,
students and school administrators
and communicate effectively with
them,” Miranda said.
Young Woman of Distinction, Miranda Niemiec and Girl Scouts of the USA, CEO, Anna Maria Chavez.
Miranda Niemiec’s advice to other Girl
Scouts is fairly straightforward: “Stay
in Girl Scouts and don’t drop out. It
really exposes you to the most amazing
opportunities.”
Her 13-year career in Girl
Scouting is proof of those
opportunities. Miranda, who
resides in Northville, is one
of ten young women
throughout the United States
and the only one in Michigan
to be named a 2013 “National
Young Woman of Distinction”
by Girl Scouts of the United
States of America. Miranda,
a member of Girl Scouts
Heart of Michigan, received
the national honor for a Gold
Award project focused on the
development and launch, in October
2011, of the Community Impact Awards
(CIA), which has already matched more
than 400 Northville students with
community service opportunities at
more than 186 organizations.
“Girl Scouts helped me so
much by exposing to me to all
of these age-appropriate service
opportunities. It helped me mature
and join a group of other great
young women. It taught me how to
work well with others, and focus on
customer service because it’s always
about helping people.”
The CIA project has garnered
national attention and exceeded the
expectations of Miranda and fellow Girl
Scouts who assisted her.
She credits her involvement in Girl
Scouts with the successes she has had.
This year, Miranda is focusing on
acquiring nonprofit status for her
project, creating a smooth transition
to the next generation of student
management of the project, and
standardizing
the
program
for
expansion to other communities. To
date, 14 other communities have asked
for help with implementing their own
versions of the CIA.
Several weeks ago, Miranda traveled to
Arizona to speak during a gathering of
national Girl Scout leadership about her
project and the impact Girl Scouting
has had on her life.
“I’m a National Young Consultant. I’m
a Girl Scout for life now,” she said. “I’m
definitely always going to want to jump
on opportunities to help Girl Scouts.
I really want to make sure girls stay
involved. I want to get them as excited
as I am.”
“I was just so excited. I was actually in
school when I found out I won,” Miranda
said of the Young Woman of Distinction
designation. “I never thought that doing
a project would grow so big and have
such a national impact.”
The national honor is conferred
annually on 10 Girl Scout Gold Award
800-49-SCOUT • gshom.org
17
Hannah Reiser
2013 Young Woman of Distinction, Honorable Mention
“We also built a short little table where
kids can build with pieces of old tree
branches that have been cut up into
cookie shapes,” Hannah said. “I also
built a sorting table that has big tile
pieces with little baskets on side that
have pinecones, seashells and rocks
and art easels made out of fallen trees
so kids can go out and paint what they
see there.”
She got the word out about her project
through contacting her local newspaper,
talking with other Girl Scouts and
sending out flyers.
And, she’s not done yet.
“I still have ideas,” Hannah said. “There’s
these giant rain barrels to teach kids
about safe and clean water.”
Hannah Riesser turned an abandoned
courtyard into an outdoor learning
space for elementary students and
earned her Gold Award for her efforts.
“I knew this would give me a chance to
make a difference in peoples’ lives and
that meant a lot to me. No matter what,
I always knew I had my Girl Scout troop.”
Hannah and her troop did community
service projects such as working for the
local humane society and a local food
bank.
“We were always doing something,” she
said. “It taught me how to be aware of
other peoples’ feelings and that we all
want to be accepted and looked out for
by others.”
She spent two years taking care of all
of the details of the project and began
working on it in her senior year of high
school. She said she came up with the
idea because she was in an outdoor
learning classroom in Kindergarten and
thought it was “the coolest thing.”
“There was this old, abandoned
courtyard at Hawkins Elementary
School, my homeschool,” Hannah said.
“I thought, how can I give these learning
opportunities to all kids. I wanted to aim
it at Kindergarten through 4th graders.”
During her high school sophomore
year she worked with teachers and the
18
Recipients of the 2013 Gold Award
principal at Hawkins to design a space
the students would use. She recruited
volunteers from Girl Scouts and her
National Honor Society, 40 in all, to
help her pull out overgrown trees, dead
plants and other debris.
“Cleaning out the area took a couple of
months. We cleaned up a fountain and
readied the area to be built on,” Hannah
said.
In what used to be a longforgotten courtyard, a stone
sandbox is located which
gives children tactile learning
opportunities. There also
are numerous planter boxes
and a separate area where
students can plant fruits
and vegetables and a plant
and view box which shows
students how plants grow.
The project challenged Hannah who
has some learning disabilities.
“This was a difficult project for me
because I have disabilities in learning
and it taught me about perseverance
and how to get through it,” she said. “I
use my own unique perspective on the
world. It also taught me that if you’re
really passionate about something you
have the ability to make a difference.”
“Girl Scouting really has taught me
a lot. I was a mentor for my sister.
It’s really made a difference in the
way that I see the world.
“It has taught me a lot about
perseverance and that every girl
has strengths. “That’s why it’s
so important that we keep girls
interested.”
Congratulations to our 2013 high school graduates! We
invite you to help us build girls of courage, confidence and
character by returning to Girl Scouts as an adult volunteer.
Emily Aaron, Canton
Arden Ciaciuch, Canton
Elizabeth Glasco, Hartland
Kendra Abraham, Port Hope
Abigail Collingwood, Canton
Erin Gobeille, Brighton
Louisa Antonelli, Saline
Allison Collins, Saline
Chelsea Graham, Dexter
Alexandri Armentrout, Merrill
Erin Cooper, South Haven
Sarah Graham, Battle Creek
Julia Armitage, Canton
Alexandra Croff, Mason
Alexis Green, Ann Arbor
Rosemary Arnold, Mason
Sarah Cullen, Northville
Blair Guilfoile, Pleasanton
Raji Arunachalam, Canton
Margaret Cummings, Bath
Christina Hadley, Novi
Stephanie Austin, Kalamazoo
Savanna Cureton, Northville
Amy Hamilton, Burt
Kennadi Auth, Blissfield
Amanda Delph, Dexter
Juliann Handziak, Mt. Pleasant
Allyson Baier, Grass Lake
Kristina Denniston, Northville
Amber Hardesty, Howell
Amelia Balinski, Tecumseh
Cali Rose DiGiuseppe, Portage
Kayla Harrell, Leslie
Charisma Bassett, Saginaw
Katie Doolittle, Saint Johns
Cassie Hartenburg, Saint Johns
Nikole Begole, Morrice
Maureen Doyle, Brighton
Hannah Hazewinkel, Mason
Casey Belcher, Ann Arbor
Alexandra Draybuck, Northville
Brandi Heider, Midland
Jennifer Benedict, Portage
Madison Drozdowski, Milan
Julia Hepp, Canton
Jessica Bernard, Northville
Olivia Dubray, Portage
Shanice Hobbs, Lansing
Megan Bialek, Ann Arbor
Erin Dunne, Northville
Audrey Hoebecke, Brighton
Alyssa Bleitz, Milan
Samantha Elert-Fabing, Jackson
Michaela Holland, Weidman
Andrea Bonomo, Brighton
Meggan Ellis, Canton
Holly Holshouser, Northville
Stephanie Bradshaw, Mattawan
Melissa Ellison, Vassar
Katherine Hook, Ann Arbor
Emily Brown, Tecumseh
Kennedy Elston, Manitou Beach
Rachael Horn, Au Gres
Nicole Bryde, Leslie
Laura Esqueda, Northville
Rachael Hyaduck, Mason
Breanna Bullock, Lansing
Erin Fedoronko, Northville
Christina Igl, Mason
Kimberly Bumbalough, Saint Helen
Kaitlin Felty, Milan
Emily Irwin, Au Gres
Emily Bush, Northville
Shannon Fitzpatrick, Plymouth
Kala Jackway, DeWitt
Aurelia Busse, Northville
Madison Frese, Lansing
Michelle Jaskolski, Canton
Angelina Camilleri, Canton
Nicole Fulton, Howell
Rebecca Jenks, Lansing
Crystal Caron, Hale
Brianna Gale, Owosso
Carla Jones, Lansing
Caitlin Chambers, Eaton Rapids
Paige Gasper, Au Gres
Amelia Juckno, Brighton
Julia Christensen, East Lansing
Sydne Gernaat, Portage
Alyssa June, DeWitt
800-49-SCOUT • gshom.org
19
Taylor Jutzi, Paw Paw
Hannah Mullally, Northville
Brittany Swejkoski, Lansing
Caylee Kaitner, South Lyon
Katie Mumma, East Lansing
Kalie Swider, Canton
Hannah Kim, Portage
Kristin Nelson, Lansing
Melissa Switzenberg, Mason
Tahja Kirkpatrick, Dimondale
Miranda Niemiec, Northville
Samantha Sykes, Saline
Michele Koch, Adrian
Jasmine O'Connor, Jackson
Leah Taylor, Lansing
Scotti Kogut, Bay City
Destiny Oliver, Howell
Shakyla Thurman, Lansing
Kathleen Kooiker, Hamilton
Morgan Ostrander, Lansing
Shelby Timmer, Hamilton
Danielle Labian, Portage
Jessica Overholser, South Haven
Rhiannon Tomtishen, Ann Arbor
Kelsey Lamp, Lansing
Ashley Padgett, Bronson
Tonisty Torres, Grand Ledge
Emily Lauer, Paw Paw
Kelly Patterson, Lansing
Gina Tortorici, Canton
Devon Layman, Blissfield
Eleanor Pence, Plymouth
Charlessa Trainor, DeWitt
Michelle Lewis, South Haven
Nicole Perkins, Reese
Isabella Troutner, Olivet
Alison Lienhart, Jackson
Traci Phillips, Mason
Emily Unsicker, Britton
Chelsea Linsemier, Grand Ledge
Allison Polzin, Birch Run
Lauren VanStreain, Williamston
Amber Love, Lansing
Stephanie Porcari, Canton
Daryna Vashchuk, Kalamazoo
Danielle Lynch, Haslett
Sandra Pui, Novi
August Vermillion, Fowlerville
Jenifer Maas, Portage
Ashley Pyzik, Whitmore Lake
Madison Vorva, Plymouth
DeAnna Madewell, Onondaga
Kelsey Reitzloff, Northville
Lindsay Walls, Bath
Allison Malick, Northville
Annette Richard, Gladwin
Rebecca Walzak, Lansing
Ana Markel, Manchester
Kayla Rickett, South Lyon
Mandi Waters, Bath
Alicia Marnon, Westland
Danielle Rustem, Mason
Kara Weinstein, Leslie
Anna Marron, Ann Arbor
Cierra Salter, Lansing
Allison Weir, Northville
Alexandrea Matthews, Addison
Lauren Santucci, Northville
Nicole Wellington, Freeland
Joellen Maurer, Marshall
Briana Schoenek, Novi
Raelyn Wendling, Bath
Erin McCowey, Portage
Natalie Sharpe, Plymouth
Nicole Wenstrup, South Lyon
Haley McCullough, Northville
Kelly Shashlo, Northville
Jaden Werner, Perry
Megan McKechnie, Brighton
Elizabeth Shillington, Saline
Megan Westley, Portage
Amanda McKeith, Freeland
Audrey Smail, Brighton
Breanna Wheeler, Ypsilanti
Jacqueline Micheaux, Bath
Alison Smith, Eagle
Hayley White, Brooklyn
Erica Miller, Northville
Alysha Sneed, Pinconning
Emily Widzinski, Northville
Kanade Mishina, Saline
Autumn Sodman, Mason
Nickole Wixson, Leslie
Elisabeth Moore, Northville
Madison Stapp, Northville
Jessica Zeitz, Leslie
Shelby Mroz, Northville
Dacotah Stevens, Leonidas
Congratulations
20
Recipients of the 2013 Gold Award
Congratulations to the recipients of the
Girl Scout Silver Award
Ashlee Bartlett
Troop 60044
Victoria Batko
Juliette
Becca Bishop
Troop 40198
Faith Brown
Troop 30595
Bridget Bruncau
Troop 50488
Alissa Burgess
Troop 30661
Autumn Chall
Troop 30661
Elise Chandler
Troop 40198
Christina Christenson Troop 40196
Olivia Collins
Troop 40010
Caitlin Demerest
Troop 80127
Victoria Demerest
Troop 80127
Katie Fedoronko
Troop 40142
Erin Fegan
Troop 40187
Courtney Fulcher
Troop 40063
Rebekah Graham
Troop 50715
Samantha Graham
Troop 40196
Courtney Greening
Troop 41303
Lucinda Hall Troop 50077
Shannon Hayes
Troop 40010
Erin Heitzman
Troop 41303
Stephanie Hilts
Troop 30595
Elizabeth Hoffman
Troop 50488
Lauren Hoffman
Troop 50488
Kacee Howe
Troop 40198
Abby Johnstone
Troop 30626
Weiwei Kapp
Troop 30661
Amy Lawler
Troop 41303
Jamie Lince
Troop 30595
Justine Nicole Lindquist Troop 40460
Karly Loose Troop 50488
Molly Main
Troop 40905
Olivia McCutcheon
Troop 40010
Avery Messina
Troop 40196
Lillian Minnette
Troop 40824
Christina Mortensen
Troop 41899
Angela Mulka Troop 50488
Emily Munsell
Troop 50780
Brianna Nayh
Troop 40010
Beatrice Nayh
Troop 40010
Brittany Nayh
Troop 40010
Cheyenne O’Dell
Troop 30661
Genevieve Parkey
Troop 41303
Roxanne Pinsky
Troop 40063
Emma Preuss
Troop 30158
Cement City
Westland
Howell
Bath
Midland
Leslie
Leslie
Howell
Canton
Northville
Saugatuck
Saugatuck
Ann Arbor
Brighton
Ann Arbor
Tuscola
Plymouth
Plymouth
Millington
Northville
Plymouth
Bath
Midland
Midland
Howell
Mason
Williamston
Plymouth
Bath
Brighton
Midland
Canton
Northville
Plymouth
Saline
Dexter
Midland
West Branch
Northville
Northville
Northville
Mason
Plymouth
Ann Arbor
East Lansing
Sarah Marie Ptashnik
Emma Radke
Kaitlyn Rose
Lauren Sargent
Courtney Schaiberger
Melissa Schott
Ashlyn Schwind Gretchen Serino
Olivia Shepard
Sedona Sime
McKenzie Sullivan
Tabitha Sutterfield
April Svendsen
Hannah Terrell
Abigail Wagner
Hope Warkoczeski
Brenna Wayne
Shannon Wendling
Gabrielle Wilborn
Asia Woods
Troop 40010
Troop 41303
Troop 41154
Troop 40010
Troop 50780
Troop 30595
Troop 50780
Troop 40460
Troop 40198
Troop 30661
Troop 40142
Troop 30661
Troop 30595
Troop 40725
Troop 40460
Troop 41301
Troop 40196
Troop 30595
Troop 30661
Troop 40725
Northville
Plymouth
Ypsilanti
Northville
West Branch
Bath
West Branch
Pinckney
Howell
Mason
Saline
Dansville
Bath
Ypsilanti
Pinckney
Plymouth
Canton
Bath
Dansville
Willis
The Girl Scout Silver
Award is the most
prestigious honor a Girl
Scout Cadette receives.
The girls who earn this
award are organized
leaders who develop
projects which highlight
their dedication and
determination to improve their community.
We offer our warmest congratulations to all of
our Silver Award recipients and look forward to
watching them go for the gold.
The requirements to earn the Girl Scout Silver
Award are as follows:
•
Girls must be in 6th, 7th or 8th grade and must
complete a Cadette Journey.
•
Must identify issues they care about and
build a Silver Award team or work solo.
•
Choose a Silver Award project and develop it.
•
Make a plan and put it into action.
•
Reflect, share and celebrate.
800-49-SCOUT • gshom.org
21
It pays to be a Girl Scout
Membership definitely has its advantages for Girl Scouts
graduating from high school who are members of Girl
Scouts Heart of Michigan.
Many thanks to our
Gold Award Committee
for their dedication and guidance.
In addition to entering a college or university with
an established set of leadership skills, our girls are
positioned well to apply and receive scholarships
such as the one established by Kathy Lindahl, a
major supporter of GSHOM and retired assistant vice
president for Finance and Operations at Michigan State
University.
Donna Aubuchon, Ann Arbor
Jill Beauchamp, Ann Arbor
Traci Bergeon, Lansing
Patricia Bilbrey, Saginaw
Albra Buelow, Ann Arbor
Ina Germain, Ann Arbor
Renee Graham, Saginaw
Christine Hesch, Lansing
Kathleen Martinez, Kalamazoo
Valerie Niemiec, Ann Arbor
Jan Radak, Ann Arbor
Roberta Somerville, Lansing
Kathy Van Buren, Ann Arbor
Cindy Zeitz, Ann Arbor
Any girl who is graduating with plans to attend MSU, is
eligible to apply for the scholarship, which was endowed
in 1998. A committee of GSHOM representatives
selects one recipient who receives between $3,000
and $4,000 towards each of the four years she attends
MSU. Since its inception, more than 17 young women
have been the recipients of the scholarship.
Numerous other scholarships are available to college
bound Girl Scouts and we encourage each and every
one of our girls to list the accomplishments, awards and
accolades they have received from GSHOM on their
college applications.
Girl Scouting Matters!
girlscoutcamp.org
800-49-SCOUT
Join me for an
Eco Adventure
in Florida!
Girls entering
grade 6 to adult
July 12-23, 2013
Florida Eco Adventure
with the CEO
July 12-23, 2013
Girls entering grade 6 through adult
$800
22
Recipients of the 2013 Gold Award
You are invited to join Heart of Michigan CEO, Jan Barker,
on a twelve day, fun-filled adventure to her home state of
Florida. First, you’ll work together to plan your activities
(while sticking to a budget). Next you’ll explore Florida doing
the activities YOU choose. Activity options include: tubing,
snorkeling, exploring Cumberland Island and canoeing.
Lodging at Hontoon State Park and snorkeling reservations will be set in
advance of the trip.
Congratulations to the recipients of the
Girl Scout Bronze Award
Tumi Adeyoju
Breanna Allen
*Paiton Allen Amanda Amdt
Alicia Angel
Mariah Avery
Briana Barker
Doni Bellemy
Anika Booker
Elizabeth Boyd
Bailee Buck
Shaelynn Christmas
Kathryn Cook
Miranda Cook
Rebecca Cottrell
Ashley Darwin
Emily Davidson
Gabriella Delibra
Delanie Desano-Smith
Grace Dilday
Kenna Drinkard
Allyson Ehlert
Krysten Ellis
Samantha Ferguson
Lexi Flanary
Savannah Fort
Sami Gettle
Isabella Gonzales
Olivia Gonzales
Kalin Goodwin
Ainsley Grace
Mystica Healy
Jessica Holley Elizabeth Hook
Tait Hosford
Riley Ingram
Mackenze Jonas
Olivia Jubb
Abigail Kaczmarek
Isabella Katz
Anaya Kendall
Jenna Koch
Ann Kyes
Lexi Lang
Ashlynn Maddox
Sydney Malloy
Brandy Manning
Lindsey Matsumoto
Elizabeth McClelland
Maya McGovern
Abby McLean
Troop 42066
Troop 42066
Troop 30312
Troop 50026
Troop 30312
Troop 41158
Troop 41158
Troop 30312
Troop 80850
Troop 50026
Troop 30312
Troop 30312
Troop 30312
Troop 30312
Troop 80462
Troop 40082
Troop 80204
Troop 41158
Troop 42066
Troop 30312
Troop 40082
Troop 50026
Troop 60038
Troop 30312
Troop 42066
Troop 42066
Troop 80856
Troop 50026
Troop 50026
Troop 80856
Troop 40082
Troop 80323
Troop 50489
Troop 42066
Troop 30312
Troop 30312
Troop 30312
Troop 30312
Troop 42066
Troop 80204
Troop 80204
3 Troop 0312
Troop 30312
Troop 50026
Troop 30312
Troop 30312
Troop 80856
Troop 30312
Troop 42066
Troop 50026
Troop 40082
Milan
Belleville
Lainsburg
Saginaw
Bath
Ypsilanti
Ypsilanti
DeWitt
Kalamazoo
Saginaw
Bath
Bath
Bath
Bath
Portage
Dexter
Kalamazoo
Belleville
Ypsilanti
Bath
Dexter
Saginaw
Hanover
Bath
Ypsilanti
Ypsilanti
Vicksburg
Saginaw
Saginaw
Kalamazoo
Dexter
Kalamazoo
Vassar
Ann Arbor
Bath
Bath
Bath
Bath
Romulus
Battle Creek
Kalamazoo
Bath
DeWitt
Saginaw
Bath
Bath
Kalamazoo
Bath
Ypsilanti
Saginaw
Dexter
Brinna Melling
Madalyne Miskowiec
Alexandria Olmstead
Alexis Parrish
Sadie Pashak
Hanna Philo
Samantha Poliak
Emily Reed
Cameron Reeves
Abbey Renzema
Zoe Reyes
Tatianna Robertson
Andrea Rombach
Lauren Rose
Shelby Sanders
Allyse Schoenfeld
Kathryn Seward
Jasmine Shank Shianne Shores
Elizabeth Sprick
Jasmyn Storrs
Hailey Szweda
Trinity Tishma
Shula Tomsa
Clara Voetberg
Leeanna Wagner
Amanda Wagner
Natalie Walraven
Sydney Wassink
Madison Waters Emily Watkins
Robin Willhite
Colette Winter
Madison Woods
Katelyn Woosley
Alyssa Wozniak-Herb
Troop 60038
Troop 80850
Troop 80204
Troop 80204
Troop 80121
Troop 50489
Troop 80850
Troop 80204
Troop 80323
Troop 80856
Troop 80850
Troop 80121
Troop 50026
Juliette
Troop 41158
Troop 30312
Troop 40082
Troop 30312
Troop 41158
Troop 80204
Troop 42066
Troop 41158
Troop 42066
Troop 80121
Troop 80850
Troop 80856
Troop 80850
Troop 80323
Troop 80121
Troop 30312
Troop 60038
Troop 80323
Troop 60038
Troop 60038
Troop 80856
Troop 80204
Hanover
Kalamazoo
Battle Creek
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo
Vassar
Portage
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo
Saginaw
Ypsilanti
Belleville
Bath
Dexter
East Lansing
Belleville
Kalamazoo
Ypsilanti
Ypsilanti
Ypsilanti
Hamilton
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo
Scotts
Kalamazoo
Bath
Horton
Kalamazoo
Jackson
Horton
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo
The Bronze Award is the
highest honor bestowed on
a Girl Scout Junior. The girls
who earn this award develop
more confidence, meet new
people, and have the kind of
fun that happens when you
work with other Girl Scouts to make a difference.
We congratulate our Bronze Award recipients
and hope they go for the silver next. To earn the
Bronze Award, girls must be in 4th or 5th grade (or
equivalent), be a registered Girl Scout Junior and
complete a Junior Journey.
800-49-SCOUT • gshom.org
23
Graduating?
Your Girl Scout Experience
Doesn’t Stop Here!
Your Girl Scout journey can continue, and we have a
never-ending list of ways to make that possible.
A great starting point is becoming a Lifetime Member.
This will keep you connected no matter where you go.
If you apply before your current annual membership
expires, you will qualify for an almost 50% discount. Find
out more at girlscouts.org.
We also have numerous volunteer opportunities which
include starting your own Girl Scout troop or forming a
short-term Daisy Troop if time is an issue. If you like to
teach new things to people, think about becoming a
Facilitator. It’s rewarding and also a great place to make
new friends.
If the great outdoors is more to your liking, think
about being a Camp Counselor at one or more of our
amazing camp properties. You can read about available
positions and can download the Seasonal Employment
Application on our website, gshom.org.
cted
e
n
n
y co
a
t
s
o
t
ts
Ways Girl Scou
to
ber
em
M
e
tim
er
d
a
• Life
e
L
ut
o
c
S
l
r
• Gi
or
t
a
t
i
l
i
or
l
e
• Fac
s
n
Cou
p
m
a
• C
We are proud of all of your accomplishments, and we
hope to see you in the future.
Don’t miss your
fun-filled days of
summer camp!
Consider becoming a
camp counselor. Visit
gshom.org
to find out how.
24
Recipients of the 2013 Gold Award
Recipients of the
2013 Gold Award
Did you know?
• Girl Scout Gold Award recipients rate their general success in life
significantly higher and report higher success in reaching their goals within
many diverse domains (education, career, and volunteer work).
• Girl Scout Gold Award recipients place significantly higher importance on
being a leader.
• 59 million Girl Scout alumnae are more successful in school, develop a
stronger sense of self, and report greater satisfaction in life than their peers.