2009 Gold Award Recipients

Nicole Arsenis of Westborough ~ “Sports for Life”
Sponsored by All-Access Physical Therapy

Nicole is currently a senior at Westborough High School. She enjoys being involved with the school. She has served as Class President for the past two years. Nicole is also passionate about music and has played the violin for 11 years. She is involved with the orchestra and chamber orchestra at school, as well as a chamber orchestra outside of school. Nicole is an active athlete. She was tricaptain of her high school varsity field hockey team and she has played club WCU field hockey for three years. Nicole is a member of her church youth group. Each summer of her high school career, Nicole has spent a week with her youth group renovating houses in various impoverished regions of the country. Nicole is looking forward to traveling to Elmira, New York this summer. Next fall, Nicole plans to attend the University of Maryland to study biology and business.

For my Gold Award project, I collected gently used sports equipment and distributed it to families and organizations in need. Coming from a family of three athletic children, I quickly realized how expensive sporting equipment is. As a dedicated field hockey player, the goal of my project was to ensure that other athletes have the same opportunities as I to participate on an athletic team. For my project, I worked closely with the Westborough Recreation Department and Youth and Family Services to collect and donate equipment. I held a collection day at my high school, and established a collection bin in the Recreation Department office. I also held a donation day for Westborough citizens associated with the Youth and Family Services. My project reached out to families and organizations in Westborough and surrounding towns. Some of the organizations benefiting from my project are: Boys and Girls Clubs, SCORE Boston, Salvation Army, and the Worcester Cultural Exchange Through Soccer program. Through this project, I was able to reach out to my community and meet many new people. More specifically, after meeting the director of both the Youth and Family Services and the Recreation Department they were extremely helpful and they greatly contributed to the completion of my project. They will help the project continue in conjunction with the National Honor Society at my high school. One of the most important things I learned from my project was time management, which is a skill that I was able to improve. My project also gave me the opportunity to speak to many different organizations and adults, which helped me become more confident. My favorite part of my project was seeing the faces of the families and organizations after they received the donated equipment. Their smiles and gratitude were always satisfying to me, and I am grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in these children’s lives.

Anne Blackney of Westborough ~ “Running Safety in Westborough, MA”
Sponsored by All-Access Physical Therapy

Anne runs for her high school’s cross-country, indoor track and outdoor track teams and is also captain for these three teams. She’s president of her school’s Interact Club, a member of NHS and of the local Venture Crew (which makes her both a Girl Scout and a Boy Scout). Anne plans to attend college and is currently deciding between UVM, UMass Amherst and URI. She has been a member of Girl Scouts for 13 years. What she loves most about scouting is all of the people she’s met while being a part of it. “There are always interesting people to talk to on trips and at community service events. I’m also glad to have had the opportunity to meet the members of my troop and my leader; they are all such great people.” The most important thing Anne will take away from scouting is the idea that even if things go wrong, you should always keep a positive attitude because it always makes things easier!

The purpose of my Gold Award project was to raise awareness about running safety in my town. The idea came to me after one of my teammates on the cross-country team was hit by a car during practice last October. After this accident, everyone in town was very concerned about running safety. The school started to limit the routes that teams could run and people in town started looking for more ways to increase running safety, but there wasn’t a lot of information out there. To make more information available, I created a booklet with running safety tips and maps of safe running routes around town (both on roads and on trails). I distributed them to the local library, town hall, police station, schools and the running store, PR Running, where people could pick them up. I also organized a 3.1 mile “Fun Run for Running Safety” where the booklets, as well as more running safety tips, were available to townspeople. My project benefited local athletes by giving them more information on how to make their workouts as safe as possible and by making it safer for drivers also. I hope my project will continue through those who have learned how to practice running safety and who will pass on this information to others. One thing I’ve learned from this project is that people are a lot less scary than they appear. I had to talk to many different people such as the Town Clerk, Police Chief, and the Board of Selectmen and even though I was nervous at first, they were all very nice and helpful, and I realized that they’re really just normal people.

Sarah Brault of Northfield ~ “Figure Skating for Special Needs”
Sponsored by Hampden Engineering

Sarah is a fifteen year old junior at Pioneer Valley Regional School where she participates in National Honor Society and serves as a Peer Mediator, while maintaining a 4.0 average. She plans to attend college to become an elementary school teacher. Outside of school, Sarah has been a competitive figure skater for almost ten years and is planning to compete at New England Regionals in the fall. She trains for over ten hours a week and volunteers as an assistant coach in the Learn-to-Skate program. As a fifth generation Girl Scout, Girl Scouting has been a major part of Sarah’s life. She learned how to walk at Camp Lewis Perkins when her mom was the director, and she spent many school vacations at the Leeds Service Center because her mom worked there as well. Sarah even traveled to England where she visited Pax Lodge and became friends with a Girl Guide. She has had many great experiences, and plans to be an active Girl Scout member throughout college.

My project gave children with special needs the opportunity to try figure skating. I believe that every child should be able to experience a sport. Sports are a great outlet for children, as well as a positive influence in a child’s life. I have skated and worked with children with disabilities. Seeing their excitement during lessons and competitions is inspiring and I wanted as many children as possible to have that same opportunity. I provided figure skating clubs across the country with the materials they needed to hold an open house where children with special needs could try figure skating. The materials were sent out in a packet of items provided to figure skating clubs by United States Figure Skating for National Skating Month. These materials provided information about running the Special Olympics Figure Skating program, information for parents on figure skating, a letter to the club director about National Skating Month activities, and many other helpful documents for conducting a successful open house.

Over three hundred clubs received the materials to use during National Skating Month, or at a later date. I was very excited that two clubs signed up to run the program within a few weeks of receiving the materials and I hope that more will follow. The more Special Olympics Figure Skating programs that exist, the more opportunities there will be for children with special needs to learn to figure skate. The materials from the project will continue to be available to clubs in the future, further increasing the number of opportunities for children with special needs to try figure skating.

Kathleen Cohen of Holden ~ “Knowledge is Health”
Sponsored by Paul Matt at Kelleher & Sadowsky

Kathleen is currently a freshman at the Tufts University in Medford, MA, majoring in International
Relations. Kathleen joined Girl Scouts in 1995 as a 1st grade Brownie. She continued in Junior Troop 925 after moving to Holden in 1999 under Cheryl Poirier and Linda Tella. She progressed through Junior Troop 1218 under the guidance of her leaders Cyndy Janik, Mary Ellen Nugent, and Judy Newton. Her Cadette career started under the leadership of Cheryl Poirier and Linda Tella with Troop 925 and continued under the guidance of leaders Betty Benjevin and Jenni Howe in Troop 738, where she was recognized for achieving her Girl Scout Silver Award and starting on the path toward her Girl Scout Gold Award.

During her Girl Scout career, Kathleen has participated in all of the Holden Town Encampments for Girl Scouts and select summer camp experiences. She traveled to NYC with her troop, hiked Mount Greylock, toured Fort Ticonderoga and went to Williamsburg, Virginia with money earned from Girl Scout cookie sale program. Kathleen also served as a Program Aide at Camp Laurel Wood Day Camp in Spencer.

My project addressed getting nutrition and fitness information to fourth grade students, who often don’t know what’s healthy and what’s not. I taught a class on nutrition in fourth grade classrooms and gave the students and their parents handouts on nutrition. My project informed the students about healthy living. With this knowledge, they are now more likely to make healthy choices on their own and not become statistics in the obesity epidemic. Since parents often determine the lifestyle of a child, the information I gave the parents will encourage positive lifestyle changes. I also left materials with the teachers so they can teach lessons on nutrition in the future. Through my project, I learned about being true to my feelings and sticking with projects until the end.

Margaret Cowan of Pittsfield ~ “Feeding the Hungry”
Sponsored by Hampden Engineering

Margaret is a junior at Pittsfield High School. She has been in Girl Scouts for the past ten years, in Honors Chorus for the past three years and has been doing statistics for the boys basketball team since her freshman year of high school. Margaret plays softball in the city league every summer. Last summer, she went to London and Paris with her Girl Scout troop, a trip they had been planning for two years. Next year, they are planning to go to Alaska. Margaret will graduate in 2010 and plans on continuing her education in college.

For my Gold Award Project, I fed the homeless and hungry through the St. Joseph’s Soup Kitchen. Together with a fellow Girl Scout, Kathryn Hermanski, I planned dinners, cooked them and served them once a month for a 12-month period. We gathered donations from different stores around the community and each month served an average of 87 meals. We were under the guidance of Mr. John Moore. The project appealed to me because I like to cook and help people. Before we began our project, we worked in the food pantry of the same church. We were very well acquainted with the church. For each meal we would have a main course, a side, a vegetable, a salad or equivalent, and a dessert. There was much preparation needed to make each Wednesday night meal a success. The Monday before our dinner, the other girls in our troop would assist us and help us prepare for our cooking on Wednesday. On the day of our meal, we would go down to the church directly after school and work until it was time for the dinner. They were hard and long days, but the gratitude and happiness that spread across the people’s faces after we served the food made all the hard work worthwhile. This project would have been impossible without Kathryn, Mrs. Wheat (my troop leader), Mr. Moore, and all the volunteers at the St. Joseph’s Soup Kitchen, along with my fellow Girl Scouts that helped us out. In the future, we will continue to work at the St. Joseph’s Soup Kitchen as a troop. We are all planning to work together to make each dinner a success.

Taylor Cronin of Westborough ~ “The Benefits of Organic and Community Supported Farming”
Sponsored by Avidia Bank

Girl Scouting has always been an important part of Taylor’s life because of the things it has helped her achieve. During the summers, she attends Camp Juliette Low, the only camp started by the founder of the Girl Scouts herself. By participating in these two activities, Taylor has been instilled with great morals and values while working, living, and playing with others. Some of the many other things she enjoys are travel, photography, reading, and being with friends and family. Taylor also participates on the high school cross-country and track teams, and is a very active member of both Student Council and National Honor Society, on which she holds high-level positions. She has yet to make a decision about where to attend college next year, but wherever it is, she’s certain it will be great. Taylor is currently thinking of majoring in Biology and then continuing on to medical school, but local and organic farming will always have a place in her heart.

The inspiration for my project came from working as the Distribution Coordinator at Heirloom Harvest CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. I was able to notice the difference that organic food can make on sustaining a community and the health benefits of eating organically. I also learned about the difference eating locally and organically grown food can have on the environment in terms of use of fossil fuels and how much more economic it is, since a larger quantity of higher quality produce can be sold at a lower price. I saw a need to increase knowledge and support of the two CSAs and two other farm stands in the area. I addressed this need by encouraging support and use of CSAs and farm stands through increasing knowledge throughout the community. I spoke to middle school health classes and young Girl Scouts and gave a presentation at the local library on local and organic produce. In addition, I organized a trip to the CSA that my family has belonged to for five years to show people how it works and to further educate them about CSAs. One way that I hope my project will continue is in the middle school health education program. The teacher that I worked with now has the same knowledge and many of the tools I used to teach children about local and organic farming. It is my hope that by teaching young children about making a change to a healthier and more environmentally friendly lifestyle, they will continue to apply this knowledge to their own living for the rest of their lives.

Catherine Doyle of Leicester ~ “The Nazareth Home Drama Club”
Sponsored by Kathleen Kane at Northwestern Mutual Financial Network

Catherine Doyle has been a Girl Scout for 9 years. She takes part in many extracurricular activities like Irish step dancing, field hockey, drama, singing in the Charlton life teen band, and playing volleyball for her church team. Catherine is currently attending Quinsigamond Community College, where she is studying to become a preschool teacher. She attended Camp Laurel Wood for three years as a camper and two more years as a Program Aide. One Girl Scout experience that Catherine fondly remembers is when she worked with search and rescue dogs. She learned how to brush and bathe the dogs, as well as how to train them so that they could do their job correctly.

The project that I choose to do was to work at the Nazareth home and to form a drama club for the boys. I love working with children and I wanted to do something special for the boys. I learned that I had the patience to work with the boys, even when they had an “off day” due to their emotional problems. I was able to achieve happiness from the boys when they performed the play. The boys were able to benefit from this by learning how to work together to get their project done. I learned two things from this experience: I learned how to teach things differently so the boys could learn their lines. The other thing that I learned was that I can work well with children who have emotional problems. I hope that my project will continue on by my going back and working with the boys again, or having the teacher or other teens my age work with the boys to put on many more plays. I have many special memories. The best memory that I remember the most would be when the boys performed the play. The boys had so much fun making the props, learning their lines and putting on the play. That made me have fun too. Their smiles always made me smile because I knew that they were happy and I knew that I was able to make their day better. I had a lot of fun doing this project and it was great that I got to learn a lot about the boys. I would definitely do this project again.

Lauren Ducomb of Monson ~ “Bottle and Can Recycling at Monson High School”
Sponsored by Hampden Engineering

Lauren is currently a senior at Monson High School, and can’t wait to get out and experience new and bigger things. She is excited to attend Springfield College in the fall, majoring in Youth Development. She loves working with kids of all ages and believes Youth Development is a great basis for her future. Before attending Springfield College, she’ll be traveling to Ghana to work with special needs children, impoverished children, and children who have been orphaned by AIDS. She has really enjoyed getting to know kids in Monson through her babysitting business. She worked as a C.I.T. at the Chicopee State Park Girl Scout camp, where she enjoyed being outdoors and working with kids - two of her favorite things.

As “going green” becomes more popular, I decided I wanted my Gold Award project to reflect that I care for the environment. I started looking for ideas for projects to improve and educate that were close to home; I decided, where better to start my project than at the place I spend the most time: Monson High School. I was very pleased that Monson High already had an up and running paper recycling program, but I was becoming frustrated with my classmates who threw away bottles and cans from lunch instead of bringing them home to recycle, like I did. I soon realized that this wasn’t exactly at the top of everyone’s list - bringing a bag full of water bottles home each week - so I was confident in starting bottle and can recycling at our school. I worked with the environmental science teacher, who was passionate about my project as well, to research and develop ideas to get the program running as soon as possible. We looked for ways to get durable, plastic bins donated that were just like the paper recycling bins, but we had no luck right away. Being as impatient as I am, I went out and got cardboard boxes donated from Big Y in Palmer. The stock boy started calling me “Box Girl” because I came in asking for them so often. As soon as the boxes were in place, the environmental science class collected the bottle and can bins along with the paper bins to recycle. As well as the cardboard boxes worked, they are starting to wear out – you can imagine how much a box would go through on the floor of a high school classroom. So I wrote to the board of health just a few weeks ago asking for plastic bins that the town obtained recently and I was met with success. They are going to donate 25 durable, plastic recycling bins to Monson High School at the beginning of the 2009/2010 school year.

Daniella Engel of Belchertown ~ “Helping Those in Need in a Third World Country”
Sponsored by Kathleen Kane at Northwestern Mutual Financial Network

Daniella is a Girl Scout and a member of her high school’s Drama Club and National Art Honor Society. She is on the honor roll, sings in the choir, has played piano for 8 years, and has modeled for Angelina Heyd at FnS studios and at the Eastfield Mall fashion runway. She participated in Project Bread’s “Walk for Hunger” in Boston and volunteered at the Belchertown Relay for Life. She’s earned her Girl Scout Silver Award and was a Program Aide at Camp Lewis Perkins. Daniella has helped her troop make a Thanksgiving basket each year of Girl Scouting. She won the Belchertown Fair’s youth photography award (best of all the youth entries) and is a National History Day Award recipient. She won second place at the National Art Honor Society’s project runway competition as a model and designer for her paper dress. She won the National Novel Writing Month Challenge of writing a 50,000 word novel in a month. She’s published a short story in Teen Ink and is currently publishing a novel, The Castle of Soria Moria, which is scheduled to come out in the next few weeks. She will be attending Chest College of New England in fall 2009 and will continue to write and publish novels, as well as help out younger Girl Scouts.

“You see things; and you say “why?” but I dream things that never were; and I say “why not?” – George Bernard Shaw.

When I went to Mexico to visit family, I would go out to the city and country to see the sights but I found that there were many people on the streets and many who were sick. I decided then what I would do for my Gold Award: I would raise money to help them. Of course I couldn’t give money to an organization, so I went to a medical supply store and bought $1000 worth of supplies and sent them off. I raised the money by selling ceramic necklace pendants and by putting on a pasta dinner and a play called “Fairy Tale Courtroom.” All together, I raised $1,458.08, so I had enough to buy more supplies and pay for the shipping. The clinic where my supplies were sent is called Caritas de Monterrey, in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, and helps mainly women and children. I learned that even in the bad economic times, a community can still reach out to help those who have nothing. The best part of my project was directing the play at my high school. All of my friends and members of the drama club really helped me. They always made me laugh even when I was trying to get them to finish their lines. I was really happy when many people came to see my play because that showed that my community will help future Girl Scouts.

Emily Erkkinen of Clinton ~ “Clinton’s Green is Gold”
Sponsored by Avidia Bank

When Emily isn’t hunting for Boo Radley at Camp Green Eyrie, she enjoys playing the flute (this is her ninth year in band), reading literature, writing, playing field hockey and softball, using her Kaplan Vocabulary, and running the show at student council. She was a Program Aide at Camp Split Rock, where her claim to fame was the infamous “Banana Dance.” Someday she hopes to be an author-orthodontist. Next year, she plans to attend McGill University and major in biomedical sciences. Emily is excited to become an immigrant, and is fascinated by Montréal, which she’s learned is apparently an island.

I’m not going to lie, my Gold Award Project is super-mega-awesome. Many moons ago, while suffering through the doldrums of my sophomore English class, a brilliant revelation dawned upon me in the form of a complaint by my pugnacious teacher, Mr. Joseph Garrity. Although I do not recall his precise words, what he said was something along the lines of, “Blarg our school is icky and wasteful! Why don’t we recycle?” Then his eyes swooped the classroom and he demanded, “Are there any Boy Scouts in here that can get recycling for us as their Eagle Scout?” And I said something along the lines of, “Well, I’m a Girl Scout, and I can do my Gold Award, which is pretty much the same as being a Boy Scout and doing an Eagle Scout project… except better!”* Thus, Operation Clinton’s Green is Gold was born. Overall, my project was not as simple as I expected it to be. I suffered through many trials and tribulations. However, after 80 hours of work, the Clinton Elementary School, Middle School, and High School all have pretty recycling bins (courtesy of the Abitibi Paper Retriever Company) and functioning recycling programs. My success can be measured in the feedback from my community. For example, in the midst of the doldrums of yet another English class my principal called me down to his office and said a news reporter from the Clinton Courier was there to write an article about my Gold Award. A few nights later, when at a school committee meeting, a woman came up to me and told me that her Daisy troop was working on a recycling drive. The entire kindergarten at the Elementary School even got involved in a group recycling project! As it is now, the Excel Club is in charge of the entire affair, and will carry on my project even after I graduate. What makes me the most proud of my project is that it has inspired others to take action. *Mr. Garrity would like to make notice of the fact that he is neither pusillanimous nor phlegmatic, and he has nothing against the Girl Scouts as his daughter earned her Gold Award in 2005.

Hannah Gale of Pepperell ~ “Health Matters”
Sponsored by All-Access Physical Therapy

Hannah has been a Girl Scout for 13 years; she joined when she was five years old. Over the years, she has enjoyed leading younger Girl Scouts and participating in community service projects. She earned her Silver Award as a Cadette by creating a library for a local preschool and leading several activities to encourage early childhood literacy. Hannah loves sports – she plays varsity soccer, varsity basketball, and is captain of her school’s track and field team. She also plays flute, and has taken part in the Massachusetts Central District Band. She is very involved in her school, and enjoys taking a leadership role in her community. She is the leader of her school’s student government, co-coordinator of the Peer Mentor program, and a member of the STAND chapter (an anti-genocide awareness group). Next fall, Hannah will be attending Boston University, majoring in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology. In the future, she hopes to go to medical school and become a doctor.

As a senior at Parker Charter School, I noticed a flaw in our health education system. Instead of incorporating a health program into the curriculum for the school’s juniors and seniors, the wellness program is dropped completely at the conclusion of a student’s sophomore year. This is also around the time when students gain more freedom– getting their license, having a later curfew, and preparing to leave home and start their lives in the real world. Although fun and exciting, these events come with added responsibility and the opportunity to make life-altering decisions. I resolved to start a public health campaign at my school called “Health Matters,” which would address issues such as substance abuse, tobacco, safe sex, mental health, LGBT awareness, nutrition, fitness, and disease prevention. The goal was to give my peers accurate and factual information so that, when faced with compromising situations, they would be able to make informed decisions and know the risks/benefits associated with their actions. I collected brochures, posters, and information from different public health organizations, and posted the information around the school. I created a committee within the school’s student government to keep the information updated after I have graduated. I also booked a series of speakers to speak at the school about related health issues, and created a public health booth to be used at the school’s annual road race with games, information, and prizes. Through carrying out this project I have learned a great deal about myself as a leader and an individual. I enjoy working with others, and have the confidence and management skills necessary to follow through with large projects. I am able to lead people as well as be part of a team. Most importantly, I have learned the importance of health in our society today, and that the decisions we make impact not only us, but the people we love. It is my hope that my project will lead someone to make a decision that, in the long run, benefits our whole community.

Leah Garber of Westborough ~ “Recycling 101”
Sponsored by Avidia Bank

Leah Garber will graduate from Westborough High School on June 6. She is a member of the National Honor Society and vice president of the rollerblading club. Her interests at school involve being a member of the Environmental Club, and a member of the indoor and outdoor Track and Field team. In her spare time, Leah enjoys hanging with her friends, reading, and listening to music. Leah has been a member of Girl Scouts for 10 years, and will continue as a lifetime member. This summer she will be working as a lifeguard and swim instructor. She plans to study business at college next fall.

My project consisted of two parts. The first piece was educational. For this I recreated the town recycling brochure that explains dump rules and has recycling statistics. In addition, I held a seminar at a local church for kids and adults. For adults, I presented a PowerPoint on how to recycle, why to recycle, and what to recycle. At the seminar, flyers that had been donated were distributed. The rest were donated to the DPW for further use. Mr. Harvey, of E.L Harvey’s and Sons, and Mr. McNulty, Director of Public Health, attended the seminar. At the children’s seminar, they were taught about recycling and then made bird feeders out of recyclable materials. The second part of my project involves the implementation of recycling receptacles in town at playing fields. I worked with the DPW and E.L. Harvey and Sons to obtain them, have graphics placed on them, and have the receptacles placed at fields around town so attendees at sports events can use them rather than just throw water bottles away. I worked with John Walden, Manager of the Department of Public Works, to arrange for placement and continued emptying of the receptacles. These will be picked up regularly by the DPW. I am very proud of the number of attendees at the seminars and working so closely with town officials and private business to implement my Gold Award project.

Nicole Giles of Charlton ~ “Buffumville Lake Wildlife Series: Take a Walk on the Wild Side!”
Sponsored by Justine Brewer at Southwick’s Zoo

Nicole has been in show choir for the past three years, including one year with the varsity choir. She has always participated in some kind of choir... church, concert, chamber singers and fantasy. She’s involved in her church’s Youth Ministry and is a Parish Council representative. Nicole has been in Girl Scouts all of her life and has done many hours of community service. It’s impossible to count the hours of service she and her troop have performed for various organizations. She was a Program Aide for a few years at Camp Laurel Wood and went to Camp Green Eyrie for a rainy week! She’ll be attending Rivier College in Nashua, NH for nursing. She’d like to become a nurse practitioner after college and work in a hospital. Nicole currently works at the Auburn Public Library in her spare time and plays town basketball.

I chose my project for a few different reasons. There was a lack of recreational outlets in my community and I love letterboxing and wanted to base my project on it. I set up a series of 10 letterboxes based on wildlife that you might see on a hike at Buffumville Lake. Then, I planned a family and a Girl Scout workshop that educated participants about letterboxing. My project benefits anyone who loves to letterbox. It’s a great source of exercise and a great family activity. In addition, while exploring my series, people will learn about the animals around the park. This project taught me that I am more independent than before and I proved to myself that I am able to complete a huge project. I also learned that I could create great hand-carved stamps. My project will continue on as long as I continue to maintain the boxes and their logbooks. The best moment was when I was finished placing the last box.

Barbara Grim of Westborough ~ “Books for a Brighter Future”
Sponsored by Kathy Condon at MLS

A Senior at Westborough High School, Barbara plans on going to college next fall, although she has not yet decided where. In college, she would like to major in English literature or creative writing. In addition to her great love of reading, she is also passionate about writing literature and hopes to one day become a successful author. Other activities Barbara enjoys include cooking for her school’s community cooking club, which prepares food for homeless shelters, and volunteering at the Baypath Animal Shelter. Barbara is also a fan of the musical and theatrical arts. She sings and plays the piano and loves taking trips to Boston to watch theatrical productions like “Les Miserables” and “Wicked.”

My project addressed the issue of the extreme shortage of books in many of the girls’ juvenile detention centers in Worcester County. I decided to undertake this project after learning from a woman at my church about the great need that these centers have for books. She also informed me that although the girls at the centers vary in age from twelve to seventeen, some of them have reading levels as low as fourth grade. In addition, some of the girls are learning English as a second language and still others are expectant mothers. Learning about the difficulties that these girls face, coupled with the strain of being in a detention center, encouraged me to try to help them by holding a book drive to benefit their centers. Not only did I feel this was a very worthwhile cause, but I am also an avid reader myself and I wanted to be able to share my love of reading with other girls. By providing the girls with new and exciting books, I hoped to increase their interest in reading and help improve their reading abilities. I also just wanted to provide them with a source of entertainment and a way to cope with the hardships of being in a detention center. In total, 730 books were collected for donation. In addition, a booklet was made containing pen pal letters from all of the members of my troop to the girls. The letters contained information about some of our favorite books, why we enjoy them so much, and what we thought about while we read them. I wanted to share with the girls that we were thinking about them, so a copy of the booklet was given to the library at each of the centers. The moment that impacted me the most during this project was when I received a packet of thank you letters from the girls telling me how grateful they are for the books and how much they mean to them. This project was a great experience and I learned what an enormous difference people can make in other people’s lives by doing something as simple as donating a book.

Jessica Hamelin of Belchertown ~ “Children’s Theater Camp”
Sponsored by Kathleen Kane at Northwestern Mutual Financial Network

Jessica is currently a senior at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School. She is very involved in theater with groups such as Black Cat Theater, Starlight Productions, and Granby Arts Project. She is also a member of her school’s Mock Trial team. Jessica has been a Girl Scout for the past eleven years and has earned both the Girl Scout Bronze and Silver Awards. In the fall, she plans to attend a 4-year college, but at this moment she’s not sure which one.

For my Gold Award Project I ran a four-day theater camp for children ages 5-9. I choose this project because I wanted to introduce young children to theater who may not have otherwise been introduced to it. There were a total of 16 children and 6 volunteers. The week was filled with theater games, learning, and rehearsing for a final performance on the last day. The children learned about stage directions, and the three main things to remember while on stage: “Be seen, Be heard, and Be understood.” The final performance was a short play written by Dylan Young and myself. It was called, “Once Upon a Time” and was a mixture of fairy tale stories. The set was made out of cardboard and paper. We had set pieces such as the inside of Rapunzel’s Castle, the Beanstalk, and the Three Little Pigs’ houses. There was a minimal five dollar fee to cover the cost of t-shirts, which the children decorated as their costumes. While some of the children were rather shy, they were all able to have a role in the play and they all did wonderfully with their parts. I was amazed when we ran through the play before the performance and there were no scripts on stage. One of my fondest memories of the camp was right before the performance when all of the kids were backstage sharing their favorite parts of the week. It was wonderful to see them so excited about the show and to know that they had had so much fun. The show itself went very well. Afterwards, I had many of the parents thank me and ask if I knew of any children’s theater programs in the area for their children to participate in. All of the children seemed excited about theater and I hope they continue with it. I learned that while I love working with children, I don’t want to be an elementary school teacher.

Kathryn Hermanski of Pittsfield ~ "Feeding the Hungry"
Sponsored by Hampden Engineering

A dedicated Girl Scout for eight years, Kathryn has also been a member of her school’s chorus for five years, a dancer for ten years, and a hospital volunteer for two years. She has learned so much and has been exposed to many wonderful new things because of Girl Scouting. She credits the amazing opportunities she’s had to her incredible troop leader, Mary Wheat. “Our whole troop feels like one great big family and we support and care for one each other.” Last summer her troop traveled to England and France with money they raised. Kathryn learned many priceless lessons, earned numerous awards and feels lucky and blessed to have been able to be a part of such a wonderful organization!

For my Gold Award project I chose to help feed the hungry people of Pittsfield. Once a month, my partner, Margaret, and I were responsible for planning a meal, providing the food, and cooking and cleaning up for approximately ninety people at St. Joseph’s Soup Kitchen at the South Congregational Church. A variety of meals were served throughout the two years. Healthy entrées, sides, and desserts were served by both a team of assistants, Margaret and me. The day before our meal, we would also assemble about fifty food bags to give to those who attended our meals. These food bags helped the people cut down on food costs during the week. With the present economic crisis, we found that the number of people who attended our meals increased. After every hot meal we served, everyone was extremely grateful and gracious to us for helping them. They said they always looked forward to the nights when the Girl Scouts would be cooking for them. Cooking for the hungry was such a rewarding experience. We were able to see instantly just how much we were helping these people. Everyone was very friendly and we met so many kind people. We learned how to cook many new meals, use various kitchen equipment, and cook for a very large number of people. Margaret and I were both glad that we chose this project. The people greatly benefited from our hard work and dedication. It was an honor and a privilege to help serve these people as a Girl Scout.

Christina Kollisch of West Springfield ~ "Pet Supply Drive for the MSPCA"
Sponsored by Justine Brewer at Southwick’s Zoo

Christina is currently majoring in Biology with a double minor in French and Italian at the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she is in the Commonwealth College Honors Program. Last semester, she was elected secretary of the newly established Umass Italian Club and also does activities with the Outing Club. She was with Troop 521 beginning in the eighth grade and loved every second. As a troop, they became Program Aides, and put together an annual camporee at Camp Bonnie Brae with immense help from other troops in town. Through Girl Scouts, she learned about compassion and the generosity of the community, and will always treasure the time spent with friends and the town unit. In the future, she hopes to continue traveling and to someday become a troop leader, so that she is able to pass on the traditions and values she learned and the fun she had as a Girl Scout.

In November of 2007 I began volunteering at the MSPCA shelter in Springfield. After my first day at the shelter, I knew I wanted to help alleviate some of the monetary pressures they had and above all, I wanted to help the animals be more comfortable and maintain their health during their stay. After brainstorming a little with my troop leader and mentor, Lori Rizzo, and the Volunteer Coordinator at the MSPCA, Emily Kolod, I settled on the pet supply drive idea. The real planning started in December, but I soon became inundated with assignments and college applications during my senior year of high school. My original goal of completing the project by May of 2008 quickly became less and less tangible. At that point, I took a step back and realized that if I wanted this project to be as successful as possible, I would have to postpone it until the summer.

After can drive fundraisers and many phone calls to newspapers and volunteers, the July weekend of my project outside of Walmart in Westfield arrived. I spent two days with volunteers manning a table and passing out educational flyers and wish lists to all of the customers. The items ranged from racks of canned cat food to dog toys to bleach and blankets, and I ended up collecting around seven hundred items, as well as monetary donations, which were later used to purchase special dog collars and other needed items. With my original goal set at one hundred items, the drive was a huge success, and the donations from the project allowed the shelter to focus more of their funds on other necessary supplies, such as medicine. Besides the knowledge that my Gold Award project helped the animals and staff at the MSPCA, the sheer generosity of the community was perhaps the most surprising and rewarding part of the experience.

Stephanie Konstantinidis of Holyoke ~ “Beautifying the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke”
Sponsored by Kathy Condon at MLS

Stephanie is a 16 year old junior at Holyoke High School. She is involved in the Madrigal Choir, bell choir, band, color guard, the Renaissance Club, and the arts department. She is team captain of a teen Relay for Life team called “HHS Musical Knights.” She is an active member of Holy Trinity Church, where she is part of the youth group and serves as an assistant Sunday school teacher. Stephanie plays piano, bells, and the xylophone. While she doesn’t have any specific plans for college yet, she does plan to pursue higher education.

For my Gold Award project, I worked with Rachael Wolff. Our initial plan was to address the issue of homelessness. We chose to beautify a 25-unit, “revolving door” family shelter by repainting the hallways and stenciling inspirational sayings on the walls. We chose this project because it would benefit a variety of recipients. Our plan was set, but the first obstacle came quickly as the shelter was closed due to lack of government funding. The difficulty of the obstacle was finding a new location under short notice. Luckily the Boys and Girls Club had the answer. John Counter became aware of the situation and offered the club as our new project site. Time was of the essence, and we had work to do. After our project manager, Jean, gave us the to go ahead to continue, we got to work. Although the club wasn’t a homeless shelter, it still fit the needs and recipients we feel should benefit. The need was beautifying a much-used facility to show the recipients that the community cares about the well-being of our future leaders. The recipients would be an average of 95 children. Our project outline remained the same. We repainted two large rooms and stenciled inspirational saying in the rooms and the long hallways. Our best memory was having the children come down and place their painted handprints on a bare wall. The excitement on their faces was more than enough of a measured goal. Throughout this whole project, I learned the active duties of being a leader, and to keep an open mind about everchanging plans throughout our lives. When it comes down to it all, I wouldn’t have done anything differently. It was because of the project site change, that I became more aware of my talents and leadership roles.

Katherine Landeck of Wilbraham ~ "Katie's Camporee"
Sponsored by Paul Matt at Kelleher & Sadowsky

Katherine has been a Girl Scout member for eleven years. In the program, she has met some of her very best friends and has learned a lot about herself. It helped her to develop her interests and test her limits. Currently, besides being a Girl Scout, Katherine is the Assistant Head Editor of her school newspaper and Vice President of the Model UN. She is also a member of her school’s Mock Law team, Venture Crew, track and field, and NHS. Katherine hopes to one day be a journalist, but in the meantime, she has senior year with her friends “to survive.”

My project had two parts to it; the first was hosting a bring-a-friend camporee for local girls. The second was building picnic tables and birdhouses for the campground and local parks. I chose this project when I first worked at a camporee and saw what the girls got out of it. The second part of the project developed when I fell through one of the picnic tables. After that, I knew I would have to replace them.

When I actually sat down to plan the project it was a lot more work than I expected. In general, I am not a detail-oriented person. Instead, I tend to allow things to happen as they will, but neither part of the project allowed for that type of planning. So I had to learn how to really focus my time, which was a skill that I learned under the watchful gaze of my advisor. In addition, there were a lot of new skills I had to learn about both camping and woodworking.

In the end, both parts of my project turned out well. Despite a hurricane that led to a flooded campground, the girls I was responsible for had an excellent time and they learned a lot about camping and themselves. In the second part of my project, I was able to give back 4 picnic tables and 22 birdhouses to the community with the help of a generous donation of $500 from Avery Dennison.

Kate Liedell of Westborough ~ "Lab Kidz - Mill Pond Science Club”
Sponsored by Dr. Shirin Nash at Mercy Medical Center

Along with being a Girl Scout for ten years, Kate also loves science and music. She was a chemistry intern during her junior year which helped her towards her goal of one day becoming a biochemist or science teacher (or both!). She is one of the senior drum majors of the Westborough High School Marching Band, and loves every minute of it. Kate plans to go to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst next year, where she will be a biochemistry and molecular biology major in the honors program and plans to continue in the marching band.

When I was younger, I never liked science. Now as a high school student I love it, but I wish I had been more interested in it as a little kid. The goal of my project was to increase the interest of science in younger students. I created an after-school club for kids in grades 4-6 in Westborough. I worked with kids in an after-school program which they attended because their parents worked late. Every other Monday I visited the program with 6 or 7 high school volunteers. We conducted fun, interesting science experiments that the kids really enjoyed. Some of the experiments included making ice cream, building marshmallow launchers, and erupting volcanoes. I learned a lot about teaching and organization. My favorite memory from the project is when one student decided to put the cap back on his water bottle when we were erupting volcanoes and it exploded, leaving a blue stain that is still on the ceiling. My plans for the future of the project are very promising, as I am handing over the reins to my younger brother, who is currently a sophomore at Westborough High School. He is as enthused about the project as I am and I know he will continue it well.

Katherine McManus of Westborough ~ "Youth Vote MA"
Sponsored by Dr. Shirin Nash at Mercy Medical Center

Katherine McManus has been a member of Westborough Girl Scout Troop 30513 for thirteen years, during which time she served as a delegate from the 100th Town Service Unit. Katherine is a runner and a member of the Westborough High School cross-country team, and she captains the indoor and outdoor track teams. Her favorite event is the pentathlon at the end of each track season. She is also student leader and representative to the Westborough School Committee. She recently became interested in the Model United Nations program, and attended her first conference, BosMUN in March. Katherine plans to attend college next fall, and looks forward to registering to vote when she turns 18, shortly after her graduation from Westborough High School.

My Gold Award Project, “Youth Vote MA,” focused on civic engagement and voter registration. The project addressed the lack of access that high school students have to voter registration. Many local Town Clerks’ offices have hours that are difficult for high school students due to classes, jobs and school activities. To tackle this issue, I created a website which provides 24/7 online information about voter registration and absentee balloting - a concern for students as they head off to college. If www.youthvoteMA.org does not directly answer the students’ questions, there is a wealth of other resources posted on the site including links to various other voting and civic action resources. The website was distributed to school districts across Massachusetts, as well as through youth groups, the Massachusetts Association of Student Councils (MASC), and Girl Scout contacts. Since its creation, it has had over 1,000 ‘hits’ across the state, the US, and the world. The www.youthvoteMA.org site is completely non-partisan, and includes a “Do-It-Yourself” section on holding a voter registration drive. Another part of my project was very successful Voter Registration Drives that I held during Senior Week at Westborough High School last spring and another before the 2008 Presidential Elections last fall. My drives registered over 100 students, and many student groups have voiced an interest in making this an annual or semi-annual event. In completing this project, I gained networking, communication and web development skills. I also learned a lot about myself, including that I am very persistent and will work hard to get what I want accomplished. However, I also discovered that when an idea or contact does not work out, I was able to let go and move onto ‘Plan B.’ It reaffirmed for me how much I truly care about the issue of civic engagement. My favorite part of this Gold Award Project was registering my peers to vote, and seeing the pride that it brought them to be registered and able to vote in the 2008 Presidential Election.

Lindsay Nolan of Westborough ~ "Dancing to Save"
Sponsored by Avidia Bank

Lindsay has been involved in many activities throughout high school. Her favorite is dance, where she studies ballet, tap, jazz, pointe and modern. Besides dancing, Lindsay also participates in track, field hockey, and basketball. For community service, she is a part of SADD and Appalachia Service Project. Lindsay works at an after-school program at the elementary school during the school year and at summer camp during the summer. She will be attending the University of New Hampshire’s Business School in the fall. For her last term of high school, she will be doing an internship at a dance studio and would like to someday own her own studio.

I chose my project, because of my love of dance. Dancing has always been one of my favorite activities, but as I grew older I started to realize the financial strain that it can put on families. So for my Gold Award Project, I decided to address this issue. My project had three parts; the first was making dancewear available to kids whose families might not be able to afford it. I collected dancewear which was donated to the Boston Renaissance Charter School. I decided to donate my dancewear to this school because they are one of the few inner-city schools that provide a large arts program to their students, with the majority of the kids in grades K-12 participating in the arts. I knew the contribution to this school would be a major help to the kids who were unable to afford the dancewear. The second part of my project involved making dance classes available to kids who wouldn’t normally have access to them. I created an after-school dance class at one of the elementary schools in my town. I taught 5 one-hour classes to 4th, 5th and 6th graders. I had approximately 20 kids sign up for the class. I taught the kids a hip hop dance that they all enjoyed. The final part of my project was to create a video of preliminary ballet steps. I wanted to create this video in order to give people the opportunity to learn ballet steps on their own in order to begin their education of ballet. My project ended up benefiting many people. Along with children in Boston, my project also helped kids in my own town through the dance classes and video. Through my project, I learned that I love helping others, especially children. I have always been a big supporter of community service but this is the first project that I have done on my own and it felt good to know that I was making a difference in these children’s lives. I also learned that I may someday decide to open my own dance studio so that I can share my passion with others. I hope in the years to follow that my project will be carried on through the dance classes at the elementary schools.

Cara Pease of Worthington ~ "Share the Harvest"
Sponsored by Hampden Engineering

Cara is captain of her school’s track-and-field team. She’s involved in peer mediation, and enjoys English class. In fall of 2009, Cara is planning to attend Holyoke Community College to study veterinary technology and possibly transfer to Mt. Ida after getting her associate’s degree. Throughout her Girl Scouting career, she has gone to New York City multiple times, been horseback riding and white water rafting, sponsored ham dinners for people in the community, held bake sales, and overall just had a good time with the girls in her troop.

I chose my project because we always have a surplus of some kind of vegetable in our garden that we end up giving away. I figured if we had extra, everyone else probably did too and instead of just trading off everything, we could send all those extra vegetables to a good cause. So, I gathered fruits and vegetables from people in my community and donated it to local food shelters. All in all, I collected about 401 pounds of food which I gave to food shelters in Pittsfield, Goshen, and Huntington. As a result of this project, I learned that it doesn’t take much to help people. Giving, even if it’s just a little bit, can make you feel accomplished knowing that someone, and maybe even a whole family, has a full stomach. I also learned that no matter how much food you give, people are always going to need more. There is no such thing as “too much food” when it comes to food shelters.

Katelyn Rozenas of Dudley ~ “Bird Habitat Restoration Project & Birds of Feather Workshop”
Sponsored by Justine Brewer at Southwick’s Zoo

Katelyn has always pushed herself to achieve, try new things and expand her horizons. Through Girl Scouts she has met new people and done things she otherwise wouldn’t have done. She is the president and historian of her Girl Scout troop, the editor of the school yearbook, co-editor of the Advocate, co-captain of the Academic Decathlon team, a member of the St. Anthony’s Youth Ministry, a Foreign Language Club member, a member of the Teen Advisory Group for the Pearle Crawford Library, an employee at Honey Dew Donuts, a Girl Scout Program Aide and finally a CCD teacher at St. Anthony’s. The road to success was not smooth for Katelyn though. At age 16, she was diagnosed with Cushing's Disease - a rare children’s disease caused by a tumor on the pituitary gland. However, during her struggle she made herself work five times harder and never gave up. She has been accepted to Worcester State College and will be going there in the fall, where she will be pursuing a degree in child psychology. She would like to seek a career in a children’s hospital and help children who are going through the psychological roller coaster of being sick.

I am a very avid environmentalist and I wanted to do something to help the environment for my Gold Award Project. I worked in collaboration with the Dudley Pierpont Sanctuary, Broadmeadow Brook, and Wachusett Meadow Sanctuary, which are all chapters of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, to build birdhouses to provide homes for 4 species of birds in the area where they are losing their homes to development. After contacting the Pierpont Sanctuary, I was introduced to Cindy Dunn and Lisa Mattson who ended up being my project consultants since they were both very knowledgeable about the 4 species of birds which included Wood Ducks, American Kestrels, Saw-whet Owls, and Eastern Bluebirds. After getting the plans for building the houses, I got the wood from Thick n’ Thin Sawmill, and put it in my cellar to dry. With the help of my parents, we pre-cut and pre-drilled all the wood that would be used for the houses. I planned an informational workshop, advertised, and collected information, props, and worksheets. On the day of the workshop, I had various stations including the birdhouse assembly station. The Girl Scouts who attended completed many requirements for their “All About Birds” patch. We assembled 25 birdhouses in total, which I presented to Lisa Mattson and Cindy Dunn. I also donated the posters I made for the workshop to the sanctuaries. In the end, it was a huge success and everyone enjoyed it and learned a lot. As a result of this project, I learned that I am a good leader but sometimes need to ask for and accept help. I loved doing this project and I believe that it was very rewarding. The most successful aspect of my project was the fact that my birdhouses are really going to be appreciated and used.

Maia Valcarce of Sterling ~ “Initiate Recycling in Schools”
Sponsored by Kathy Condon at MLS

Maia is currently having fun attending Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, as a joint mathematics and computer science major. Girl Scouting has been a big part of Maia’s life since she was little, and she hopes to keep it that way. Maia worked as a Program Aide at both Split Rock and Laurel Wood Day Camps, and last year was able to join the staff. She loves working with kids, and hopes to be able to incorporate that into a career somehow. In her spare time, she plays the clarinet, knits, reads, and hangs out with friends.

For my Gold Award Project, I established a recycling program at Chocksett Middle School in Sterling. I remembered that they had had a program like this when I was there, but found out that it had disappeared. I felt that it was important to the school community to reestablish this program. Small recycling bins were acquired and distributed throughout the school. Also, posters were made to inform students and teachers of what could and could not be recycled. Students now go around to each classroom and collect the recycling in order to bring it out to the curb each week. Not only does this program directly help recycling efforts, it also teaches the students about recycling practices and helps establish a habit that they will hopefully keep with them for their entire lives. The program has been successful for about a year, and now is even expanding to include additional materials for recycling (plastic bottles in addition to paper). There were many challenges during this project including getting funding from the school to get recycling bins, negotiating with the DPW, and helping the teachers encourage students to recycle. Many people at CMS helped me above and beyond what I could have asked of them. I would like to thank all of the staff and administration at Chocksett who helped make this project possible. In particular, a huge thank you to Stacey Padilla, science teacher, who helped in organizing students and weekly pickup. Through this project I learned that although there may be people who try to stand in your way, just around the corner are several more people who are willing to do whatever it takes to help you reach your goal. In the end, it was extremely rewarding to hear others thank me for filling what I initially saw as a very simple need in the community. 

Rebecca Webb of Westborough ~ “Listen & Learn: Promoting Education in the Community for Those in Need"
Sponsored by Avidia Bank

Rebecca is currently a senior at Westborough High School and has been a Girl Scout for the past 12 years. In addition to being a Girl Scout, she also runs cross country and track for her high school. She is a captain of the high school ski team, is involved in both the Interact and SADD clubs, is a member of the National Honor Society and Tri-M (the Music Honor Society), referees recreational soccer, volunteers with the National Cancer Society annually for their Relay for Life in Westborough, and is an active member of her church’s youth group. Though she has not yet made her decision on where she will attend college next year, after graduating from college, Rebecca hopes to work as a high school guidance counselor or history teacher.

For my Gold Award Project, I addressed the local issue of the lack of school supplies for disadvantaged students and the lack of knowledge surrounding it. This issue is important to me because I have worked closely with students who come from families that do not have the economic resources to provide the students with school supplies and I have seen how this can negatively affect these students’ performances in the classroom. For my Gold Award Project, I held a town-wide drive during which I collected between $1,500 and $2,000 worth of school supplies, which I then donated to the Boys and Girls Club in Worcester. In order to further educate my community about this issue, I spoke at various group meetings, such as a meeting of the town Girl Scout Leaders and my school’s Interact Club meeting. To facilitate the aid that I was able to provide for families in need, I also created a pamphlet that was distributed to local organizations such as the Department of Youth and Family Services, the police department, the public library, and the food pantry. These pamphlets outlined local charitable organizations that families in need could go to for help if they need certain items such as school supplies, sports equipment, professional women’s work attire, food, or medical care. These pamphlets were created with the intent to centralize information about local charities and how they can help. Although there are many organizations that publish listings of charities for certain needs, I have yet to find a local listing of chartable organizations. My pamphlet is designed to eliminate the hassle for families who are looking to find a charity that suits their needs. This project not only taught me more about my community, but also about myself. By completing the Gold Award, I learned about my strengths and weaknesses, and how to overcome some of my weaknesses. I learned that by mapping out everything that I need to get done on a timeline, I can avoid procrastination and accomplish more in a shorter period of time. I also learned how to ask others for help when I need it and gained valuable networking skills that I know will help me in the future.

Renee Williams of Holden ~ “CIVIC: Creatively Increasing Voting In The Community”
Sponsored by Paul Matt at Kelleher & Sadowsky

Renée graduated from Wachusett Regional High School in June of 2008 and is currently a freshman at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst majoring in Art History. Renée joined Girl Scouts in Petersham in 1996 as a 2nd grade Brownie. After moving to Holden in 1999, she continued in Junior Troop 925 under the leadership of Cheryl Poirier and Linda Tella. She then moved into Troop 1218 under the guidance of her leaders, including Cyndy Janik, Mary Ellen Nugent, and Judy Newton. Her Cadette career started under the leadership of Cheryl Poirier and Linda Tella with Troop 925 and continued under guidance of leaders Betty Benjevin and Jenni Howe in Troop 738 where she was recognized for completing the Silver Award and beginning on the path towards her Gold Award. During her Girl Scout career, Renée has participated in all of the Holden Town Encampments for Girl Scouts and select summer camp experiences. She traveled to NYC with her troop, hiked Mount Greylock, toured Fort Ticonderoga and went to Williamsburg, Virginia with money earned from Girl Scout cookie sales. Renée also served as a Program Aide at Camp Laurel Wood for two years.

For Renée’s Gold Award Project, she organized a Battle of the Bands at St. Mary's Church last February with a new voter registration (or non-perishable food items for Wachusett Food Pantry) as admission. Her goal was to register as many eligible High School Seniors as possible for the presidential election. She wanted to ensure that newly eligible high school seniors knew how to register to vote. In addition, she set up an online voter registration drive on Facebook and held an 18th birthday cake & ice cream party for new voters at the Wachusett Regional Senior Yearbook Party during the summer. My project made registering to vote fun and easily accessible. It also allowed students to be helped by a peer, rather than an intimidating town clerk’s office employee. Not only this, but four large cartons of non-perishable food items were donated to the Wachusett Food Pantry. I was able to exercise all of my event organizing skills, as well as figure out new things about myself and discover skills that I did not even know I had. I inspired people to work towards a great cause in which I strongly believe. 

Abigail Wilson of Paxton ~ "Project Art"
Sponsored by Avidia Bank

As an active member of Girl Scouts for the past 12 years, Abigail has embraced the precept of the power of helping others and has taken this teaching to heart. She volunteers 2 hours a week at a local hospital in the pediatric wing and next fall plans to attend college and earn a nursing degree. She’s involved with many local volunteer organizations and is an officer of her school’s National Honor Society chapter. She wants others to know that through drive and determination, one person can make a difference, and in the end, be rewarded tenfold.

My cousin, Greg, currently ten years old, served as my inspiration in completing “Project Art.” Diagnosed with leukemia at the age of three, and relapsing at the age of nine, the amount of time Greg spends in the hospital and outpatient clinic is overwhelming. Through my experiences with Greg, I witnessed how art projects alleviated Greg’s anxiety during his hospital visits and wanted to find a way to help other pediatric patients. I saw first-hand the lack of arts and crafts available to pediatric patients, and believed that a traveling art cart filled with pre-planned craft projects would be a great asset to Child Life specialists and volunteers. The Child Life department helps to ease a child’s transition into the hospital through engaging children with activities to take their minds away from their illnesses. I mailed over two hundred fundraising letters to family, friends, and national and local businesses asking for donations or discounts on art supplies. Within one week, an art company contacted me, willing to donate an eight hundred dollar art cart, while other companies and people donated hundreds of dollars in supplies, checks and gift cards. To my surprise, an Internet company donated a second cart a few weeks later, and by the end of August, I had raised nearly five thousand dollars in donations. Not only did I have two fully-stocked art carts, but I also had one storage unit and seventeen enormous tubs full of art supplies ready to deliver. With the Child Life staff helping to haul the carts and tubs of supplies, I walked with Greg by my side through the 5-East doors into the pediatric wing at UMass Hospital in Worcester. I saw my efforts stacked before me and realized the power that one person can hold. Looking back, I am amazed to think about all the hours I invested in organizing, writing and mailing letters, ordering supplies, packing kits, assembling carts and transporting everything to the hospital for the unveiling of “Project Art.” I spent far more than the required sixty-five hours in executing this project, but every second was worth it. I can’t believe how far I’ve come in Girl Scouting and I feel proud to have been led along this wonderful path by outstanding leaders. 

Rachael Wolff of Holyoke ~ “Beautifying the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, Inc.”
Sponsored by Hampden Engineering

For Rachael, a junior at Holyoke Catholic School, the past 11 years of Girl Scouting have taught her everything from how to ride a horse to how to be a cookie entrepreneur. She earned her Bronze and Silver Awards, which she remembers for their memories and service. Even more than the awards, however, Girl Scouting has taught her friendship, leadership, confidence, and citizenship. Rachael uses these skills and values in other activities: sports (cross country, track), speech team, performing arts, National Honor Society, and “Africa Mission ’09.” She is looking forward to being a “Christian Leader” next year. In her spare time, Rachael likes to write, draw, read, relax at Cape Cod, and spend time with friends and family. A girl who dreams big, she hopes one day to travel the world to help those in need, through international relations or journalism. In either case, she thanks all those who have made Girl Scouts an unforgettable experience.

For my Gold Award Project, I worked with Stephanie Konstantinidis to assess the needs of Holyoke, and soon was united with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, Inc. We decided to help the Boys and Girls Club by adding splashes of color, joy, and inspiration to their building. Besides painting base coats in their new library and exercise room, books were painted above the entrance to the library, sports silhouettes were painted in the exercise room, the club’s logo was painted in the hallway, and artistic works (i.e. murals, a handprint wall, inspirational sayings in English and Spanish) were painted in the main hallway. Local businesses were extremely generous by providing us with labor, lunch and paint donations. Friends and family also lent helping hands. The project took a lot of creativity, leadership, organization, understanding, perseverance, and patience. Our work provided a friendly reminder that people care about this community. For some children who make the club their second home, it was rewarding to know that they had an uplifting space to spend time. My favorite memory while completing this award was when the children of the Boys and Girls Club came down to share in the handprint wall. All were full of smiles and excited to help with the project. Being able to use my gifts to help others and give back to the community will always stay with me. Change is possible. In the future, I hope I can continue helping the Boys and Girls Club in any way I can, whether it is through organizing a book drive to support their new library, or volunteering so we can learn and grow together.

Christine Wzorek of Westfield ~ “TLC for TEC”
Sponsored by Dr. Shirin Nash at Mercy Medical Center

Christine is an honor student at St. Mary’s High School in Westfield. She especially enjoys art and painting. She just finished painting all the scenery for the last school play. Tennis is next this spring, then graduation. Christine rides, trains and shows horses as part of her passion. She plans to attend Becker College in the Fall, majoring in Equine Business Management. She hopes to rescue horses, and teach children and adults how to handle, ride and understand horses. She would also like to attend graduate school and achieve an MBA in business. She and her two sisters have been Girl Scouts together for years. In 2006, she traveled to Pax Lodge in London with about 20 Girl Scouts and parents. They toured London, completed a service project and learned how to handle themselves abroad. It was a very special trip.

I chose my project because I wanted to do my project in the equine field. TLC for TEC is Tender Loving Care for the Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Holyoke, Mass. I set out to give their office and saddle room a much needed facelift. I also saw that they could use new equipment and they had a definite wish list. There wasn’t an upgraded first aid kit for the horses and humans to use. Their arena needed a clock and thermometer. Their lounge needed a place to hang coats. I set out to get donations, and things I couldn’t get donated I purchased using money I’d earned from returning cans and bottles. I had 4H members and friends donate their time and talents to help me with the painting and carpentry work. We accomplished our goals and made a lot of people and horses happy too. The riders, family and staff have a clean inviting space to wait during sessions. The horses have new equipment, snacks and a first aid kit in case of emergencies. My project is already continuing on. I went back to bring the first aid kit for the horses and all the volunteers were cleaning and fixing up the tack for the horses and the barn area for spring. The director is very pleased with the volunteers’ reaction to what I started. Because of what I did, others have started refurbishing in other areas of the center.

Girl Scouting has been important to me and my family. It has taught us to be leaders, given us confidence and how to handle and think out situations. Girl Scouting has given me and my sisters each a voice and brought out our individuality as young women. This is all important for a young lady to be successful.