Gold Award Ceremony Press Release
June 10, 2023
32 Girl Scouts Honored with Prestigious Gold Award
TAMPA, FL – Thirty-two inspiring, teen world-changers across the Tampa Bay area earned the most prestigious award in Girl Scouting, the Gold Award. These young women were honored for their remarkable achievements on June 10 at Girl Scouts of West Central Florida’s Annual Gold Award Ceremony.
The prestigious Gold Award is the highest achievement a Girl Scout can earn, available to girls in high school who create a significant and sustainable positive change in a community. From comforting pediatric cancer patients, to building a therapy center in Kenya for human trafficking survivors, Gold Award Girl Scouts address the root cause of a problem, plan and implement innovative solutions to drive change, and lead a team of people to success.
The 2023 Gold Award Girl Scouts in West Central Florida invested more than 3,200 hours planning and implementing projects that tackled many pervasive issues.
“It is so energizing to see the array of societal issues and causes our Gold Award Girl Scouts focused on this year,” said GSWCF Chief Executive Officer Mary Pat King. “Through their projects, Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible leadership skills such as critical thinking, creative problem-solving, teambuilding and effective communication. These are critical skills for success in higher education, military, and careers spanning all industries.”
Earning their Gold Awards were Emily Allen, Skylar Anderson, Courtney Bennett, Yasmine Bouanani, Shaw Bouley, Abigail Cardoza, Georgia Chandler, Elaine Feaster, Isabela Fry, Riley Glogowski, Alexis Hatch, Madison Hurst, Lauren Kacinko, Nitya Katwala, Edy Krook, Emma Lefferts, Presley Lomel, Mariam Masud, Silvana Messina, Isha Patel, Saylor Purks, Emma Ream, Lisa Rosario, Kathleen Roset, Taylor Russell, Audrey Shelby, Samantha Squires, Maggie Warren, Abigail Weber, Emma Weiland, Amanda Whittlesey and Ayla Yebba.
“These Gold Award Girl Scouts courageously made a lasting impact throughout the Tampa Bay Area and beyond – and as a result, they know they have the power to do it again,” said GSWCF Board President Cami Gibertini.
Each year, the girls’ Gold Award projects are evaluated by the High Awards Committee for various scholarship opportunities. The GSWCF Scholarship was presented to Emily Allen for her project that created community gardens to promote mental health initiatives.
Elaine Feaster’s literacy awareness project and Samantha Squires’ rain garden project earned each of them an Ann Hensler Scholarship. This award was established in 1999 in memory of former GSWCF CEO, Ann Hensler, who was a key driver to elevate the prestige of the Girl Scout Gold Award and establish a council-wide celebration of these young women’s achievements.
In addition, a $10,000 GSUSA Gold Award Scholarship will be presented later this summer to a GSWCF Gold Award Girl Scout whose project exemplifies the core components of the Gold Award and demonstrates extraordinary leadership to drive lasting change in her community and beyond.
"Our Gold Award Girl Scouts have demonstrated they are ready for a future of their choosing,” King said. “Girl Scouts has prepared them to lead others courageously and confidently as they continue a lifetime of pursuing positive change.”
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To learn more about the 2023 Gold Award Girl Scouts in West Central Florida, click here.
MEDIA NOTES:
- Gold award recipients are available for interviews regarding their unique, impactful projects and their overall Girl Scouting experiences.
- For more information, contact Kristine Rogowski at krogowski@gswcf.org or 813- 445-3141.
