Girl Talk May-July 2022

Early Bird renewal through July 31

Thank you to everyone who helped make the “Kristen Bell and Girl Scouts: Paint Your World Purple” virtual event a success! We had a lot of fun at our watch party, and we hope you all learned more about what it means to be a curious Purple Person.

Membership renewal is still going on, through July 31. Renew now and get your Early Bird Patch!

This is a great way to be ready for the new membership year. Visit www.girlscouts-swtx.org/renew to get started!

Summer Camp is Here

Spots are still available at Camp La Jita and Camp Metro. Finish out the summer strong by enrolling your girl in one (or both!) of our camps. Visit www.girlscouts-swtx.org/camp to learn more.

She’ll make new friends: Having a diverse group of friends outside of school will broaden her horizons and help her see her own worth.

She’ll see all she can be: In an all-girl environment, girls are more comfortable trying new outdoor activities, and they get to take the lead every single time.

She’ll turn off her phone and tune in to nature: Unplugging for a while will keep her present and truly enjoying every moment.

She’ll grow her grit: The truth is, she might scrape a knee or elbow while she’s away—and that’s a good thing! When she learns to get back up after minor setbacks, she’s building her resilience and learning that she’s a lot tougher than she thinks.

She’ll meet new mentors: Having a variety of awesome role models will help your girl see the many ways to be successful and happy in life.

She’ll gain independence: Time away from home to explore and try activities on her own will make her more self-reliant and able to discover new things to share and teach you when she returns home.

She’ll have tons of time for play: Studies show that play allows the neurons in a child’s brain to form new connections—and that this rewiring helps boost emotional intelligence, decision-making skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.

Living the Girl Scout Promise

We continue to mourn the tragedy in Uvalde that has affected the lives of hundreds of Girl Scouts and included the loss of Amerie Jo Garza, age 10. To say this summer has been difficult is an understatement, not only for our state and our nation, but for our council. During such darkness, however, we have seen light—from you and from the Girl Scout community. Girl Scouts from across the U.S. have come together to honor Amerie and the other children who lost their lives at Robb Elementary School.

From a troop in Maryland honoring her during their bridging ceremony, to girls in New Jersey releasing into the sky balloons emblazoned with Amerie’s and her classmates’ names, to a troop in California making cards for families in Uvalde, to an Ambassador Girl Scout in Florida reaching out and asking if there’s any way they

can help. Countless people have held vigils, donated blood, and sent donations and other items to us to deliver to our sisters in Uvalde. They’ve reached out to us to offer unconditional support, reminding us that we truly are a sisterhood.

Uvalde is home to nearly 250 Girl Scouts, many of whom participate through our Gamma Sigma Girls® and Gamma Sigma Pearls™ leadership development programs through the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, in addition to volunteer-led troops. Our campus based collaborations bring girls together through the bond of sisterhood and allow them to explore common interests and make new friends.

Amerie was a Girl Scout through the school for just six months, but that timeframe changed her life.

Her parents said the programming she participated in, including our “Becoming Me” series, had a profound impact on her and helped her realize her desire to be an art teacher. They noticed significant growth in their daughter in only a short amount of time. That’s a testament to the power of our movement and the importance of providing

opportunities for girls to be themselves, learn new things, and be leaders in their communities. Amerie was the type of girl who stood up for others and helped where she could. Even amid extreme danger, she tried to help others, which is why she was posthumously awarded the Bronze Cross.

Amerie’s legacy will live on as we continue to honor her and support our community in Uvalde. Your generosity and kindness have meant a great deal to the family, and we thank you on their behalf. Let us continue to raise up girls of courage, confidence, and character—girls like Amerie.

Learn more about how you can help our sisters in Uvalde and access important resources for working with children who have experienced trauma and grief at www.girlscouts-swtx.org/girlscoutstrong.

Summer Operating Hours

To best meet the need of our member families and volunteers, all departments are available to visitors the following days/ times through Friday Sept. 2:

Sally Cheever Girl Scout Leadership Center, Girl Scout Shop, and Resource Center:

• Closed Sunday and Monday

• Tuesday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m.

• Friday, 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m.

Curbside pickup for the shop on Thursdays will change to 10 a.m.–6 p.m. The shop also will be open Saturday, Aug. 5, for Tax-Free Weekend.

The West Side Girl Scout Leadership Center remains closed to the public. Select in-person programming continues to take place. See our online Events Calendar for more information.

COVID-19 Prevention Protocols

GSSWT has introduced new levels of COVID-19 prevention protocols based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) tracking of COVID-19 Community Levels of risk.

To determine your county’s COVID-19 Community Level of risk, visit www.girlscouts-swtx.org/covid.

Mental Wellness Starts Here.

The challenges of today’s world don’t only affect grownups. Young people—especially girls—are facing a mental health crisis of their own. Supporting them as they grow and face life’s complexities is a top priority.

Girl Scout Wellness Activities

Try out unique ways to boost your mental health—plus unlock a special patch.

Life isn’t always easy, but dealing with tricky emotions doesn’t have to be so hard. Try activities from the Girl Scouts: Resilient. Ready. Strong. program to unlock a patch and strengthen your mental wellness. Nobody can snap their fingers and make the world all sunshine and lollipops, but you can take steps to be ready when things get tough.

Go get ‘em, Girl Scout!

Girl Scouts plus their families, caregivers, and volunteers now have access to these mental wellness resources from Girl Scouts of the USA and trusted partners. From new activities to trainings, you’ll find what you need to get started. Visit

Aviana Adams

Arianna Ahumada

Caelin Alspaugh

Cassie Alvarez

Arianna Apolinar

Angela Aranda

Diya Ballal

Miriam Barba

Abigail Barrera

Hailey Barton

Elizabeth Baseley

Romey Becker

Paige Becker

Samira Bellino

Nadya Berggren

Maycie Bertling

Mary Buckelew

Katherine Bull

Emily Burch

Denise Caballero

Isadia Calzada-Hernandez

Alexandra Camarillo

Lorena Cantellop

Halie Cardenas

Audrey Carranza

Imilie Carreon

Alexis Cartwright

Caelin Cerecero

Kendall Clauss

Lorelei Coffman

Shelby Crowley

Monica Cruz

Leanna De Anda

Annabell Delacruz

Briana Delgado Huerta

Ashley Deluca

Chloe Downey

Lilliana Duran

Eileen Dutton

Madison Escochea

Graduating Seniors

Marie Fahlsing

Alexia Flores

Payton Flores

Kelli Fort

Harmony Fulwood

Christiana Garcia

Marina Garza

Melanie Garza

Jena Garza

Abigail Gaytan

Keely Geisel

Kalyssa Gillespie

Kiera Grandell

Gabriella Green

Adriana Guajardo

Gabriela Guzman

Ja’kayla Hammond

Jazmin Harper

Sydney Helmick

Dakota Hendrick

Cailey Hernandez

Faith Hill

Emily Huizar

Madison Humphreys

Myla Huston

Jazmin Infante

Olivia Irons

Christiyan Jones

Sara Jordan

Sai Pushpa Kondapaneni

Joyce Lai

Carolyn Lanford

Anna Lazzaretti

Amber Leal

Destiny Leandro

Natasha Ledum

Miranda Llanes

Miranda Lopez

Samantha Lopez

Lauren Lozano

Reyann Lozano

Brianna Manjarrez

Summerlynn Marrufo

Stella Marti

Melanie Martinez

Layla Mcmanus

Elisa Medina

Amanda Mendez

Yuliahnna Mendiola

Maia Meneses

Anupama Menon

Shelbi Moehrig

Sophia Montalvo

Alexandra Moore

Angie Moreno

Roxanne Moreno

Violet Moreno

Madison Moscrip

Madelyn Mozqueda

Doryann Mueller

Jo Mynar-Melendrez

Angela Naranjo

Gabriella Noriega

Michelle Orihuela

Julissa Pacheco

Monserrat Palomo

Shriya Patel

Dominga Perez

Gianna Perez

Melanie Perez

Valerie Perez

Nevaeh Perez

Samika Perkins

Dominique Pleasant

Michael Pozos

Daisy Que

Kenia Quintana

Kristina Ramirez

Taylor Reed

Elle Reede

Allison Regino

Rachel Renteria

Ava Richards

Angelina Rios

Candace Robles

Ysabella Rocha

Lizet Rodriguez

Samantha Rojas

Lauren Rosenberg

Raven Rosser

Rebekah Salgado

Trinity Sanchez

Marissa Sanchez

Brianna Sanchez

Bailey Seesengood

Clarissa Servin

Saira Shakoor

Smruthi Shashidhar

Avignail Sifuentes

Andrea Solis

Starr Sotello

Carys Stogsdill

Vaibhavi Sunkara

Emma Szabo

Akeila Tejwani

Ekaterina Tipton

Peyton Torkelson

Diamond Torres

Andrea Trujillo

Sarah Valdez

Jaanay Watkis

Divine Watson

Emily West

Kathleen Whiteman

Joy Williams

Sarah Willmann

Cassidy Wingo

Madison Wright

Sydney Yanez

Zeina Zouhair

Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas was thrilled to honor 24 Gold Award Girl Scouts at a ceremony May 19 at the Red Berry Mansion in San Antonio.

The Gold Award is the most prestigious award in Girl Scouting. Gold Award Girl Scouts don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good. The Gold Award is earned by girls in grades 9–12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership in developing sustainable solutions to local, national and global challenges. Since 1912, Girl Scouts have answered the call to drive lasting, impactful change.

The Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable.

Congratulations, girls!

Caelin Alspaugh

Miriam Barba

Elizabeth Baseley

Crystal Engelken

Hailey Erlund

Madeline Fuentes

Emma Garza

Alexandria Jass

Margaret Jones

Emily LaJoie

Stella Marti

Madison Moscrip

Mackenzie Mowrey

Claire Mueller

Gianna Perez

Elle Reede

Gabriella Rocha

Deanna Rooney

Alisha Siddiqui

Grace Simonson

Akeila Tejwani

Sarah Willmann

Sydney Yanez

Miranda Young

2022 Gold Award Girl

Girl Scouts