Girl Scouts - North Carolina Coastal Pines As one of 111 Girl Scout councils chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA, Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines serves nearly 19,000 girl members and 9,000 adult members across 41 central and eastern North Carolina counties. With the headquarters in Raleigh and regional service centers in Goldsboro, Fayetteville, and Wilmington, the council delivers leadership programming and provides relevant and engaging opportunities for all girls and rewarding volunteer experiences for adults.
The Girl Scout Gold Award Since 1916, Girl Scouts have successfully answered the call to go Gold, an act that indelibly marks them as accomplished members of their communities and the world. The Girl Scout Gold Award stands for excellence and leadership for girls everywhere and is the highest achievement a Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador can earn. When a Girl Scout embarks on her Gold Award journey, she makes a commitment to creating a lasting change in her community. She demonstrates significant leadership, planning, networking, and organizational skills as she spends, on average, one to two years working to complete her Girl Scout Gold Award. Awarded to fewer than six percent of Girl Scouts annually, girls who earn the Girl Scout Gold Award join generations of young women who have made a difference in their community both locally and globally. The Gold Award is proof that not only can Girl Scouts make a difference, but that they already have. Gold Award Girl Scouts do not just change the world for the better, they change it for good. Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines congratulates each of our 2020 Gold Award Girl Scouts for achieving their goals and earning this distinguished honor.
Girl Scouting’s Highest Award Since Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines was established in 2007, 808 Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors have achieved the highest award in Girl Scouting. Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines takes great pride in recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of the 51* young women who earned the Girl Scout Gold Award from January to December of 2020. Hats off to all of our Gold Award Girl Scouts for demonstrating courageous leadership, advocacy, and compassion; and for making the world a better place.
Steps to the Gold Award Fulfilling the requirements for the Girl Scout Gold Award starts with the completion of two Senior or Ambassador Journeys or earning the Girl Scout Silver Award and completion of one Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador Journey. After the Journey requirement has been fulfilled, girls spend a suggested minimum of 80 hours leading their team to tackle a community issue that impacts their target audience while raising awareness, educating, and inspiring others about the chosen issue and its root cause. Gold Award Girl Scouts work through the following steps on their path to success: • • • • • • •
Identify an issue Investigate it thoroughly Get help and build your team Create a plan Present your plan and gather feedback Take action Educate and inspire
* 50 families gave permission for their Girl Scout to be highlighted in the 2020 Gold Award booklet.
4 | Gold Award Girl Scouts
January – December 2020
Gold Award Girl Scouts Whitley Morgan Anderson
Andrea Kay Hoff
Prerana Prabhushankar
Danielle Nichole Anglin
Erica Christina Hollis
Mari Elizabeth Pritulsky
Elise Blair Bagley
Olivia Helena Honaker
Syeda Sidrah Quadri
Amanda Marie Baright
Riley Madison Houser
Elizabeth Joy Reynolds
Dixie Jessica Jo Barker
Madison Ann Jacobs
Emily Anne Sandberg
Sarah Elizabeth Bedini
Emma Charlene Johnson
Amaya Catherine Scoggins
Lucy Wooten Bland
Anna Marie Jourdan
Cassandra Helena Skaar
Jenny Tinga Braswell
Katherine Lillian Keaton
Natalie Marie Slye
Rebecca Faith Brown
Annah Kate Lassiter
Jasani Maelee Smallwood
Kylie Brooke Bunch
Natalie Renay Locklear
Madeline V. Smith
Kasey Claire Cummings
Ava Rachel Mankoff
Erin Kimberly Taylor
Pheobe V. Demers
Ellie Clare McMahon
Tiffany Katelyn Taylor
Sarah Katherine Elliot
Savannah Jane O’Brien
Amelia Matier Wade
Gavrielle Hannah Fischer
Sophie B. Olson
Anna Kate Weeks
Taylor Amanda Gwynne
Ellie Christine Osborne
Madeline Kate Wilson
Mackenzie Ashlyn Hill
Reagan Brooke Parrish
Jaya Marisa Winemiller
Kayla Dorene Pittman
Montana Marie Wisnewski
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Whitley Morgan Anderson Winterville, Pitt County
Danielle Nichole Anglin
Project: Standing Against Female Endangerment (S.A.F.E.) Issue: Public Safety
Clayton, Johnston County
Whitley organized workshops to help prepare women to protect themselves in dangerous situations through awareness and self-defense. She taught participants to be more conscious of their surroundings and to avoid distractions when out in public, along with important skills and techniques for them to use to protect themselves. Following the workshops, she filmed videos walking individuals through the techniques she taught so that they can practice and share with others. Because of Whitley’s Gold Award, the women who participated will feel more confident in their self-defense abilities and more aware of potential danger.
6 | Gold Award Girl Scouts
Project: Educational Facility at Smithfield Rescue Issue: Poverty Danielle recognized that not everyone in her community had equal access to education or educational resources and decided to use her Gold Award as an opportunity to make a difference. Danielle kickstarted a new educational facility at the Smithfield Rescue Mission that will help residents build a successful future for themselves and their families. Danielle painted the facility, donated laptops, and gave presentations on interview techniques and resume building to the residents. She left copies of her curriculum with the Mission to continue to help residents secure a job and hopes her Gold Award helps break the cycle of poverty.
Elise Blair Bagley Cary, Wake County Project: Jump into Fitness Issue: Healthy Living A competitive jump roper herself, Elise saw the opportunity to use her Gold Award to share her passion by creating a jump rope program at the Washington Elementary Boys & Girls Club. She conducted research and learned jump roping provides kids with a fun form of exercise that improves coordination, bone density, brain function, and cardiovascular health. Through her program, she taught jump roping techniques that encouraged children to learn to work as a team to complete a shared goal. Elise believes the best part of the program was that it allowed participants to get active in the outdoors and inspired them to be excited about fitness.
Amanda Marie Baright
Dixie Jessica Jo Barker
Sarah Elizabeth Bedini
Bahama, Durham County
Southport, Brunswick County
Raleigh, Wake County
Project: Outdoor Meditation and Educational Space Issue: Religious Relationships
Project: Community Need Care Bags Issue: Poverty
Project: Pollinator Protection Project Issue: Wildlife Conservation
For her Gold Award, Amanda decided to create an outdoor space for prayer, meditation, youth education, and post COVID-19 social gatherings at Saint Matthew Catholic Church. Amanda designed and built an outdoor chapel where parishioners could pray the rosary, have focused prayer, or spend the afternoon with family and friends. She also provided educational tools for prayer including an interactive My Adoration Book for all ages that walks readers through the ritual of Aucharistic Adoration and includes a coloring book and three different prayer cards. Amanda is proud that many parishioners have already enjoyed the new outdoor space and she hopes her Gold Award will encourage children to build and strengthen their faith.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Dixie decided to focus on meeting the needs of families struggling in her community for her Gold Award. To lend a helping hand, Dixie worked with a local food bank to determine which items were needed most and put together care bags with supplies like toilet paper, medications, and more to be distributed safely throughout the area. Recognizing that the food bank may need extra funds during emergencies like the pandemic, Dixie aided in creating a cost savings to continue to support the everchanging needs at the food pantry that are not budgeted or anticipated. Dixie hopes her project shows families that they are supported and cared for during this difficult time.
For her Gold Award, Sarah educated students on the struggles facing local pollinators due to human expansion and what they can do to make a difference. She began by starting a new habitat for pollinators in her backyard through the creation of a garden filled with lantanas, sunflowers, and pentas. She also built a website to educate others about the plight of pollinators, how they can create their own pollinator gardens, and additional ways to help them. Sarah shared her website with local teachers so that they can inspire their students to be less afraid of bees and to take action to save the pollinators.
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Lucy Wooten Bland
Jenny Tinga Braswell
Rebecca Faith Brown
Goldsboro, Wayne County
Wilmington, New Hanover County
Walstonburg, Greene County
Project: Digitizing Willowdale Issue: Heritage
Project: Love Thy Neighbor Issue: Poverty
Project: Self Defense for Young Women Issue: Public Safety
While helping her grandmother research their family tree, Lucy saw first-hand how difficult it can be to find local data, such as dates of birth and death, when family members are no longer living in the area. To help others in their genealogical research, Lucy took it upon herself to digitize the Willowdale Cemetery by uploading pictures of the headstones and other information to the online database FindAGrave. This site allows individuals to find cemetery records of loved ones using their name and location, and now those looking for information on individuals buried at Willowdale will have easy access to learn about their family history.
For her Gold Award, Jenny connected social workers to churches, non-profits, and parent support organizations in her community to help sustain the needs of children in poverty. She wanted students at alternative schools to see that the community cares about them and their futures by providing them with items they need for their education and daily lives. Jenny worked with the social workers at the schools to uncover the students’ and their families’ true needs in order to create a booklet she could distribute to organizations looking to make a difference. She also held donation drives of her own to help the students in the midst of COVID-19 hardships.
8 | Gold Award Girl Scouts
To equip young women with the skills they need to feel confident in protecting themselves, Rebecca designed a selfdefense curriculum for organizations serving teenagers. She recognized that many women are unsure of how to fight back when attacked and wanted to introduce them to skills they can use for self-defense. Rebecca’s curriculum included teaching girls about statistics surrounding domestic violence, safety through prevention, and basic defense techniques. Rebecca’s program was distributed across North Carolina and 10 other states, empowering young women across the country to be prepared in the face of danger.
Kylie Brooke Bunch
Kasey Claire Cummings
Phoebe V. Demers
Goldsboro, Wayne County
Castle Hayne, New Hanover County
Clayton, Johnston County
Project: Give a Book, Get a Smile Issue: Patient Care
Project: Entertainment Boxes for Hospitalized Geriatric Patients Issue: Patient Care
Project: Biology at Home Issue: STEM Education
To provide Vidant Children’s Hospital with resources they need to prepare for an influx of patients during flu season, Kylie made no-sew fleece tie blankets and collected books. She wanted to show patients they were cared for while inspiring a love of reading during their hospital stay, and coordinated the books and blankets to match each other. She shared her project throughout her community to show others that they can make a big difference for children and their families going through a difficult time by creating items to give to hospitals.
Kasey learned that long-term hospital stays can increase symptoms of delirium and dementia in elderly patients due to a break from their typical routine, causing an increase in stress for not only the patients but their families, doctors, and nurses. To help reduce these symptoms Kasey created entertainment boxes that can be used to help reorient these patients when they become aggravated. Due to limitations on visitors and visiting hours during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kasey’s project became increasingly important as many elderly hospital patients felt isolated and turned to the boxes for entertainment and comfort.
Gold Award Girl Scout Phoebe recognized that many of her classmates were struggling in biology and wanted to use her strong STEM skills to provide them with additional resources to utilize outside the classroom. To do so, Phoebe created a series of twelve biology review videos that are specifically aligned with the North Carolina curriculum to ensure that students get the help they need. She worked with teachers, students, and the STEM club to determine the most important and difficult concepts in the curriculum and used their feedback to create engaging and informative videos.
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Approximately one million Girl Scouts have earned the Gold Award or its equivalent since 1916. Girl Scouts’ highest achievement honors young women who demonstrate extraordinary leadership skills.
10 | Gold Award Girl Scouts
Sarah Katherine Elliot
Gavi F.
Creedmoor, Granville County
Durham, Durham County
Project: Spartan Connections Issue: Education
Project: Future Veterinarian Patch Issue: Education
Incoming students in early college programs can often feel disconnected from their older peers, as juniors and seniors are taking mostly college classes while the underclassmen are finishing high school. As an early college student herself, Sarah was motivated to bridge this gap and make the transition to early college easier on incoming students by creating the Spartan Connections program. The program provides freshman students with upperclassmen mentors who are able to support them academically and socially and serve as a role model. Through her Gold Award, Sarah created a more connected school environment and put freshman students on the road to success.
Gavi is passionate about making STEM accessible to empower younger girls. Knowing interest in veterinary medicine can begin at a young age, Gavi wanted to create programming for children interested in learning more about how they can help animals. With her knowledge of veterinary medicine and Girl Scout principles, Gavi created a “Future Veterinarian” patch with the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). By completing the patch, students learn what a veterinarian is, the difference between veterinarians and doctors, the different types of veterinarians, and about veterinary professional education.
Taylor Amanda Gwynne
Mackenzie Ashlyn Hill
Andrea Kay Hoff
Chapel Hill, Orange County
Clayton, Johnston County
Wilmington, New Hanover County
Project: Musical Mentors Issue: Arts Education
Project: Adapted Literacy Parking Lot Issue: Literacy
Project: Social Media Issue: Technology
As a dedicated band student, Taylor was disheartened by the number of students who stopped participating in band during the transition from middle school to high school. Determined to encourage students to continue pursuing their musical aspirations, Taylor created a musical mentor program where high school band students could tutor middle schoolers who are playing the same instrument. Mentors meet with the students either one-on-one or in small groups based on the type of instrument and personal preference to help them improve their skills. The mentor program also provides the middle schoolers with familiar faces when they transition to high school.
To promote development of literacy skills outside of the classroom, Ashlyn updated the playground at a local preschool to feature fun learning tools. Ashlyn created letters, shapes, colors, and numbers from vinyl to add to the play vehicles on the playground and created a “parking lot” with designated spots where students could identify the items through matching. Through post-assessment, Ashlyn saw that the students have been successfully using the Adapted Literacy Parking Lot to improve their skills by correctly matching the shapes, letters and numbers on the vehicle to the corresponding shapes, letters, and numbers painted in the parking spaces.
For her Gold Award, Andrea designed a program to help teenagers stay safe online. She recognized that social media was becoming increasingly prominent in the lives of young people and of the dangers it could impose on their well-being and mental health. Andrea gave presentations on internet safety at the Brigade Boys & Girls Club Teens Center and focused on two key areas: helping teens avoid causing harm through cyberbullying and helping them stay safe through identification and avoidance of internet predators. To ensure more teens learn internet safety in the future, Andrea gave her presentation materials to the club so they can continue her program for years to come.
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Erica Christina Hollis
Olivia Helena Honaker
Riley Madison Houser
Apex, Wake County
Cary, Wake County
Raleigh, Wake County
Project: Y.E.S. Technology Issue: Technology
Project: Tri2Swim Issue: Water Safety
Project: S.H.I.N.E. Issue: Inclusion
Gold Award Girl Scout Erica created the Youth Engaging with Seniors (Y.E.S.) Technology Workshop to teach senior citizens valuable technical skills to help them engage with family and friends. She hosted the workshops at her church and a local rehabilitation center and gave lessons on topics like creating an email account, sending group texts, and more. They practiced these skills together and discussed what else they may like to learn. Through a partnership with her church, future workshops will continue to help seniors feel more connected in today’s world.
As a passionate swimmer, Olivia was inspired to share her knowledge and skills with children so that they feel more comfortable around the water. Olivia created a water safety program to prevent drowning among children in her community. Her program consisted of a 2-hour water safety clinic at the Triangle Aquatic Center that was offered for free to underprivileged children. The clinic taught basic swimming techniques along with how to assess if a body of water is safe and what to do if something goes wrong. She was proud when each of her students passed a water safety quiz at the end, and when many wanted to pursue further swimming instruction.
After working with adults with special needs at her church for a few years, Riley wanted to connect them with the church’s youth group to foster communication and inclusivity. She noticed that these two communities had little opportunity to interact with one another, and to help bridge this gap she created the Socially Helping, Interacting, and Nurturing Everyone (S.H.I.N.E.) program. The program brought the adults and youth together through events planned to help them socialize and build new friendships outside their normal peer group.
12 | Gold Award Girl Scouts
Madison Ann Jacobs
Emma Charlene Johnson
Youngsville, Franklin County
Wilmington, New Hanover County
Project: Blessing Box Issue: Poverty
Project: ARTreach Issue: Arts Education
The food pantry at Pilot Baptist Church used to hand out food to families in need once a week, but due to COVID-19 restrictions and other impeding factors, they had to limit their services to once a month. Madison knew that even before the services had to be limited some families struggled to make it to the pantry during the pick-up times, so she chose to construct a blessing box that individuals could access whenever they needed. She worked with a group of younger Girl Scouts to build the box while they earned their Woodworking badge. The pantry refills the box with food two times a week and the creation of the box itself has helped increase donations to the pantry.
Gold Award Girl Scout Emma introduced underprivileged youth to the principles and elements of art by creating a curriculum called ARTreach. Emma’s curriculum included lessons detailing different types of art along with projects to be completed and the supplies needed to do so. She distributed her lessons and resources to six after-school programs and taught over sixty children during virtual pilot sessions. To further her impact, she created a website where the curriculum information and instructions are available for free to the public. Emma hopes her Gold Award inspired children to pursue opportunities in art in the future.
Gold Award Girl Scouts represent our most successful, engaged, and happiest Girl Scout alumnae.
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Anna Marie Jourdan
Katherine Lillian Keaton
Annah Kate Lassiter
Raleigh, Wake County
Cary, Wake County
Four Oaks, Johnston County
Project: Raised Garden Planters Issue: Healthy Living
Project: Teens Become Activists Issue: Civic Engagement
Project: Being Successful Begins with Being Prepared Issue: Education
For her Gold Award project, Anna created raised garden beds for the class of students with special needs at Broughton High School. She researched gardening and collected tools and materials before building the beds herself. She then planted fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs and wrote a guidebook for the garden. After the beds were completed, Anna met with the class to teach them about the garden and how to take care of it. By gardening and growing their own food, the students now have a sensory learning experience where they can taste, feel, and smell their fresh produce. Through her Gold Award, Anna has helped the students achieve a sense of accomplishment in living a healthier lifestyle.
During the summer of 2019, KaLa served as a Governor’s Page inspiring her to create the Social Justice Club at Middle Creek High School for her Gold Award project. The club allowed teens the opportunity to get more involved in contemporary social issues through the promotion of activism. This year, the club’s members have volunteered with activist groups in their community, partnered with other organizations to host various discussion panels and other events, and created their own service projects. One of KaLa’s favorite memories was hosting a privilege walk which allowed attendees to examine the various types of privilege they might benefit from.
14 | Gold Award Girl Scouts
Aiming to improve the overall educational experience of underprivileged students, Annah Kate provided school supplies to students within the Johnston County Public School system. Annah Kate collected logistics of what schools and children needed and then gave presentations throughout her community to inspire others to help out. She then held donation drives and collected 200 new backpacks which she was able to fill with a variety of school supplies, 3,000 snack bags, and 100 goodie bags for teachers. Thanks to Annah Kate’s project, students will be set for success at school by having everything they need to actively participate in their lessons.
Natalie Renay Locklear
Ava Rachel Mankoff
Ellie Clare McMahon
Clayton, Johnston County
Raleigh, Wake County
Raleigh, Wake County
Project: Saving the Pollinators Issue: Wildlife Conservation
Project: A Home for Froggy Issue: Wildlife Conservation
Project: Project Books for Improved Literacy Issue: Literacy
Concerned with statistics regarding the declining bee population and their importance to society, Natalie decided to educate her community on the problem and enact change. She learned that the decreasing population of pollinators was not due to a singular cause and decided to create a multifaceted project that addressed the loss of pollinator habitats and food while spreading knowledge about pollinators. Natalie took on this challenge by building pollinator gardens at her local community garden including flowers to attract them and a beehive to provide nesting resources. She also wrote her own children’s book and created a brochure to spread awareness.
For her Gold Award, Ava decided to encourage elementary students and their teachers to help stop the decline of North Carolina’s amphibian population. To do so she built a 100-gallon aquatic ecosystem at the Exploris School in downtown Raleigh and created an informational website to inspire other urban elementary schools to build their own “Home for Froggy”. The pond provides a healthy habitat for amphibians displaced by urban sprawl as it is filled completely by rainwater and contains pollinator-attracting plants native to the area. Ava’s Gold Award will also inspire students to learn more about the threats facing amphibians and how they can make a difference.
For her Gold Award, Ellie addressed the issue of childhood illiteracy, specifically among kids living in low-income areas without access to books. To do so, she held book drives and donated books to organizations like schools and daycares serving children ages 18 months to 5 years of age. When Ellie dropped the books off at the children’s organizations, she spent time reading to the children to inspire them to become strong readers themselves. Ellie hopes that her project will increase literacy rates among the children she served and that it will provide these children with a lifelong love and appreciation for books.
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The Gold Award is the most highly regarded award in the world for girls. It is the mark of the truly remarkable—and it is only available through Girl Scouts.
16 | Gold Award Girl Scouts
Savannah Jane O’Brien
Sophie B. Olson
Washington, Beaufort County
Garner, Wake County
Project: Planting Kindness Issue: Inclusion
Project: Kids Cooking 101 Issue: Life Skills
Recognizing the importance of inclusion, Savannah wanted to increase interaction between children in general education and classes for students with special needs at school. To do so, she created a Buddy Club at a local elementary school to bring the two groups together to build a greenhouse. The club held meetings where they learned about the environment together and how to garden, along with planning the installation of a greenhouse at their school. The creation of the greenhouse will help children learn about the world they live in while the Buddy Club will provide them with opportunities to befriend those different from themselves.
After noticing that many of her peers lack life skills like cooking and kitchen safety, Sophie wanted to provide children with opportunities to learn how to take care of themselves from a young age. She compiled a list of important skills she wanted to teach and created a series of online workshops where she gave information on each topic and assigned interactive projects like upcycling an old t-shirt, sewing buttons, and making their own snacks while online together. She advertised her workshops at her church and on social media and encouraged parents to spread the word. Sophie’s Gold Award helped prepare children to become independent, safe, and confident adults.
Ellie Christine Osborne
Reagan Brooke Parrish
Kayla Dorene Pittman
Greenville, Pitt County
Clayton, Johnston County
Goldsboro, Wayne County
Project: Students Against Destructive Decisions Issue: Public Safety
Project: Counterfeit Money and How to Detect It Issue: Civic Engagement
Project: Prayer Garden Issue: Religious Relationships
Ellie took a stand against the mounting pressures teens are facing from their peers and social media to fit in by creating a chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) at The Oakwood School. Ellie recruited her peers to join her club and they spent time reviewing and discussing topics like social media, safety on the road, vaping, mental health, and COVID-19 precautions. In addition to starting the club at her school, she helped other local schools charter SADD clubs as well. Ellie’s SADD clubs will continue meeting in the future to provide safe spaces where students are supported in making good decisions.
Gold Award Girl Scout Reagan spread awareness of counterfeit money among members of her community to help them avoid falling victim to its distribution. Reagan hosted 20 inperson and virtual workshops where she educated participants on the issue and taught them how to identify counterfeit money using security features on US Currency. She also shared what steps they should take if they find themselves in possession of counterfeit money. Additionally, she handed out 25 kits to community organizations and schools so that they could replicate her workshop themselves, which included her presentation, stacks of counterfeit bills, and tools used to evaluate money.
Understanding the peace that people find when talking to God inside of a church, Kayla decided to build a safe space for congregation members to pray outside of church hours. Kayla created a garden outside New Hope Friends Church where people can sit and talk to God any time without worrying about interruptions. The garden was complete with plants, a birdbath, and prayer boxes to create a peaceful space where she hopes people will feel as close to God as they do inside of the church walls. The garden will provide a location for people to develop a stronger relationship with their faith for years to come.
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rerana Prabhushankar Cary, Wake County Project: Menstrual Hygiene Issue: Women’s Health Taking her Gold Award project global, Prerana brought feminine hygiene products and education to girls in rural communities in India. In many of these rural communities, menstruation and feminine hygiene are highly stigmatized and are considered taboo topics, keeping girls in the dark about their bodies and how to care for them. Prerana gave presentations to help prepare girls and teach them what to expect and engaged the girls with games and activities. Prerana is excited to share that the school she worked with has agreed to make her presentations a part of their curriculum in order to spread awareness to future classes.
18 | Gold Award Girl Scouts
Mari Elizabeth Pritulsky Trent Woods, Craven County Project: ACE Ambassadors Issue: Education During her time as an ambassador for her school, Mari learned that prospective parents have expressed concern about the lack of knowledge some ambassadors seem to have about the school when giving tours. To help improve this experience for both the ambassadors and prospective families, Mari created a new student ambassador handbook that includes information on the school and its history, public speaking, professional dress, and more to help students become effective ambassadors. She also created a presentation that can be used to educate new ambassadors on the position.
Syeda Sidrah Quadri Raleigh, Wake County Project: Girl Scout Interfaith Food Drive Patch Program Issue: Food Insecurity For her Gold Award, Sidrah educated her community on food insecurity and created a patch program so that other Girl Scouts could do the same. She worked with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina to gather information on the issue and learn how people can get involved. Sidrah then used her research to hold workshops and to design the No One Goes Hungry patch program. Girls that earn the patch will learn about food insecurity in North Carolina, what a food bank does, and how they can hold food drives of their own. Sidrah hopes her project inspires community members and Girl Scouts to take a stand
against hunger.
Elizabeth Joy Reynolds
Emily Anne Sandberg
Mount Olive, Wayne County
Wake Forest, Wake County
Project: Self Defense for Children Issue: Public Safety
Project: Franklin Academy Girls in STEM Club Issue: STEM Education
To help children stay safe and protect themselves in dangerous situations, Elizabeth channeled her knowledge of of martial arts to teach self-defense to children at the Mount Olive Boys & Girls Club. Elizabeth hosted a four-day clinic where children ages 6-12 learned everything from recognizing danger to strategies to help them defend themselves. She had law enforcement come speak to the children and communicated the importance and psychology of self-defense before working with them hands-on to teach key techniques. Elizabeth created a guidebook so that other programs throughout the county, state, and country could hold similar workshops as well.
Seeking to inspire young girls to pursue STEM opportunities, Emily created an after-school STEM club for girls in grades 3-5. She recognized the underrepresentation of women and felt that there was a lack of resources for girls to explore STEM at an early age and hoped to spark their interest through her project. Meetings took place each month of the school year with 20-25 girls in attendance at each. At the meetings, girls participated in fun STEM activities, held discussions, and learned about female STEM leaders. To further her reach, Emily made a website with resources, lesson plans, and activities for students interested in STEM.
The Gold Award is proof that not only can Girl Scouts make a difference, but that they already have.
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Amaya Catherine Scoggins
Cassandra Helena Skaar
Natalie Marie Slye
Middlesex, Nash County
Raleigh, Wake County
Goldsboro, Wayne County
Project: Amaya’s Autism Safety Stickers and Playground Fence Issue: Public Safety
Project: Pollinator Garden to Help Bees in NC Issue: Wildlife Conservation
Project: Trichotillomania Support Group Issue: Mental Health
For her Gold Award, Amaya created a safe play space for children with autism. Amaya was concerned after noticing that there was a lack of fenced-in playgrounds in her area, since she knew that children with autism are more likely to run off. Amaya began her project by raising funds for her fence while informing the community of issues surrounding autism by selling autism awareness stickers. The stickers can be placed on doors or car windows to let emergency responders know there might be a person with autism inside. After funds were raised, Amaya installed a fence at the Gill Street Park playground to increase safety.
Cassandra’s Gold Award tackled the issue of habitat loss among pollinators by creating a pollinator garden at Anderson Point Park. She filled the garden with native plants to provide pollinators with the food and shelter needed to thrive. She also taught children and teens in her community about the importance of pollinators and how they can help sustain their environments. Cassandra worked with the gardeners at Anderson Point Park to ensure that the garden receives the necessary care in the future. She also inspired participants in her project to create their own pollinator gardens.
Natalie created a safe space for people with Trichotillomania, a unique form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, for her Gold Award by establishing a support group. To show others they are not alone while encouraging them to join the group, she filmed a video addressing her own struggle with Trichotillomania and published it online. The first of its kind in Eastern North Carolina, the support group helped members cope with their disorder by sharing their experiences, ways to manage, and helpful resources for them and their families and friends. Natalie’s group is still growing and she is excited about its great future.
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Jasani Maelee Smallwood
Madeline V. Smith
Erin Kimberly Taylor
Fayetteville, Cumberland County
Smithfield, Johnston County
Roanoke Rapids, Halifax County
Project: Share the Warmth Issue: Poverty
Project: Crafting a Community Issue: Poverty
Project: Rosemary United Methodist Community Garden Issue: Food Insecurity
Gold Award Girl Scout Jasani created clothing by hand to donate to the homeless while educating others on how they could do the same. To do so, Jasani held workshops where she taught young girls about the issue of homelessness and how to crochet. Together, they created items like hats and scarves to donate along with other items she collected to Stable Stocking, a charity that supplies needed items to the homeless during the holidays. Her project aimed not only to provide for those in need, but to teach girls the skill of crocheting and how they could use it in the future to provide for the homeless in an inexpensive way.
Combining her love of crafting with helping others, Madeline raised awareness about handcrafted items that can be donated to organizations that need them. Many traditional volunteer opportunities were canceled due to COVID-19, and Madeline wanted to give people a way to make a difference in their spare time. She created a club, website, and brochures teaching her fellow students and members of the community about items that can be crafted and donated and how to do so. The skills she taught included knitting, crocheting, and sewing to make blankets, face masks, and more, making a difference for both the participants in her project and those receiving the items they created.
Erin decided to tackle the issue of food insecurity by creating a community garden to provide senior citizens at the Jo Story Senior Center with deliveries of fresh produce. Erin researched gardening techniques to ensure the garden she created would thrive before she got to work planting at Rosemary United Methodist Church. Members of Rosemary United Methodist Church will continue Erin’s work by maintaining the garden and making future deliveries. Erin is proud to share that she has donated over 200 pounds of produce along with providing the seniors with someone to talk with on delivery days.
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Tiffany Katelyn Taylor
Amelia Matier Wade
Anna Kate Weeks
Seven Springs, Wayne County
Raleigh, Wake County
Goldsboro, Wayne County
Project: Bat and Wood Duck Boxes Issue: Wildlife Conservation
Project: GA and RA Buddies Program Issue: Relationship Building
Project: Beanies, Books, and Bags for Babies Issue: Patient Care
Amelia noticed that many activities at her church were organized by age, so she created a program called Girls in Action (GA) and Royal Ambassadors (RA) Buddies Program at First Baptist Church. The program worked to strengthen the church’s sense of community by increasing intergenerational communication and creating lifelong bonds. Amelia’s biggest success was a Buddy Breakfast event where the participants could engage with each other and hold meaningful conversations over breakfast. The buddies expressed their gratitude to Amelia for introducing them and continued to communicate through letters, dinners, and by sitting together in church.
Anna Kate wanted to support families of infants in the NICU at UNC Children’s Hospital. She conducted research and learned that reading to the newborns aids in brain development and that wearing hats help them stay warm and reserve energy for growing, so she put together 78 care bags with hats and books. Anna Kate led her team in sewing the bags and knitting the hats by hand to show the families that they are cared for during their difficult time. She hopes her resources will be helpful in meeting the needs of newborns and that they will help parents feel closer to their new baby.
To aid in the growth of the bat and wood duck populations in Eastern North Carolina, Tiffany built boxes to serve as safe living environments that keep them out of harm’s way. During the winter season, these animals require a home to protect them from hazardous weather conditions, which they often lack at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park. Tiffany worked alongside the park rangers to place the boxes around the park to provide the bats and wood ducks with proper shelter from hazardous weather conditions. She also created an informational video and pamphlet and hosted a seminar educating members of the community on why these homes are important and how they could create them themselves.
22 | Gold Award Girl Scouts
Madeline Kate Wilson
Jaya Marisa Winemiller
Montana Marie Wisnewski
Chapel Hill, Orange County
Cary, Wake County
Hurdle Mills, Orange County
Project: Cat Adoption: Taking Care of Your Cat and Community Issue: Animal Rights
Project: Row for Hunger Issue: Poverty
Project: Holy Family Emergency Action Project Issue: Public Safety
Inspired by her love of animals, Madeline addressed the high population of homeless cats in Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Pittsboro for her Gold Award. She spread awareness of the issue, promoted no-kill shelters, and educated others on proper cat care by writing a book and presenting it to groups within her community. She also ran a charity drive in support of adopting cats at the Goathouse Refuge by collecting materials for adoption kits, which provided new cat owners with everything they needed to get started. The Goathouse Refuge will continue to share her book to encourage people to adopt and to prepare them for doing so.
Knowing that local food pantries often struggle to provide fresh, healthy food to those they serve, Jaya created the “Row for Hunger” on an unused plot of land at the Cary Senior Center Community Garden. Jaya used the row and the work being done there to teach teenagers from the Cary Teen Council and the seniors at the center about hunger and its impact along with furthering their knowledge of growing produce. The fruits and vegetables grown in the row are donated to the Dorcas Ministries Food Pantry, and it has provided approximately 64 pounds of fresh produce to the pantry. Jaya’s Gold Award will be sustained by the seniors at the center who will continue planting and harvesting for the hungry.
For her Gold Award, Montana helped her church prepare for emergency situations. She raised the funds to purchase an automated external defibrillator for the parish and worked with her local fire marshal to determine the best location for the defibrillator and to create an emergency action plan. Montana trained eight volunteers in both first aid and CPR so that they can help execute the plan and provide first aid when needed. She passed her action plan on to the Diocese of Raleigh so that it could be utilized by parishes across North Carolina, inspiring them to prioritize safety and prepare for emergencies.
2020 | 23
Girls often partner with community organizations when working to earn their Girl Scout Gold Award. The following organizations were reported to play a role in the 2020 Girl Scout Gold Award projects. Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges
Magellan Charter School
Boys & Girls Club
New Hanover County Schools
Broughton High School
New Hanover Regional Medical Center
Cary Senior Center
New Hope Friends Church
Chase Personal Defense
North East Baptist Church
Cliffs of the Neuse State Park
Pilot Baptist Church
Corinth Holders High School
PruittHealth
Culbreth Middle School
Raleigh Parks and Recreation
Diocese of Raleigh
Research Triangle Park Young Women in Bio
Dong’s Martial Arts
Rosemary United Methodist Church
The Epiphany School of Global Studies
Saint Matthew Catholic Church
The Exploris School
Smithfield Rescue Mission
First Baptist Church Raleigh
Soapstone United Methodist Church
Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina
Southern Wake Academy
Franklin Academy
Southport Oak Island Food Pantry
Goathouse Cat Refuge
Stable Stockings
Grantham Elementary School
TLC Foundation
Holy Family Catholic Church
Triangle Aquatic Center
Hwarang Warrior Martial Arts
UNC Children’s Hospital
Johnston County 4-H
Veda Gaana Education and Development Trust
Johnston County Agricultural Center
Wayne School of Engineering
Johnston County Public Schools
Willowdale Cemetery
Maynard Children’s Hospital
Zebulon Parks and Recreation
24 | Gold Award Girl Scouts
Middle Creek High School
Scholarship Information Jane S. Barringer Award The Jane S. Barringer Award was established to honor Mrs. Barringer, an outstanding teen advisor who has been a dedicated Girl Scout for more than 50 years. A group of her former Girl Scouts, along with Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines and the Barringer family, have instituted an award in her name to be given to an individual who embodies the principles and spirit “Mrs. B” works to instill. This award is open to Gold Award Girl Scouts who are high school seniors or adult professionals pursuing further education or skill development.
Misty Crabtree Eastham Memorial Scholarship The Misty Crabtree Eastham Scholarship was established to honor the memory of lifelong Girl Scout Misty Crabtree Eastham, and provides scholarships for Gold Award Girl Scouts to help defray college expenses. As a girl in foster care, Misty joined Girl Scouts and gained a network of friends to support and guide her— friends who joined her in a journey of adventure that provided life-changing opportunities. Misty overcame adversity and embodied a sense of selflessness, generosity, drive, and determination. Her scholarship recognizes and rewards Girl Scouts with these same qualities.
Gladys Marion Scholarship The Gladys Marion Scholarship was made possible by a lifetime member of Girl Scouts who gave of her time and shared her talents to support Girl Scouts as they developed their leadership skills and prepared to be the next generation of leaders. This four-year scholarship, for high school seniors primarily residing in Brunswick, New Hanover, or Pender County, recognizes those who have demonstrated significant leadership as members of Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines through earning their Girl Scout Gold Award or equivalent participation in council leadership programs. For more information about these and other council-sponsored scholarships, please visit the council website at www.nccoastalpines.org. 2020 | 25
Girl Scouting at Home A special thank you to the donors who help ensure that Girl Scouting never stops. Bank of America Blue Cross NC Citrix Dell Duke Energy Foundation Google Fiber Jackson & Sons Publix Super Markets Charities Margaret P. and Genrik S. Sirvis Fund The Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Family Foundation Truist
Beaufort Bladen Brunswick Carteret Chatham Columbus Craven Cumberland
Duplin Durham Edgecombe Franklin Granville Greene Halifax Harnett
Hoke Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Martin Moore Nash
New Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pender Person Pitt
Richmond Robeson Sampson Scotland Vance Wake Warren Wayne Wilson
Board of Directors, Officers
Board of Directors
Girl Directors
Bonnie V. Hancock, Chair Valerie M. Quiett, First Vice Chair Melissa M. Reed, Second Vice Chair Natalie Perkins Holden, Third Vice Chair Cheryl Y. Burns, Fourth Vice Chair Linda P. Foreman, Secretary Wendy Burden, Treasurer
Ann “Scottie” Bryan Sandra Crumrine Kristal Diaz-Rojas Melanie Dubis Kacie Fore Kim Gold Jane Green Kristen Hess Debra Z. Laughery Elaine Loyack Annette Moore Virginia Parker Cheryl Parquet Jim Peterson Marywalker Romanus Jodi R. Schwartz Jasmine Smith Saundra Wall Williams
Yasmine Abdel-Rahman Eliza Rae Buhrman Ashlyn Oakley Loreta Quarmine
Lisa M. K. Jones Chief Executive Officer
Jenna Green (Board Development Committee Chair; Ex Officio Member with Vote)
Gold Award Committee
Jessica Alzamora Rebecca Daniels Susan Dellay Eileen Emer Emily Hayne Dottie Gilbert Cathy Klinc Roxanne Manuel Catie McAnulty Sara Olson Barbara Putney Jennifer Stewart Angela Taylor Gail Watts Trisha Wilson Lori Winkelstein