Going for theLocalGold Teen Merits Highest Scouting Honor
COVINGTON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES of 2021 assembled as a class for one of the last times for senior awards night. District Attorney Warren Montgomery took the podium to announce the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Leadership award. This graduate, he said, had maintained a 3.5 or higher GPA throughout her four years of high school. A dedicated athlete who’d been recognized as the school’s student of the month, she spent years in Girl Scouts, even achieving its highest honor. Meghan Michel’s friends whispered, “It’s you! It’s you!” But it wasn’t until he said the graduate worked as assistant manager of Pat’s Seafood in Covington that Meghan knew her classmates were right. She rose to accept the title and the scholarship money that came with it. Before the night was over, she’d return to the stage again and again, accepting an academic award of excellence, Louisiana High School Athletic Association all-academic scholar athlete award, outstanding performance in World History and Social 38
Inside Northside
Studies, Marine Corps Semper Fidelis Commendation for Girl Scout Gold Award and a financial scholarship from Shelter Insurance Foundation. Those who know the confident teen weren’t surprised. Meghan is a polite, well-spoken, well-rounded, self-assured young woman. And she gives much of the credit to the 11 years she spent in Girl Scouts. “The Girl Scouts gave me confidence through accomplishment,” she said. “I also found most of my friends through Girl Scouts.” From the beginning, Meghan was determined to get all she could out of her years in green. She was the scout who sold 500 boxes of cookies a year (for a total of 6,000 to date). If there was a badge to be earned, she jumped in with both feet. As soon as she was old enough, she was eager to mentor not just her two younger sisters who followed her into the troop, but also younger campers at Camp Loblolly, where she served as an assistant troop leader. Debbie Melancon has put in so much time as a scout leader she’s now leading the daughters of her
photo: JOEY MICHEL
by Mimi Greenwood Knight
