Gold Award Girl Scouts

Hannah Popadin-Lesniak Seaford/Wantagh Service Unit

Troop 3121

The Dance Depot

Hannah Popadin-Lesniak partnered with the organization Donate 2 Dance who matched Hannah with a dance company in need of donations. At Destination Dance, where she has been dancing competitively, she collected over 500 gently-worn recital costumes, 20 pairs of dance shoes, leotards, tights, and accessories. She organized costumes and labeled them by size for easier distribution. Hannah’s project will be sustained by her dance studio which will collect donations for dancers in underprivileged areas. Hannah is a 2022 graduate of Wantagh High School. She was a member of multiple honor societies including National, World Language, English, and Tri M. Hannah was the captain of the Wantagh Varsity Dance Team and participated in competitive dance. Her fondest Girl Scout memories include nights at Camp Blue Bay while enjoying the campfire and making new friends! While earning her Gold Award, she was reminded that giving back to those less fortunate is the most rewarding feeling. This inspired her to major in nursing at the University of Scranton where she will be a sophomore in the fall.

Keira Regan Garden City Service Unit

Troop 1322

Arts Alive

Keira Regan brought awareness to the importance of art in our lives and specifically within our schools. Keira worked with Garden City High School to create an art club for the first time in over 20 years, aiming to educate students on all the different pathways of art. Keira made and presented art history lessons, ran competitions and contests, collected for local organizations, and arranged activities with speakers and professional artists to widen the perception of what art is and how it affects us. Through the use of social media, her website, and training other club advisors, Keira’s project will continue after she graduates. As a junior attending Garden City High School, Keira is involved with her community even outside of Girl Scouts. She is founder and president of the Art Club, Art Manager of her school’s stage crew, and a writer for her school’s magazine, Inkspots. Keira fondly remembers camping at the Cathedral of Incarnation and bonding with her fellow Girl Scouts. She has learned that she has a natural talent for public speaking that she honed throughout this journey.

Grace Power Garden City Service Unit Troop 1322

Senior Center Games and Brains

Grace Power worked with senior citizens on increasing their interactions and building relationships, as well as increasing their accessibility to books. Due to COVID-19, many seniors became reluctant to leave their homes and interact with others. Grace created programs throughout the Garden City Senior Center to encourage seniors to come together. Word and board games, book chats, and Bingo allowed seniors to connect with others. Grace’s project is sustained through guides on how to play board games and have an engaging book chat. Grace created a presentation about the importance of building relationships, where she included ways for seniors to interact with others.

As a junior at Garden City High School, Grace is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society, the Key Club and secretary of the Aviation Club. She plays field hockey and softball. Her fondest Girl Scout memory was seeing a Broadway show, meeting some of its actors beforehand to learn a song and dance, and having lunch in the city afterward.

Rebecca Reisig Garden City Service Unit

Troop 1403

Fairy Forest Festival and Scavenger Hunt

For her Gold Award, Rebecca Reisig held a Fairy Forest Festival and Scavenger Hunt at Centennial Gardens in Floral Park. She addressed the limited number of visitors to the park and brought awareness by creating these events. Rebecca organized volunteers and twelve stations in the gardens that people could explore with over 400 participants. The scavenger hunt was created to show different parts of the garden and include information about various birds. Her project is sustainable because the Fairy Forest Festival will continue to be held every year. The scavenger hunt QR code is posted at the front gate of Centennial Gardens.

A rising senior at The Mary Louis Academy, Rebecca is a member of student council since freshman year and was inducted into the National and Science Honor Societies. She is a member of the Irish Club, Ski Club, soccer team, and is vice president of the Girls Enjoying Math Club. Her fondest Girl Scout memory was her trip to Washington D.C. with her fellow Girl Scouts. During the Gold Award process, Rebecca learned to bring her leadership skills into action.