2022 Gold Award Booklet

Girl Scouts - North Carolina Coastal Pines Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines is the largest girl-led leadership development program in central and eastern North Carolina, reaching over 20,000 members and volunteers across 41 central and eastern North Carolina counties. Girl Scouts helps develop leaders of tomorrow by empowering girls to take on bold challenges, discover their passions and strengths, and explore programming like STEM, entrepreneurship, environmental leadership, take-action projects, and global citizenship. Today’s Girl Scouts learn to lead with courage, confidence, and character to make their communities and the world a better place.

The council’s administrative headquarters is located in Raleigh, with additional program and service centers located in Goldsboro, Fayetteville, and Wilmington. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit www.nccoastalpines.org or call (800) 284-4475.

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.

This year’s Gold Award Girl Scouts join generations of young women who have tapped into the world-changing power within them. They have taken the lead in designing and enacting plans for change and making a positive impact in their community and beyond.

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 2022 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, 863 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 55 Girl Scouts who earned their Gold Award from January 2021 to March 2022. 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

January 2021 – March 2022

Gold Award Girl Scouts Yasmine A.

Amulya J.

Brianna S.

Camille B.

Fatimah K.

Ashley S.

Madeline B.

Cosette L.

Ella S.

Julia B.

Sydney M.

Jana T.

Jordan B.

Kayla M.

Lauryn T.

Eliza B.

Nora M.

Mary T.

Meghana C.

Noreen M.

Isabel T.

Eleanor C.

Shriya N.

Ashlyn V.

Taylor C.

Ashlyn O.

Shreya V.

Thalya C.

Elizabeth (Lisa) O.

Alyssa V.

Diya D.

Shefali P.

Nikki W.

Ashley E.

Genevieve P.

Liberty W.

Emma F.

Patricia P.

Holly W.

Sierra F.

Loreta Q.

Natalie W.

Nithya G.

Kaya R.

Madeline W.

Natalie G.

Varshini S.

Melanie Y.

Grace G.

Pippa S.

Humairaa Z.

Charleise H.

Sarah S.

Tearika J.

Anastasia S.

Silver Award

GS-NCCP Annual Meeting Delegate

Bronze Award

GSUSA National Convention Delegate

Program Aide

GS-NCCP Girl Board Member

VIT

North Carolina Page Program

CIT

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Yasmine A.

Camille B.

Madeline B.

Wake County

Wake County

Wake County

Project: Adapted Books for Students

Project: For the Love, Enjoyment,

Project: History Matters

with Disabilities

and Discovery of Reading

Issue: Education

Issue: Education

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Reading is a fundamental part of student learning, and students with disabilities do not always have the proper resources needed to excel in basic school curriculums. Yasmine decided that for her Gold Award she would create adaptive reading books for high-school students with disabilities, so that they can have the same opportunities to learn. She chose a popular book used in high school classrooms and adapted it to various reading levels so students with special needs could grasp the main points of the book. Teachers across the country used her adapted book in their classrooms.

Following her high school graduation, Yasmine plans on attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study psychology, and hopes to go to medical school to become a psychiatrist.

Gold Award Girl Scout Camille wanted to address the issue of children at the Raleigh Rescue Mission not having access to a large and varied assortment of age-appropriate reading materials. In order to help improve their literacy skills and encourage a love of reading, she created informative flyers for the public that explained her mission of collecting donated books and reading materials, and held a book drive. To hold all the books that were donated, Camille built and painted a wooden bookshelf and donated it along with 2 other shelves for the children to use. Camille is currently attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying business administration with a double minor Korean and Russian cultural studies.

8 | The Girl Scout Gold Award

Issue: Arts, Culture, & Heritage Notable Mentions: Gold Award Girl Scout Madeline is proud of her roots, and wanted to share her love for her community with others that inhabit it. After noticing that there was a lack of information regarding the history and heritage of the town of Holly Springs for the community to enjoy, Madeline researched, wrote, designed, and fundraised for four historical signs to be made. The signs highlighted important parts of Holly Springs history and were placed on the Mims Walking Trail for community members to enjoy. She also presented her historical findings to local American history classes, and created brochures for people to take with them.

Madeline is currently studying history and sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and plans to work in museums in the future.

Julia Lindsey B.

Jordan Suzanne B.

Eliza Rae B.

Durham County

Wake County

Wake County

Project: Environmental Justice

Project: Coloring for Mental Health

Project: Let’s Get Back to Basic!

Issue: Mental Health

Issue: Education/Physical Health

Issue: Environmental & Sustainability/Education

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Gold Award Girl Scout Jordan knows that mental health is an important issue that effects many different people, including children. To spread positivity and awareness of mental health, she decided to create a coloring booklet to help children recognize their own struggles. The booklet’s focus was on the emotions that children feel, and would help children face their emotions through a relaxing activity, coloring. Whether struggling with anger, sadness, or anxiety, the book helped children see that it is normal to have different emotions, and suggested healthy ways to cope with them, such as talking to a loved one.

Through her dedication to spreading awareness, Jordan was able to print over 200 books and deliver them to the Boys and Girls Club and Wake Med Children’s Hospital, where she spoke to children about her book.

Gold Award Girl Scout Eliza recognized the need for education on oral health, and the effects that sugary foods and beverages have on our teeth. To spread awareness, she created a visual representation of how much sugar is in the things we eat on a day-to-day basis.

She also created hands-on activities for children to show them how sugar and acidity affect your oral health. To direct her message to her target audience, Eliza presented this information to children, teens, and adults prior to their dentist appointments at her local family dentist office. The visitors expressed their appreciation of Eliza’s presentation, and will make positive changes in their own lives because of her hard work. Her future plans are to major in food science, and to develop alternative protein sources for vegetarian/vegan eaters.

Book Club

Julia wanted to create a community of environmental sustainability and awareness where others could understand the effects that humans have on our planet. To address the issue, she created a virtual environmental justice book club to teach local middle schoolers about environmental literacy and climate change. Her club focused on a series of five books highlighting topics ranging from human impact to rising sea levels and pollution. Overall, the club met five times over a five-month span and had 15 attendees. On top of the virtual sessions, Julia designed a website where participants could reference the book club and topics that were discussed for the future. Her dedication to environmental awareness will inspire others to do their part and continue to make a difference for the planet.

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Meghana C.

Eleanor C.

Taylor C.

Wake County

Durham County

Johnston County

Project: RESTEM Initiative

Project: Mindfulness for Kids

Issue: STEM/Education

Issue: Mental Health

Project: Burrowing Animals - Who’s Underground?

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Issue: STEM/Education Notable Mentions:

Inadequate rural education is an issue faced in varying degrees by every nation around the world. For her Gold Award, Meghana wanted to focus on access to education in rural areas of India. She provided STEM lab kits to enhance and encourage student learning, focusing on experiments relevant to rural India integrated with their current curriculum.

Meghana also hosted workshops where professionals and successful role models in various STEM fields spoke about their journeys in STEM. Her webinars were viewed by over 3000 students, teachers, and parents, and her hard work provided kits for about 700 rural students from more than four different schools and over four different communities. Meghana’s future plans include studying chemistry and humanities at Yale University, and staying involved in chemistry research and the RESTEM Initiative.

10 | The Girl Scout Gold Award

Recognizing the everyday stresses that children face both in school and because of the isolation caused by COVID, Eleanor wanted to introduce ways in which children could relax. She researched how she could help children de-stress in ways that they can continue to practice on their own after she taught them. She talked with small groups of children about their stress and performed calming exercises with them. She also created a book with coloring pages that gave kids tools and exercises to de-stress on their own.

Through her project, Eleanor has grown in her own public speaking and social skills, and she has provided children with ways in which they can improve their mental health.

Learning about animals is a fun way to get children to appreciate nature, so Taylor chose to educate youth on burrowing animals and their habitats for her Gold Award project. To do so, she created individualized lesson plans for elementary students that highlighted easily identifiable burrowing animals and topics such as their adaptations, survival rates, and food webs. Taylor also painted a mural at Boston School Forest that highlights these animals. Her goal was to make the mural an interactive learning experience that teachers can use to educate their students about these amazing animals. Taylor remained a member of her Johnston County troop after moving to Wisconsin in order to complete her Gold Award. She is currently attending the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire to study nursing.

Thalya C.

Diya Sunil D.

Ashley E.

Cumberland County

Wake County

Wake County

Project: Scout Building Renovation

Project: Wellness Platform and Educational Guidance for Young Adults

Project: Doll Therapy for Dementia Patients

Issue: Education/Physical Health

Notable Mentions:

Issue: Mental Health Notable Mentions: Having a safe and comfortable space for studying can make a world of difference.

For her Gold Award, Thalya hosted 8 workshops with about 70 youth to teach them about mental health and how they can make their own spaces at home comfortable and inviting through DIY projects. Thalya also recognized a need for renovations at her church in the building where various troops have weekly meetings. In order to provide a welcoming space, she made a plan with the pastor and implemented updates to the paint, flooring, furniture, and technology in the building. Through the struggles of a pandemic, her efforts will provide many children with a fresh new atmosphere to thrive in. In the future, Thalya plans to attend Fayetteville State University and major in computer science with a concentration in cybersecurity.

Issue: Elderly Issues/Mental Health

Notable Mentions: Recognizing the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle, Diya wanted to create ways for young teens to educate themselves on health issues. To do so, she hosted 4 seminars with teenagers and Girl Scout troops to discuss her topics and educate them in the topics of nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, and self-care.

She also created an online platform with advice on how to maintain well-being through healthy lifestyle choices. The website included various forms of media such as blogs, videos, and recipes for viewers to use at home.

Ashley knows that memories matter, and for her Gold Award she wanted to implement a strategy that could help dementia patients in memory care facilities. She wrote an article that would inform the public on doll therapy and the benefits it can have for patients with dementia. She also created hands-on activities to assist memory care residents in their day-to-day routines. The activities catered to different levels of memory loss in hopes of benefiting a wide range of people. Ashley is currently in her first year at Western Carolina University, majoring in communications with a concentration in health communications.

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Emma F.

Sierra L. F.

Nithya G.

Wayne County

Wake County

Wake County

Project: Everyone Can Dance!

Project: Mental Health Project

Project: Code It!

Issue: Arts, Culture, & Heritage

Issue: Mental Health

Issue: STEM/Education

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Emma knows the joy that can come from dancing and performing, and wanted to share her joy with children who might not have the chance to experience it.

To address this issue, Emma provided free dance lessons to children at a local childcare center. To spread the word, she created flyers that she shared with parents and her local church to let them know about her Gold Award. She taught the children different dance moves, as well as the correct terminology for them.

Even with COVID-19 impacts, Emma found safe ways to teach the children in outdoor spaces. Emma has a bright future ahead of her, and plans to attend Wayne Community College to study dental hygiene.

The onset of a global pandemic has increased mental health struggles for teens. To address this issue, Gold Award Girl Scout Sierra created interactive activity signs to be placed along a nature trail that people can use while walking, in hopes of lightening their mood and getting their minds moving.

She also created a website to promote mental health resources for teens, and common misconceptions of mental health struggles. Sierra’s project has already made a large difference in many teens’ lives, and she received positive feedback from those who have utilized her activities and resources. In the future, Sierra plans to study astronomy or astrophysics.

12 | The Girl Scout Gold Award

Nithya noticed the under-representation of girls in STEM and decided to act. She researched and developed a lesson plan that would inform young girls about STEM and how to do basic coding. She reached out to schools in underprivileged areas near her and told them about her program and how girls could get involved.

She created flyers and emails to spread the word around her community. She then hosted two virtual 3-day camps and enjoyed teaching the girls everything she knows. Nithya’s hard work will influence other young girls to get involved in STEM, and hopefully will inspire them to lead others as well.

Natalie G. Durham County Project: Outdoor Interactive Classroom Issue: Environmental & Sustainability/ Education Notable Mentions: Natalie knows that children love being outdoors, and may be less engaged while learning in a classroom. For her Gold Award, she decided to create an outdoor classroom at a local farm, where students learn and spend more time outside. To do this, she built a log circle that will be used for children to sit and learn, and made a sustainable outdoor whiteboard for teachers to use while taking their classes on field trips. On top of the outdoor classroom, Natalie also created educational games and activities that focused on teamwork that classes could use while learning outside.

Her classroom space will serve as a place for many children to learn and grow in the future. Natalie is currently in her first year as an undergraduate student at Florida Southern College.

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.

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Grace G.

Charleise H.

Tearika J.

Wake County

Cumberland County

Wayne County

Project: Foster Joy

Project: PTSI, Not PTSD

Issue: Children’s Issues

Issue: Civic Engagement

Project: Messages to Improve Self Esteem in Elementary School Girls

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Issue: Mental Health

Gold Award Girl Scout Grace saw a need for support of foster children, and decided to make a difference. She worked to identify the times of the year when these children need the most support, and put gifts together to give to them in hopes of making them smile. She filled stockings and delivered them to the Methodist Home for children two years in a row, and created a joy kit for the children at the beginning of the school year. Grace shared her message with other people in her community, to encourage them to support foster children as well. Her efforts brought joy to children who face unimaginable hardships, and inspired others to continue spreading the light. Following high school, Grace plans to attend a dance training program to pursue a career in professional dance.

In an attempt to change the stigma around Post Traumatic Stress, Charleise centered her Gold Award around the idea that the term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder misdirects proper medical treatment for those struggling with PTS. Charleise advocated that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder should be labeled as Post Traumatic Stress Injury. She started a petition for her cause and was able to gather over 100 signatures. She also partnered with the Ma22 organization to help distribute information about PTS and submitted a bill amendment proposal to request that the U.S. National Library of Medicine to officially change the terminology PTSD to PTSI. Following graduation, Charleise plans are to attend Western Governors University to study business administration and marketing.

Self-esteem issues can arise at an early age. For her Gold Award, Tearika wanted to focus on elementary-aged girls, and the struggles that they face regarding their self-image. She went into classrooms to speak with the students about selfesteem, and read them Bible verses that expressed the love that God has for all people. She then got a team together to paint these verses on the walls of the girl’s bathrooms, as a daily reminder of them.

For her Gold Award, she also created various hands-on activities for the girls, such as painting canvases and rocks for a garden, and journaling so that the girls could write their feelings down. Tearika’s passion for spreading positivity will bring confidence to many young girls in the future.

14 | The Girl Scout Gold Award

Amulya J.

Fatimah K.

Cosette L.

Wake County

Wake County

Wake County

Project: Buddy Beds

Project: Gourmet Flips

Project: The Educational Garden

Issue: Animals

Issue: Physical Health

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Issue: Environmental & Sustainability/Education Notable Mentions:

Amulya has a passion for animal rights, and wanted to use her Gold Award to make a big difference. Knowing that many animals are in shelters waiting for adoption, she wanted to do something that would make them feel comfortable and safe. She worked with a local shelter and personally made 25 pet beds to give to the animals. She also taught groups of people how to sew at a craft studio, so that they could make their own beds.

The classes produced another 11 beds for donation. Amulya’s dedication to animal rights will leave a lasting impact on the shelter, and will inspire others to continue to donate.

Fatimah knows that some of the tastiest foods can sometimes be the least healthy for your body. For her Gold Award, she decided to alter popular recipes to make them without the harmful ingredients that are typically in them. She held three workshops where she shared her recipes with others and taught participants how to make the recipes themselves.

After creating her recipes, Fatimah also produced videos of her making them and posted them to her website for others to try. The website includes the videos, nutritional information, altering tips, and the root causes of health problems.

Fatimah plans on studying biological engineering following her high school graduation.

Cosette wanted to educate children about the importance of taking care of the environment. For her Gold Award, she lead workshops for second graders at Middle Creek Elementary School that taught them about climate change, pollution, littering, and the importance of plant for the environment’s health, as well as actions they could take to make a difference in their community. She also created a volunteer work program for students from Middle Creek High School to maintain the garden at the elementary school and continue to offer the lessons she created. Cosette plans to attend a four-year university and study biochemistry or biology.

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Gold Award Girl Scouts represent our most successful, engaged, and happiest Girl Scout alumnae.

16 | The Girl Scout Gold Award

Sydney M.

Kayla M.

Wake County

Pitt County

Project: Therapeutic Garden for Adolescent Girls

Project: Enjoy a Book!

Issue: Environmental & Sustainability/ Mental Health

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions: Gold Award Girl Scout Sydney knows that with the increase of technology, children are enjoying less and less time in nature. For her Gold Award, she created a therapeutic garden for girls at Corral Riding Academy, an organization that supports girls who have faced challenges in their lives. At the garden, girls were taught gardening skills, as well as how to connect with and mentally benefit from nature. Sydney provided gardening packets for the girls to reference when needed, and allowed them to plant their own vegetables. The girls loved learning from their gardening packets, working with Sydney, and watching their own plants grow. In the future, Sydney plans to attend a four-year university to study either computer science or accounting.

Issue: Mental Health

Kayla wanted to address stress and other mental health concerns brought on by cancer diagnosis and treatment. For her Gold Award, she provided cancer patients and their family members with activity books, colored pencils, pens, and crayons as a way to help them reduce stress and anxiety. She found that therapeutic activities such as coloring can help improve wellness, increase motor skills, and provide a source of relief from mental stress. To measure her impact, Kayla produced a survey which provided her feedback throughout the process. Kayla’s future plans include attending Queens University in Charlotte where she will study multimedia storytelling and play collegiate volleyball.

Nora M.

Noreen M.

Shriya N.

Wake County

Wake County

Wake County

Project: Saving the Bees Issue: Environmental & Sustainability

Project: Special Needs Sensory Boards

Project: Toward Zero Waste Kids Page

Notable Mentions:

Issue: Children’s Issues

Issue: Environmental & Sustainability

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Bees have a very large impact on how the environment around us functions, and Gold Award Girl Scout Nora wants to ensure that bees continue to thrive.

To do so, she taught younger children about the problems with using chemical weed killers and pesticides, and showed them organic techniques in garden beds, such as hand-pulling weeds. In addition, she also taught them ways that they can help save the bees, like planting a bee garden of their own or changing the way they garden. Following Nora’s hard work and with the help of the children, the garden beds were cleaned up and bees, butterflies, and other insects were attracted to the garden once again. In the future, Nora plans to attend a four-year university to study computer science or psychology.

Oftentimes, students with special needs require resources to help stimulate their senses, and sensory boards are a great way to do this. For her Gold Award, Noreen spread awareness about children with special needs through presentations that highlighted statistics and common misconceptions about them. Noticing the lack of sensory integration tools in the classroom, Noreen also built sensory boards for children with special needs to use while in school. Noreen’s project will aid in eliminating the stigma around special needs, and provide students with resources to succeed in and out of the classroom. Following high school graduation, Noreen plans to attend the University of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study law or nursing.

For her Gold Award, Shriya wanted to address the issue of waste and the negative effects it has on our planet.

She created a page for the Toward Zero Waste website that educates children on environmental problems and how they can do their part to work towards zero waste. She also created a webinar that discussed how children can influence their family and friends to protect the environment in their everyday lives.

She used marketing skills to create a newsletter and social media groups to spread the word about her webinar.

Shriya’s Gold Award has influenced many children and adults alike to be more mindful of their waste, and ways in which they can make a difference.

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Ashlyn O.

Elizabeth (Lisa) O.

Shefali P.

Person County

Wake County

Wake County

Project: Spread the Joy of Reading

Project: STEM for Change

Project: Indian Culture Guide

Issue: Literacy

Issue: STEM/Education

Issue: Arts, Culture, & Heritage

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Ashlyn realized that motivation and encouragement can play a big role in a child’s interest in reading. For her Gold Award, she addressed this issue by starting a book club for young children grades K-2. She wanted to create a space where kids would be excited about reading and be open to sharing their thoughts and opinions in a safe discussion space. Ashlyn visited classrooms and read books to the young students and planned out activities and discussions to encourage them to talk about the books. Following high school graduation, Ashlyn plans to explore different career fields and attend a local community college.

As an avid STEM supporter, Lisa wanted to provide opportunities for girls to participate in STEM programs.

She created a promotional plan for ChickTech, an organization that engages teen girls in STEM. She created a video for the organization that details their programs and the ways in which girls can get involved. Lisa also planned and implemented an educational webinar, teaching girls how to prepare for and successfully complete an interview.

Attendees of the webinar gave positive feedback, saying that they felt more prepared going into an interview after attending the session. Currently, Lisa is attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to study business, with plans to concentrate in business analytics.

Shefali recognized the lack of awareness of Indian culture and wanted to create an innovative way for everyone to learn and appreciate it. She used her technology and coding skills to create an Amazon Alexa and Echo Dot skill that will serve as a fun way for people to learn about the beauty of Indian culture. The information taught through her skill details Indian foods, clothing, religions, geography, languages, cultural events, and much more. She also went out into her community and taught teen volunteers about the importance of her work, and how others can explore Indian culture. Shefali is currently attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study statistics and computer science.

18 | The Girl Scout Gold Award

Genevieve P.

Patricia P.

Loreta N.S. Q.

Wake County

Pender County

Cumberland County

Project: Healthy Relationships in Teenagers

Project: Operation Save the Pollinators

Project: Literacy for All

Issue: Healthy Relationships

Issue: Environmental & Sustainability

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Gena wanted to address the sensitive topics of dating abuse, violence, and toxic relationships in teens and young adults. For her Gold Award, she created pamphlets and informative videos detailing the importance of abuse awareness, common abuse warning signs, and how to receive help.

To share her pamphlets, she placed them alongside donation bins and ran a donation drive to support local organizations whose missions are to help victims of domestic abuse. Her Gold Award will allow others to recognize different forms of abuse and will provide those struggling with resources for recovery.

Patricia has a passion for pollinators, and wanted to spread her love for them throughout her community in hopes of preserving and understanding their role in the environment. She created lesson plans to shared with her local preschool to teach students important pollinator topics, gave a garden tour, and passed out pamphlets and flyers to community members to inform them of her hard work. Patricia implemented fun ways to learn such as tracking butterflies at a local school, and noticed that young students easily picked up on and memorized the information she taught them. In the future, she plans to attend a North Carolina college to study elementary education as well as parks & recreation to become an elementary outdoor education teacher.

Issue: Education

Loreta knows that reading is a fundamental skill that all children should have, so for her Gold Award she decided to focus on giving access to reading to poverty-stricken and orphaned children in Ghana. Loreta personally held virtual read-aloud sessions with the children, and spoke with volunteers to ensure that they would sustain their reading materials. Loreta also collected over 1,000 books and school supplies through a donation drive she created to give to the children. Through her hard work, Loreta was able to connect with over 300 orphaned and less fortunate children in Ghana to spread her love for reading and learning. In the future, Loreta plans to attend a four-year university where she will study either media communications or immigration law.

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Kaya R.

Varshini S.

Pippa S.

Wake County

Wake County

Wake County

Project: At Home Field Trips

Project: Hunger in the RDU Area

Project: Pollination Habitat for Bees

Issue: STEM/Education

Issue: Poverty

Issue: Environmental & Sustainability

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Recognizing the importance of respecting the environment and its plants and animals, Kaya wanted to create an opportunity for children to learn about the outdoors in their own homes. She created four lesson plans with topics ranging from animals and the ecosystem to plants and photosynthesis. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she adjusted her Gold Award to be digital, so participants could easily access her lesson plans at home. The lessons included educational videos, readings, hands-on activities and a wrap-up quiz to test their knowledge at the end of each course. These at-home field trips will inspire children to continue to learn about and have a love for nature.

Kaya is currently studying at North Carolina State University where she is majoring in biology, and minoring in art and design, and dance.

Gold Award Girl Scout Varshini knows the impact that poverty can have on hunger and access to food. For her Gold Award, she created a promotional video and articles in hopes of spreading awareness on poverty, and how others can make a difference in their own communities. She also held a food drive where she was able to collect over 900 pounds of food to donate to Chinmaya Mission RDU. Varshini hopes her work will live on through the volunteers she gathered through her volunteering event. She expects others will continue to volunteer following the release of her volunteer recruiting event promotional video and articles on the food bank’s website. Varshini’s future plans include attending a four-year university to study biology or exercise science, so that she can pursue a doctorate in physical therapy.

Due to increased use of pesticides, widespread parasites and human development, bees are slowly losing their habitats. Pippa used her Gold Award to address this issue by providing a pollination garden and child education at First Fruits Farm. Philippa created three educational kits designed to educate and inform children about bees, pollination, and sustainability, and donated them to the farm’s educational center. She also created a PowerPoint presentation highlighting the information and was able to teach over 200 children about her work. To leave a lasting impact, Philippa also dug, seeded, and planted flowers for a pollination garden at the farm.

20 | The Girl Scout Gold Award

Sarah S.

Anastasia S.

Brianna S.

Onslow County

Durham County

Johnston County

Project: Protect the Environment Club

Project: Virtual Escape Rooms

Project: Things that go BUMP! in the Night

Issue: Environemental & Sustainability/Education

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions: Gold Award Girl Scout Sarah made it her goal to educate high school students on the dangers of littering, and the impacts that water pollution can have on the environment. To do so, she started her own environmental club for high school students to encourage others to protect the planet from pollution.

Sarah hosted several meetings for her club and provided students with educational materials and resources from organizations such as 4ocean that specialize in protecting the environment.

She also hosted several clean-up events at local parks and beaches where students could participate in picking up litter. Sarah’s future plans include attending North Carolina State University where she will continue her passion for the environment by studying environmental science and film studies.

Issue: Education

Anastasia saw the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on students, teachers, and interactive learning opportunities. To make a difference, she decided to create and construct virtual escape rooms that teachers could use as additional learning materials for their students. Anastasia personally reached out to teachers to find out which topics and materials they wanted to highlight in the escape rooms. After collecting the information from the teachers, she created interactive escape rooms and sent them to the teachers for their use.

Anastasia’s escape rooms were used by many North Carolina educators and will continue to be shared for future use through a variety of local organizations and schools.

Issue: Environmental & Sustainability Notable Mentions: Brianna understands the impact that a growing human population has on wildlife and wanted to make a difference.

For her Gold Award, she focused on bats and owls and the important roles that they play in our environment. Brianna held workshops for Girl Scout troops in her community and taught them all about nocturnal wildlife. She used her skills to build homes for the bats and owls and placed them throughout the state, and even made a book about them. Brianna also took her troop on an Owl Safari to teach them about owls on a night hike.

Her Gold Award will save the lives of many of these nocturnal animals, and will encourage others to appreciate and work towards conserving them.

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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.

22 | The Girl Scout Gold Award

Ashley Gale S.

Ella S.

New Hanover County

Chatham County

Project: Hoggard High School Snack Pantry

Project: A Look into Chatham’s Past

Issue: Poverty Food insecurity is a large, growing issue and impacts communities everywhere.

Ashley recognized this and created a food pantry at her high school to serve students facing food insecurity. She used various resources and talked with her school principal and social workers to gain a better perspective on the magnitude and need for food availability for students in her school. After making a plan, she worked with a local church to gather food and water to be donated to her pantry.

These contributions will continue to be donated to the school monthly. Through her hard work, Ashley created a new youth-led mission for the high school seniors at her church to take on every year. Ashley is currently a freshman at Wingate University studying biology on a pre-dental track with the hopes of becoming a pediatric dentist.

Issue: Arts, Culture, & Heritage Notable Mentions: Gold Award Girl Scout Ella loves Chatham County’s rich history, and she noticed a loss of community identity as more and more people move into the area. In an effort to share this love with residents, she created an interactive website highlighting points about the history of Chatham County such as notable community figures and events. To further spread her message, Ella shared her project by personally contacting local organizations and presenting them with her work. She plans for her project to live on through the community organizations who will continue to share her website and flyers. Ella is currently a first year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying journalism, and is exploring additional majors and minors in southern and women’s/gender studies.

Jana T.

Lauryn T.

Mary T.

Wake County

Wake County

Wake County

Project: A Journey to a Healthy and Happy Life

Project: Live for Learning

Project: T3

Issue: STEM/Education/Mental Health

Issue: Life Skills

Issue: Physical Health

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Lauryn knows that learning should be fun, and for her Gold Award, she made it her goal to spread this knowledge with other students. To do so, she created a stress-free, collaborative learning environment, with a focus on reinforcing school lessons through real-life scenarios and hands-on experiments. Her online events hosted up to 30 attendees and included topics ranging from STEM and arts and crafts, to photography and guest speakers. Lauren hopes that her audience has gained a love for learning in various subjects through her hard work.

To continue her efforts, she plans on growing her social media and YouTube platforms, as well as creating workshop lesson plans to reach a wider audience.

In the future, she plans to attend a 4-year university to study psychology or global health with the intention of going to medical school.

Community service can have a large positive impact on many social causes.

Mary Hollis noticed that the youth in her church needed more opportunities to serve others in their community, and decided to make this her goal for her Gold Award. She created a youth service club with the young people in her church that went out into the community and completed various service activities.

Some of the activities they participated in were cleaning up and painting their church building, picking up trash in Downtown Raleigh, and cooking and serving food to their parish. Because of her efforts, Mary Hollis has inspired others to be active members of service in their community and has already made a difference in many people’s lives.

Notable Mentions: Leading a healthy lifestyle can have many long-term benefits. Jana wanted to spread awareness of the importance of making healthy choices, and ways to incorporate healthy eating into day-today recipes. For her Gold Award, Jana hosted virtual presentations, cooking classes, and a bake sale to address the underlying causes of unhealthy lifestyles in her community. Her presentations detailed a wide array of facts that all relate to nutrition and how to escape poor eating habits. She also made a website and informative flyers to educate others on nutrition and the importance of moderation. Through her Gold Award, Jana has made a difference in many people’s lives and the choices they make for healthy eating.

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Isabel T.

Ashlyn V.

Shreya V.

Franklin County

Durham County

Wake County

Project: Braiding Balance Project Issue: Mental Health

Project: Rogers-Herr Coders Club Issue: STEM/Education

Project: The Benefits of Inclusive Schools

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Issue: Children’s Issues Notable Mentions:

The COVID-19 pandemic led many people to feel isolated and lonely. Knowing the negative effects this can have on one’s mental health, Isabel decided to make a goal to empower other people to address these issues. For her Gold Award, she implemented a campaign to spread awareness of mental health, and healthy ways to manage personal struggles.

She held small-group workshops and presentations for young people to offer them resources such as how to address personal issues, and to understand what depression and anxiety can look like. She also taught them how to make braidknot bracelets, as a form of coping with mental health struggles. Isabel’s passion for serving will continue to support other’s healthy coping strategies. In the future, she plans to attend a four-year university to study environmental science or engineering with the intention of becoming a sustainable architect.

24 | The Girl Scout Gold Award

Aiming to improve the lack of coding opportunities for middle school students, Ashlyn provided coding lessons to students at Rogers-Herr Middle School.

She created a coding club where students could develop coding skills in a safe and comfortable learning environment. The club met through online video meetings, and were tasked with six coding projects to complete throughout the school year.

If any problems arose, Ashlyn had the students send her photos of their coding, and assisted them along the way. With the help of Ashlyn’s leadership, the students excelled in the lessons, and surpassed all of her expectations. Ashlyn is currently studying biology at Western Carolina University.

Gold Award Girl Scout Shreya wanted to implement a way for children, parents, and schools to learn about the importance of inclusiveness for children with disabilities. To do so, she created an animated video to share the benefits of inclusive schools and to teach parents how to better engage their children.

Shreya also personally contacted and communicated with various schools and organizations to address her topic and give them ideas for how they can be more inclusive. In the end, she was able to encourage 24 schools to share her video and research, including an anonymous pledge from participants to adopt inclusive behaviors both at school and in the community, on their personal webpages as part of their school’s new parent orientation. In the future, Shreya plans to attend a four-year university where she will study computer science.

Alyssa V.

Nikki W.

Liberty W.

Wayne County

Wake County

Pender County

Project: The Brian Center Courtyard

Project: Swim Team New Parent Video Series

Project: Helping the Community’s Lost Pets

Issue: Sports

Issue: Animals

Issue: Elderly Issues/Mental Health Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions: When Alyssa recognized the limited opportunities for elderly patients to enjoy outdoor spaces they love due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she decided to make a difference. Patients at the Brian Center love being outside, and Alyssa wanted to bring their outdoor courtyard back to life. She created a bird diagram with common birds found in North Carolina so residents could bird watch, and created a presentation on interesting facts about some of the birds found on the diagram.

She presented her PowerPoint to the staff in order for them to share the information with patients when they are outside.

Alyssa also planted flowers, and placed a concrete checkers table and bird baths outside. Alyssa hopes her hard work will encourage patients to want to be outside, and enjoy bird watching in the courtyard.

In the future, she hopes to attend Wayne Community College and then East Carolina University to study dentistry.

As a member of the swim community, Nikki noticed a lack of information sharing for new families to be informed of everything they should know about the swim team. By creating a series of videos detailing the traditions, expectations, and schedule of the swim team, parents and swimmers can feel confident and involved as new members.

Nikki used her technology skills to create videos that would be accessible through multiple online platforms. Even through the pandemic, Nikki managed to gather photos and content to input into her videos in order to make them as informational and helpful as possible.

In the future, Nikki plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to study communications with a concentration in public relations.

Adopting a pet is a big responsibility, and Gold Award Girl Scout Liberty made it her goal to ensure that adopters have everything they need to care for their new pets. To do so, she placed donation bins around her county for people to donate pet supplies. After collecting the donations, Liberty compiled donation bags to hand over to her local animal shelter. The bags included basic supplies for new adopters such as brushes, treats and collars, as well as informational flyers highlighting FAQs and tips on taking care of a pet. Liberty continued to spread awareness by setting up booths outside local pet stores where she handed out flyers about her Gold Award, the issue, causes, and ways to help.

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Holly W.

Natalie W.

Madeline W.

Durham County

Wake County

Orange County

Project: Birding at Selah Ranch

Project: Christmas Shop for Kingswood Elementary School

Project: Scoliosis Awareness and Education

Issue: Poverty

Issue: Civic Engagement/Physical Health

Issue: Environmental & Sustainability/Outdoors Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions:

Notable Mentions: When Holly learned about the Pure Hope Foundation and their Selah Ranch, she saw a gap in the outdoor activities that they offer. While the ranch offers disc golf trails, there were no nature trails for others to enjoy. Holly used this realization to plan and implement educational bird trails and graphic panels around the ranch, in hopes of attracting more families to enjoy the outdoors. She exceeded her original goal of one bird trail by creating three trails, also incorporating 11 educational graphic panels to enjoy while on your walk. She plans on continuing her efforts with the Pure Hope Foundation to improve her trails, and to host “Bird Fest” that will feature her trails and highlight all of her hard work. Holly is currently applying for colleges and plans to major in biology and possibly pursue a career as a naturalist.

26 | The Girl Scout Gold Award

Gold Award Girl Scout Natalie wanted to address the issue of poverty in underprivileged areas in her community.

To do so, she created a Christmas Shop where low-income families from Kingswood Elementary School could come and pick out Christmas gifts and clothes, free of charge. Natalie also gathered a team of volunteers and had them assist her at her Christmas shop. Many volunteers donated gifts themselves, and loved seeing their generosity come to life. Natalie’s Christmas Shop served 46 families and will be carried on for years to come

by Genesis United Methodist Church, with whom she partnered for her Gold Award. In the future, Natalie plans to attend a four-year university to study engineering.

Madeline saw a need for scoliosis awareness and education in her community, and decided to take action.

She led a team of volunteers by organizing and planning events that would raise awareness in her community. She also used her skills to create brochures that were placed in schools, and will continue to be replenished. Madeline noticed that her efforts were making an impact, when people in her community informed her that they would be going to get their backs checked for scoliosis.

Her dedication and leadership led her to speak at a Hillsborough Town Hall meeting, and resulted in June being proclaimed Scoliosis Awareness Month in Hillsborough, NC. Madeline’s plans for the future include attending North Carolina State University to study a topic she is passionate about.

Melanie Y.

Humairaa Z.

Wake County

Wake County

Project: Music Matters!

Project: Bears to Care

Issue: Arts, Culture, & Heritage/ Education

Issue: Mental Health

Notable Mentions: Melanie realized that music and other fine arts programs are often underappreciated in schools and communities. With a passion for the arts, Melanie used her Gold Award to increase awareness, involvement, and funding in her school.

She spoke with administrators and teachers to encourage them to advocate for the arts. She also influenced students to pursue activities in the arts, and offered them free resources to get started. Melanie used her enthusiasm to host a Music Honor Society concert, where students felt comfortable and excited to perform for their peers. Through speaking with her school, and being an advocate for students of all ages, Melanie was happy to find that the fine arts programs in her school were safe, and will continue to thrive.

Depression and mental illness are much too common in pediatric patients, and have become an even bigger issue since the COVID-19 pandemic. Humairaa wanted to create a way for children to feel happy and make the best of their difficult situation. For her Gold Award, she created “Bears to Care”, a program that gathers and donates toys to pediatric patients struggling with a variety of illnesses. Humairaa created flyers and distributed them throughout her community to encourage others to donate to her cause. She also hosted a discussion with healthcare professionals, to get their input on her next steps. After receiving donations, she delivered the toys to WakeMed Children’s Hospital and received great feedback from the children and parents that received the donations.

Humairaa plans to attend North Carolina State University in the spring to major in biology and pursue a career in the medical field.

The Gold Award is proof that not only can Girl Scouts make a difference, but that they already have.

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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 2022 Girl Scout Gold Award projects.

American Sewing Guild

Genesis United Methodist Church, Cary

Quality Care Solutions

An-Noor Masjid, Raleigh

Goldsboro School of Ballet

Raleigh Rescue Mission

Apex Environmental Club

Hammond Beach State Park

Rhyme University Childcare Center

Behavioral Transformations of North Carolina

Hindu Society of North Carolina

Rocky Cross Holiness Church

Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh

Science Safari

Boston School Forest (Wisconsin)

Howell Woods Education Center

Silverton Sharks Swim Club

Burgaw Parks and Recreation

Jaipuria School (India)

Sturgeon City

Burlington County Animal Services

Karisa Foundation (Ghana)

Swamibabu Educational Institute (India)

Cary Homeschoolers

Lewis Chapel Missionary Baptist Church

The Brian Center, Goldsboro

Chatham Community Library

Lighthouse Orphanage (Ghana)

The Hub Farm

Chatham County Historical Association

Ma22

Towards Zero Waste

Chatham County Schools

Methodist Home for Children

Town of Apex

ChickTech

National Scoliosis Foundation

Town of Hillsborough

Chinmaya Mission RDU

North Carolina Museum of Natural Science

Town of Holly Springs

Christ Ambassadors School (Ghana) Corral Riding Academy

New Hanover County Schools

Vidant Cancer Center

Duke University Durham County Public Schools

North Carolina School of Science and Math

WABA Adenta Community Library (Ghana)

Elon University

Onslow County Schools

Wake County Boys & Girls Club

Eno River Academy

Osu Children’s Home (Ghana)

Wake County Public Libraries

First Fruits Farm

Pender County Animal Shelter

Wake County Public Schools

First Presbyterian Church Durham

Pine Valley United Methodist Church

Wake Med Children’s Hospital

First United Methodist Church of Cary

Pittsboro-Siler City Convention & Visitors Bureau

Waltonwood Cary

Pure Hope Foundation and Selah Ranch (Texas)

White Plains Children’s Center

Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina Fuquay Family Dentistry Garden Supply Company

28 | Gold Award Girl Scouts

Purple Shoe Thrift Store

UNC Wellness Center

Wayne Christian School

Whole Foods

Scholarship Information Jane S. Barringer Award

Gladys Marion Scholarship

The Jane S. Barringer Award was established to honor

The Gladys Marion Scholarship was made possible by

Mrs. Barringer, an outstanding teen advisor who has

a lifetime member of Girl Scouts who gave of her time

been a dedicated Girl Scout for more than 50 years. A

and shared her talents to support Girl Scouts as they

group of her former Girl Scouts, along with Girl Scouts

developed their leadership skills and prepared to be the

– North Carolina Coastal Pines and the Barringer family,

next generation of leaders. This four-year scholarship, for

have instituted an award in her name to be given to an

high school seniors primarily residing in Brunswick, New

individual who embodies the principles and spirit “Mrs. B”

Hanover, or Pender County, recognizes those who have

works to instill. This award is open to Gold Award

demonstrated significant leadership as members of Girl

Girl Scouts who are high school seniors or adult

Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines through earning

professionals pursuing further education or skill

their Girl Scout Gold Award or equivalent participation in

development.

council leadership programs.

Misty Crabtree Eastham Scholarship The Misty Crabtree Eastham Scholarship was established to honor the memory of lifelong Girl Scout Misty Crabtree

For more information about these and other councilsponsored scholarships, please visit the council website at www.nccoastalpines.org.

Eastham, and provides scholarships for Gold Award Girl Scouts to help defray college expenses. As a girl in foster

GSUSA Gold Award Scholarship

care, Misty joined Girl Scouts and gained a network of

The GSUSA Gold Award Scholarship is awarded annually

friends to support and guide her— friends who joined

to one Girl Scout from each council who has demonstrated

her in a journey of adventure that provided life-changing

extraordinary leadership, measurable and sustainable

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. Misty completed an Associate’s degree, a Bachelor’s degree, a certificate program, and had been accepted to a Pharmacy Tech program before she was diagnosed with her cancer. She was also an extremely supportive and devoted military spouse for 15 years.

impact, and addressed an issue of national and/or global significance. Girl Scouts who earn their Gold Award between April 1 and March 31 are eligible to apply each year. The annual recipient will receive movement-wide recognition, and may have an opportunity to represent Girl Scouts through public relations, speaking engagements, or other related opportunities.

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A special thank you to our friends at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina for supporting Gold Award Girl Scouts.

Girl Scouts - North Carolina Coastal Pines

Our Counties 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 Valerie M. Quiett, Chair Melissa M. Reed, First Vice Chair Cheryl Burns, Second Vice Chair Linda P. Foreman, Third Vice Chair Kacie Fore, Fourth Vice Chair Kristal Diaz-Rojas, Secretary Wendy Burden, Treasurer Lisa M. K. Jones, Chief Executive Officer

Board of Directors

Ami Patel Annette Moore Cheryl Parquet Dana Newell Debra Laughery Elaine Loyack Jane Green Jasmine Smith Jenna Green Jim Peterson Kristen Hess Melanie Dubis Melinda Burrows Ruth Glaser Sandy Crumrine Suzanne Stroud Saundra Wall Williams Virginia Parker

Girl Directors Aileen Burger Kristen Colie Langley Maciejewski Zora Hill Gold Award Committee Jessica Alzamora Rebecca Daniels Susan Dellay Eileen Emer Dottie Gilbert Trisha Gooding Emily Hayne Roxanne Manuel Sara Olson Barbara Putney Gail Watts Lori Winkelstein