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Local Girl Scouts Earn Top Awards By Julie Slama
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Girl Scout Sienna Weir earned her Silver Award by helping at the Goshute Preschool and Early Childhood Development Center. Photo courtesy of Julie Weir
everal West Jordan Girl Scouts recently earned the top awards at their level and were honored at the Girl Scouts of Utah awards recognition on Oct. 24. Girl Scouting’s highest award is the Gold Award and can be earned by a girl in ninth through 12th grade. Nineteen girls across the state earned their Gold Awards. The Silver Award is earned by middle school-aged girls, and 114 Scouts earned that distinction. The Bronze Award is designed for fourth- and fifth-grade students, and 374 girls earned that honor. Each award is based upon leadership, volunteer hours and a project that is sustainable and will improve the girls’ community. “Girls have hopes, ideas and dreams that when put into action can make an impact on society,” Girl Scouts of Utah chief executive officer Janet Frasier said. “Girl Scouting’s highest awards provide a platform for girls to make a difference.” Six West Jordan Girl Scouts earned their Silver Award, including Sienna Weir, who helped at the Goshute Preschool and Early Childhood Development Center by getting together with Building Youth Around the World to volunteer and donate school supplies. “My favorite part about doing my Silver Award was working with others to serve others in need,” Sienna said. “When I delivered all the items gathered, the look on their faces was priceless. There is nothing like the feeling you get when you serve others.” Other Silver recipients include Maeghan Lasley, who set up recycling bins in various places in the community after recognizing the abundance of discarded aluminum in parks, streets, businesses, schools and homes; Meghan Stegner, who, along with her troop, made items for girls with eating disorders; Jacey Sorensen and DeNelle Jacobsen, who volunteered at the Utah Humane Society to help people identify the right homeless pets to take home; and Cindy Brempong, who helped at animal shelters, made toys, assisted with donation drives and volunteered at stables. Twenty-one West Jordan Scouts earned their Bronze Awards. Their projects include helping at Utah Humane Society, Ronald McDonald House, Cooper Ridge Senior Center, Primary Children’s Medical Center, Family Promise and Shriner’s Hospital, while others made a quilt for a girl who has leukemia, kits for an arts festival, helped children with disabilities and more. The Bronze recipients include Makayla Bradshaw, Alyssa Christensen, Katelyn Christensen, Sasha Cox, Alyssa Escobedo, Madelyn Green, Ellie Hoggan, Rachelle Jacobson, Katrina Labrum, Alyssa Meadowcroft, Elizabeth Mills, Bailee Moyes, McKelle Pugmire, Aryana Ratcliffe, Trista Rogers, Jessica Santistevan, Marie Spencer, Sierra Taylor, Angella Van Valkenburg, Shaelyn Welch and Farren Wood. l
January 2015 | Page 7