Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Emily Hocking from Mt. Vernon has received the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive.
For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Babies First, Emily worked with Angels’ Cove in Mt. Vernon. One of the services Angels’ Cove provides is assistance to teenagers with unplanned pregnancies. Emily worked with Angels’ Cove by repainting and decorating a room for an expectant mother. She also provided 25 filled diaper bags for babies as well as 25 expectant mother bags. In addition, Emily also restocked the organization’s pantry.
Through her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Emily gained valuable leadership skills that she’ll be able to use throughout her life. “I learned that public speaking and being outgoing, organized and dedicated are important leadership skills to have in a project such as this,” said Emily. “I learned that it’s important to have the support of your friends, family and community when working on a project of this magnitude,” she added.
Emily is the daughter of Amanda and Kenneth Karrick. She is currently a junior at Mt. Vernon Township High School. Emily has been a Girl Scout for 12 years.
The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn, recognizes a Girl Scout's commitment to excellence as she develops skills and values to meet present and future challenges in her life. To earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, a Girl Scout Senior or Girl Scout Ambassador must design and carry out a project that fulfills a need within a girl’s community, creates change, and is sustainable. The project must be completed with a suggested minimum of 80 hours of work. Only about 5 percent of eligible girls earn the prestigious Gold Award.
