Jordyn Thompson from O'Fallon Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Jordyn Thompson from O’Fallon has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Jordyn held a LaVerna Evans Elementary School Fall Fun Fair and Fall Book Fair in O’Fallon. She worked with her local school officials to revive the Fall Fair and design new games and activities for parents and students who attended the event. Her Girl Scout Gold Award project included planning and creating new games, organizing the event and getting volunteers to assist during the Fall Fair. Her overall goal was to bring the parents and students out to the school and engage them in activities so they could learn about La Verna Evans Elementary School and its various programs.

“In completing my project, I learned how to be a leader, and I learned organization skills and that when directing people to have good communications skills to be effective. Also I learned, to allow others to offer advice, to be flexible and have a Plan B,” Jordyn added.

Jordyn is the daughter of Curtis Thompson and JoAnn Williams-Thompson. She will graduate from O’Fallon Township High School in 2018 and 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.

Lauren Carter from Collinsville Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Lauren Carter from Collinsville has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive.

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Nursery Reboot, Lauren worked with her church to improve and remodel the nursery. As part of her project, she removed broken furniture and toys and replaced them with age appropriate ones. Also concerned about children’s safety, she replaced the old carpet with new carpet and a thicker pad to protect the children if they fell while playing. In addition, Lauren scheduled a CPR class which would teach nursery staff and other church members life-saving skills. And finally, she updated the church nursery policy manual and set up a check “in and out” policy for the nursery.

“I learned that you can’t let the bumps in the road get in your way while trying to get something accomplished,” Lauren said. “You will always have bumps along the way in life, but they shouldn’t stop you from getting to your goals. You have to work around them and find a way to solve the problem yourself,” she said.

Lauren is the daughter of Warren and Laurie Carter. She will graduate from Collinsville High School in 2017 and 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.

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois Holds 2017 All That Glitters Awards Ceremony

Girl Scouts were shining stars during Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois’ (GSSI) All That Glitters award ceremony on April 1, 2017 at the Holiday Inn in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Each year, the banquet recognizes Girl Scouts from across southern Illinois who achieve significant accomplishments in community service and leadership. 

Awardees included recipients of the Girl Scout Gold Award, the top individual award a Girl Scout can earn, as well as the Girl Scout Silver Award, which is the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn. Fifteen Girl Scouts also were honored with the Trifecta Award, which recognizes the outstanding accomplishment of earning the Girl Scout Bronze Award, the Girl Scout Silver Award and the Girl Scout Silver Award. In addition, Kathleen McCracken from Edwardsville, Caroline Stewart from Belleville and Kayli Worthey from Neoga were named Graduating Girl Scouts for their extraordinary Girl Scout careers. McCracken and Stewart received a $500 scholarship funded by GSSI’s Annual Brownie Haunted Camp event, while Worthey received a $1,000 scholarship funded by GSSI’s staff giving campaign. 

Please see the following list for a full description of awards, 

as well as a list of this year’s awardees:

The Girl Scout Gold Award recognizes leadership, effort and impact that Girl Scout Seniors and Girl Scout Ambassadors have had on their communities. Only about 5 percent of eligible girls take the rigorous path toward earning this prestigious award, but those who complete the journey change the lives of others and their own in amazing and significant ways. This year’s Girl Scout Gold Award recipients include:

Belleville: Amelia Schmitz*, Caroline Stewart*

Carbondale: Josefina Pimentel

Collinsville: Emily Baima*, Elizabeth Burr*, Lauren Carter*

Columbia: Hannah Redinger*, Kelsey Weatherford*

Glen Carbon: Sarah Goldacker

Granite City: Hannah Grotecke, Dakota Smallie*, Shelby Tingley

Highland: Johannah Comish*

Millstadt: Gabriella Holmes*

Nashville: Alexandra Waugh

Neoga: Kayli Worthey

O’Fallon: Elizabeth Boehning*, Caitlin Lloyd, Lauren Lundy, Jordyn Thompson*

Red Bud: Cecelia Cowell*

Swansea: Sarah Eversman

Troy: Kaitlyn Barnett*, Madeleine Renken*

Please note – girls with an asterisk (*) by their names also earned the Girl Scout Trifecta Award. The Girl Scout Trifecta Award recognizes GSSI Girl Scouts who have earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award, Girl Scout Silver Award and the Girl Scout Gold Award. 

The Girl Scout Silver Award, the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn, is symbolic of accomplishments in Girl Scouting and community activities as a girl becomes her best self and builds the world around her. The Girl Scout Silver Award project benefits a girl’s community and can be earned as an individual or as part of a group. This year’s Girl Scout Silver Award recipients include:

Anna: Olivia Capel, Hannah Miller

Belleville: Katelynn Allen, Natalee Brannaman, Ayanna Brown, Kennedy Elbe, OIivia Futrell, Megan Gebke, Allyson Nowak, Tia Perkins, Katherine Satterfield, Kalynn Schwoebel, Kaeloni Slawter, Annette Smith, Zoe Smith, Kamela Straub

Breese: Brooke Bassler. Grace Kahrhoff

Carlyle: Alyssa Becker

Charleston: Cheyenne Hunter

Dorsey: Gwynn Frisbie Firsching

Edwardsville: Kamryn Van Arsdale

Effingham: Sydney Hodge

Glen Carbon: Olivia Bell, Madeleine Loyet, Kristen Valley

Granite City: Randi Ulrich

Highland: Allison Workman, Olivia Owens, Fayth Whicker

Hoyleton: Kimberly Stegman

Jonesboro: Olivia Bowen, Annalee Keller, Libby Smith, Jaley Watkins

Lebanon: Emmaleigh Fox

Macedonia: Allie Dial

Marine: Jillianne Martin

Mascoutah: Alexys Nieves, Madison Sanker

Medora: Molly Hasquin

Metropolis: Autumn Cofield, Lily Conkle, Grace Davis, Alexis Frazine, Ashlynn Kommer, Savannah Meadows, Maci Miller, Alexandria Swafford, Anna Thompson

Millstadt: Natalie Hampsten, Alyssa Riley

Modoc: Faith Bailey

Mount Olive: Emma Hahn, Jordin Kierbach, Tori Kierbach, Shannon Minor, Libbie Nowell, Ashley Odorizzi, Hailey Odorizzi, Haley Pruden, Carlie Scheiter

New Baden: Angelika Donaldson

O’Fallon: Kayla Conklin, Emilee Hamm, nAlexa Prouhet, Mia Torres, Makayla Weiss, Sofia Wojtal

Pinckneyville: Railyn Bardle, Emily Skinner, Gabrielle Sprague, Hayley Winter

Red Bud: Abigail Antry, Anna Beshoar, Anastasia Clark, Caitlin Dehne, Savannah Morris, Brooke Porter

Shiloh: Julia Dupuis, Emma Likert, Taylor Massey

Staunton: Honor Baker, Ainsley Baldwin Zurek, Kaylee Seelbach

Tamaroa: Kassity Lee

Thompsonville: Olivia Barclay, Jayma Lindhorst

Trenton: Jordan Linafelter

Waterloo: Aimee Magliulo

Wood River: KayLee Melton. Rebecca Noack

Worden: Gwendalyn Calvo

Outstanding Graduating Girl Scouts Scholarships are awarded to extraordinary Girl Scout careers and can be used by girls to attend the college of their choice. This year’s Outstanding Graduating Girl Scouts include:

Belleville: Caroline Stewart

Edwardsville: Kathleen McCracken

Neoga: Kayli Worthey


Watch for more All That Glitters coverage coming this week here on our blog and on our social media feeds!

Alexandra Waugh from Nashville Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Alexandra Waugh from Nashville has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Move for Missions, Alexandra combined her love for her grandparents with her passion for missionary support. During one part of her project, she developed and held a functional fitness class for senior citizens at three different locations in two different communities. In addition, during the functional fitness classes, she had donation collection boxes where people could donate items that were then sent overseas to missionaries in India.

“I have learned that above all that dreams can come true and that nothing is impossible with God and a lot of hard work,” Alexandra said of her Girl Scout Gold Award project.

Alexandra is the daughter of Tanya and Lee Stewart. She is a graduate of Centralia High School has been a Girl Scout for 13 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.

Kayli Worthey from Neoga Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Kayli Worthey from Neoga has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called The 3 Dangerous D’s of Driving, Kayli wanted to increase awareness of the dangers of drunk, drowsy or distracted driving to save lives and make the roadways safer for everyone. She decided on this subject for her Girl Scout Gold Award after a good friend of hers was killed in a car accident due to drowsy driving. Her project included three venues: a high school presentation for students, a community meal and Truck Stop events. She presented powerpoint presentations about The 3 Dangerous D’s of Driving at her local high school and through a community meal event. Her favorite part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project was the events she hosted at local truck stops where she passed out free fruit juice and coffee to travelers during holiday weekends. “At all of these events, I had people pledge to not drink, sleep, or text and drive while operating a vehicle,” Kayli added.

“Completing my Girl Scout Gold Award taught me to be persistent and that will lead to your success. I also learned that to be a leader, knowing how to delegate is a key part of the process. As much as you would like to be independent and handle everything yourself; it’s not always possible,” Kayli added.

Kayli is the daughter of Kyle and Angie Worthey. She will graduate from Neoga High School in 2017 and has been a Girl Scout for 13 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.

Cecelia Cowell from Red Bud Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Cecelia Cowell from Red Bud has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Got Safety?, Cecelia addressed the issue of safety in her community, but more importantly increased community members’ knowledge of what to do in emergency situations. As part of her project, she helped implement information on the Yellow Dot Program for Red Bud. Cecelia helped to educate citizens and make them more aware of safety responses by speaking to various groups and distributing safety information at various community events. “Even if one person is saved by my Girl Scout Gold Award project, then I know I have made a major difference,” Cecelia said.

Cecelia is the daughter of Sandra Cowell and the late Harold Cowell. She is a 2016 graduate of Red Bud High School and has been a Girl Scout for 13 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.

Johannah Comish has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Johannah Comish from Highland has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Bridges to a Better Tomorrow, Johannah updated and repaired the waterfall area of Silver Lake. During her project, she stabilized a small footbridge, added a safety railing to a larger bridge, sanded and stained a picnic table and fixed the hand rail for the rock stair case. In addition, she added a trash can for the clearing.

Through her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Johannah hoped to positively impact the community and younger Girl Scouts and promote spending more time outdoors. Johannah included a clean-up day as part of her project as well. Thanks to her Girl Scout Gold Award project, she helped to keep the park well-maintained and improved park guests’ safety and comfort. “I care deeply about the conservation of our national parks, and although Silver Lake is no Yellowstone, I believe change starts at home and I am proud to have completed this project to help my city,” Johanna said.

Johanna is the daughter of Brian and Kathryn Comish. She is a senior Highland High School and has been a Girl Scout for 13 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.

Shelby Tingley from Granite City Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Shelby Tingley from Granite City has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called "Homing the Homeless Birds," Shelby wanted to help birds that had their nests destroyed. She noticed that nests being built on or around people’s homes were often knocked down by the residents, so she decided to build houses in trees to provide a safe place for the birds. Shelby researched and built five bird houses and also taught other Girl Scouts how to make bird houses. She then enlisted the help of other Girl Scouts to monitor the bird houses and keep seeds nearby. Her hope is that the birds will find the safe haven she built next spring.

Shelby credits Girl Scouts and her Gold Award experience with providing her great leadership skills. “The most important thing I have learned through Girl Scouts is to not be afraid to try new ideas to achieve my goals,” said Shelby. “It has taught me how to be a great leader and an empowering woman,” she added.

Shelby is the daughter of Penny Tingley. She was a Girl Scout for 10 years and completed her Girl Scout Gold Award project her Senior Year.  She was a 2016 graduate of Granite City High School and currently attends Hickey Vet Tech Institute. 

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.

Emily Baima from Collinsville Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Emily Baima from Collinsville has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Mammal Enclosure, Emily built an enclosure to aid in the rehabilitation of small mammals at TreeHouse Wildlife Center. Based on the needs of the center at any given time, the enclosure could also be used to accommodate temporary or permanent residents. Emily knew how TreeHouse Wildlife Center relied on volunteers for projects, and her project would be a worthwhile contribution that would benefit the facility for years to come.

Through her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Emily learned the importance of following through with a project to achieve the end result. “I learned that persistence pays off,” said Emily. “Projects don’t always go as planned, but if you take initiative to solve a problem, the end result is worth it,” she added.

Emily is the daughter of Scott and Tammy Baima. She is currently a senior at Collinsville High School. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Emily has been a Girl Scout for 13 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.

Caitlin Lloyd from O'Fallon has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Caitlin Lloyd from O’Fallon has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive.

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Suite Dreams, Caitlin worked with The Women’s Safe House in St. Louis. She repainted two rooms at the facility in bright colors to make the atmosphere cheerful and hopeful. She also organized groups to make fleece blankets and held a book drive that collected 500 books for the organization. Last, Caitlin built a bookcase so that the books that were donated were easily accessible for the residents.

Through her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Caitlin learned valuable life skills that she will be able to use throughout her life. “I definitely learned the importance of persistence and dedication,” said Caitlin. “There were times when I felt the project was overwhelming and I might not finish. However, I took each part one step at a time to stay on schedule,” she added.

Caitlin is the daughter of Matt and Kristen Lloyd. She is a junior at O’Fallon Township High School. Caitlin 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.

Kaitlyn Barnett from Troy has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Kaitlyn Barnett from Troy has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Camp for Everyone, Kaitlyn wanted all Girl Scouts and other members of her community to have the opportunity able to fully enjoy camping and outdoor activities. Kaitlyn took on several projects to make Camp Torqua in Edwardsville more accessible. She added a rock trail and sidewalk that connected the lodge to the restrooms. In addition, Kaitlyn installed a concrete ramp to the campfire ring and a threshold for the restrooms at the area known as Pumpkin Patch at the camp.

Through her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Kaitlyn learned valuable life skills that she will be able to use throughout her life. “Through this project, I have learned that I am filled with an abundance of patience and determination,” said Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn is the daughter of Thomas and Melissa Barnett. She is a junior at Triad High School. Kaitlyn has been a Girl Scout for 11 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.

Sarah Goldacker from Glen Carbon Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Sarah Goldacker from Glen Carbon has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called An Old Spin on a New Trick: Teaching Art to Senior Citizens, Sarah wanted to share her love of art with others in the community in a way that would benefit their well-being. Having a desire to help the elderly, Sarah learned that art classes can help to cope with the onset of dementia. In the hope of relieving boredom and increasing cognitive ability by learning new skills, she knew that teaching art classes at nursing homes is what she wanted to do for her project. 

Through her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Sarah learned that giving back to others benefits all those involved. “Through this project I not only found a way to give my art back to people, but I really grew as a person,” said Sarah. “My people skills are far better now that I’ve done this project, and I like to think I’ve made an impact on each person I taught,” she added.

Sarah is the daughter of Don and Debra Goldacker. She is a senior at Edwardsville High School. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue a degree in Art and Design. Sarah has been a Girl Scout for 13 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.

Hannah Redinger from Columbia Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Hannah Redinger from Columbia has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, named Country to Country, School to School: Students Helping Students, Hannah wanted to help high school girls in third world countries continue their education. She worked with the Illinois South Conference United Church of Christ (ISC UCC) Ecuador Partnership Committee who partners with the Chuquiraguan Women’s Kiwanis Club to bring awareness to this important issue. Hannah collected school supplies and toiletries as well as helped ISC UCC campaign for scholarship funds.

She collected approximately 2,000 items and her efforts helped ISC UCC raise $3,000 in scholarship funds. The funds that were raised were enough to send 15 girls through a year of high school in Quito, Ecuador. In July, Hannah was part of a mission trip to Ecuador in which she was able to meet the girls that were supported by her project.

Through her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Hannah learned how to gain the support of a community. “I learned that if you are passionate about a cause and are willing to share your passion with others, people will support you and your cause,” said Hannah.

Hannah is the daughter of Sharon and Jeff Redinger. In May, she graduated from Columbia High School. She is currently attending Kansas State University where she is majoring in Animal Science and Industry. Hannah has been involved in Girl Scouting for 13 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.

Amelia Schmitz from Belleville Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Amelia Schmitz from Belleville has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Signal Hill School: Strong Minds. Strong Bodies. Strong Character, Amelia wanted to give back to the school that had an incredible impact on her Girl Scout experience. She shared that she earned her Girl Scout Bronze Award and Girl Scout Silver Award through projects completed at Signal Hill School. “I was familiar with the school’s character education curriculum and felt there were ways to improve upon it through students’ participation in monthly character building activities,” Amelia said.

Through her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Amelia expanded the SHS character education curriculum. She did this through character trait assemblies, morning announcements, monthly character reflection cards, and character trait bulletin boards. “I believe all of these activities made a positive difference for the students and the SHS character education curriculum,” Amelia added.

This Girl Scout Gold Award helped Amelia improve many of her organizational and leadership skills. “I learned that a project can have many different detours along the way and that success is dependent upon how these detours are addressed. I also learned to not sweat the small stuff and to keep focused on the goal,” she said.

Amelia is the daughter of Mark and Kit Schmitz. She is currently a Senior at Belleville West High School. Amelia has been a Girl Scout for 13 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.

Elizabeth Boehning from O'Fallon Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Boehning from O’Fallon has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Operation Find a Friend, Elizabeth helped youth who were new to O’Fallon to make friends. According to Elizabeth, this is a big military area and lots of new kids come into the community and she wanted to help them easily transition and make friends. As part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project, she implemented a Buddy Bench at the new playground at Laverna Evans School. She also organized a painting day and with the help of volunteers, repainted the games on the school’s blacktop. Finally, she held an assembly at the school and explained to students the purpose of the Buddy Bench and her Girl Scout Gold Award project. 

This Girl Scout Gold Award project was a rewarding experience for Elizabeth. “Through my Girl Scout Gold Award project, I really learned how to coordinate a large project with many parts. I was able to stay organized and also improved my communications skills, Elizabeth added.”

Elizabeth is the daughter of Stephanie and Jonathan Boehning. She is currently a Junior at O’Fallon Township High School. Elizabeth has been a Girl Scout for 11 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.

Madeleine Renken from Troy Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Madeleine Renken from Troy has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called "Graphing the Graveyard," Madeleine worked with the Troy Genealogical Society to photograph and document all of the graves in the Troy City Cemetery. In addition, her photos and documentations of graves and tombstones will be online through findagrave.com. She also performed some cemetery landscaping due to overgrowth. 

This Girl Scout Gold Award project was a rewarding experience for Madeleine. “Through my Girl Scout Gold Award project, I learned so much about the people who started my town and the citizens who lived in it and about Troy’s history as well,” said Madeleine. “I also discovered my ability to lead a group of people to achieve a common goal.”

Madeleine is the daughter of Shari and Bryce Renken. She is currently a senior at Triad High School. Madeleine 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.