2017 Girl Scout Gold Award Recipients from Southern Illinois

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.

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois recognized the following girls for earning the Girl Scout Gold Award at their 2017 All That Glitters Award Ceremony.  Please note that an asterisk (*) signifies girls who have also earned the GSSI Trifecta Award for earning their Girl Scout Bronze Award, Girl Scout Silver Award and Girl Scout Gold Award.

2017 Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois

Girl Scout Gold Award Recipients

Emily Baima, Collinsville*

Project: Squirrel Habitat

Kaitlyn Barnett, Troy*

Project: Camp for Everyone

Elizabeth Boehning, O'Fallon*

Project: Operation Find a Friend

Elizabeth Burr, Collinsville*

Project: Camps in Motion

Lauren Carter, Collinsville*

Project: Nursery Reboot

Johannah Comish, Highland*

Project: Bridges to a Better Tomorrow

Cecelia Cowell, Red Bud*

Project: Got Safety?

Sarah Eversman, Swansea

Project: Plastic Caps

Sarah Goldacker, Glen Carbon

Project: An Old Spin on a New Trick

Hannah Grotecke, Granite City

Project: Old Six Mile Museum Repairs

Gabriella Holmes, Millstadt*

Project: Softball Pitching Fun and Exercise

Caitlin Lloyd, O'Fallon

Project: Suite Dreams

Lauren Lundy, O'Fallon

Project: Lullabies Live!

Josefina Pimentel, Carbondale

Project: Creative Writing: Express Our Dreams

Hannah Redinger, Columbia*

Project: Country to Country, School to School, Students Helping Students

Madeleine Renken, Troy*

Project: Graphing the Graveyard

Amelia Schmitz, Belleville*

Project: Signal Hill School: Strong Minds, Strong Bodies, Strong Character

Dakota Smallie, Granite City*

Project: Pontoon Beach Patchwork Garden

Caroline Stewart, Belleville*

Project: Washington Park Good Samaritan Center Playground

Jordyn Thompson, O'Fallon*

Project: Fall Fun Fair

Shelby Tingley, Granite City

Project: Homing the Homeless Birds

Alexandra Waugh, Nashville

Project: Move for Missions

Kelsey Weatherford, Columbia*

Project: Blooming Butterflies

Kayli Worthey, Neoga

Project:  The 3 Dangerous D's of Driving

Watch our GSSI Blog and social media platforms for more coverage of this year's Girl Scout Gold Award recipients and their amazing projects!

2017 Girl Scout Silver Award Recipients from Southern Illinois

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.  Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) honored Girl Scout Silver Award recpients at its All That Glitters Award ceremony on April 1 at Holiday Inn in Mt. Vernon.

2017 GSSI Girl Scout Silver Award recipients, 

by hometown:

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

Caroline Stewart from Belleville Awarded Outstanding Graduating Girl Scout Scholarship

Caroline Stewart from Belleville was awarded the Outstanding Graduating Girl Scout Scholarship from Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois during its All That Glitters awards ceremony. 

Caroline is a Girl Scout Ambassador who has been a Girl Scout for 11 years. She received her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting, this year. She is also a GSSI Trifecta recipient, having earned the Girl Scout Silver Award and Girl Scout Bronze Award as well. She has also served as a Girl Scouts’ National Delegate, GSSI ex-officio Girl Board Member and a GSSI robotics team member and mentor. 

“Through Girl Scouting, I have had several amazing opportunities. However, the adventures I have had are not nearly as important as the skills and experience I have gained, and the way my identity has been shaped. I do not believe that I would be the person I am today had I not remained a Girl Scout,” said Caroline. 

GSSI CEO Sarah Durbin, Caroline Stewart, GSSI Board Chair Linda Manley

Caroline is currently a senior at Governor French Academy and also attends Southwestern Illinois College. She plans to study engineering at a top-ranked college in the fall. Caroline states that Girl Scouts has helped her develop an array of skills and knowledge, including public speaking, financial management and leadership, as well as helped her realize her potential to make a difference in the world. 

To receive a GSSI Outstanding Graduating Girl Scout Scholarship, girls must submit an application, essay and letters of recommendation. These applications are then reviewed by a committee of staff and volunteers. Applications wth the top three highest scores accumulated across a variety of criteria are awarded scholarships. Two of these scholarships are funded from proceeds from GSSI's annual Brownie Haunted Camp program, while one is funded by a GSSI staff campaign.

Kathleen McCracken from Edwardsville Awarded Outstanding Graduating Girl Scout Scholarship from Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois

Kathleen McCracken from Edwardsville was awarded the Outstanding Graduating Girl Scout Scholarship from Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois during its All That Glitters awards ceremony. 

Kathleen is a Girl Scout Ambassador who has been a Girl Scout for 13 years. She received her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting, in 2016. She is also a GSSI Trifecta recipient, having earned the Girl Scout Silver Award and Girl Scout Bronze Award as well. 

“If it weren’t for Girl Scouts, I wouldn’t have gone out of my comfort zone and completed a high ropes course, taken the treacherous step off of multiple ziplines or gone scuba diving. Travel, adventure, and leadership are things that the vast majority of my peers have yet to have. I wholeheartedly believe that the unique experience of Girl Scouts is doing things you wouldn’t normally do,” said Kathleen.

GSSI CEO Sarah Durbin, Kathleen McCracken, GSSI Board Chair Linda Manley

Kathleen is currently a senior at Edwardsville High School and plans to attend Drake University in the fall, where she plans to major in International Relations. She states that Girl Scouts has helped her get out of her comfort zone, travel domestically and internationally, try new things and build leadership skills. 

To receive a GSSI Outstanding Graduating Girl Scout Scholarship, girls must submit an application, essay and letters of recommendation. These applications are then reviewed by a committee of staff and volunteers. Applications wth the top three highest scores accumulated across a variety of criteria are awarded scholarships. Two of these scholarships are funded from proceeds from GSSI's annual Brownie Haunted Camp program, while one is funded by a GSSI staff campaign.

Kayli Worthey from Neoga Awarded Outstanding Graduating Girl Scout Scholarship from Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois

Kayli Worthey

Kayli Worthey from Neoga was awarded the Outstanding Graduating Girl Scout Scholarship from Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois during its All That Glitters awards ceremony. 

Kayli is a Girl Scout Ambassador who has been a Girl Scout for 13 years. She received her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting, this year. She is also a GSSI Trifecta recipient, having earned the Girl Scout Silver Award and Girl Scout Bronze Award as well. In addition, she has also served as a GSSI ex-officio Girl Board Member, GSSI Girl Board Mentor and GSSI robotics team member.

“Girl Scouts has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It gave me a place, a purpose and made me feel that I belonged to something," she said. "I was part of something bigger that made me who I am today. There’s no other way to describe what Girl Scouts means to me than by saying it’s my world."

GSSI CEO Sarah Durbin, Kayli Worthey, GSSI Board Chair Linda Manley

Kayli is currently a senior at Neoga High School and plans to attend Indiana State University to study Speech Language Pathology with a minor in Special Education-Elementary in the fall. She states that, through Girl Scouts, she has developed confidence, leadership, respect, optimism and work ethic, along with a sense of belonging.

To receive a GSSI Outstanding Graduating Girl Scout Scholarship, girls must submit an application, essay and letters of recommendation. These applications are then reviewed by a committee of staff and volunteers. Applications wth the top three highest scores accumulated across a variety of criteria are awarded scholarships. Two of these scholarships are funded from proceeds from GSSI's annual Brownie Haunted Camp program, while one is funded by a GSSI staff campaign.

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!

Annual Meeting 2017 Save the Date

SAVE THE DATE:

GSSI’s 8th Annual Meeting  and All That Glitters - April 1, 2017

Holiday Inn, Mt. Vernon