Emily Ripperda from Breese Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

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

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Project Pirouette – Building Confidence in Young Girls through Dance, Emily wanted to address the lack of self-confidence and self-esteem that she saw in today’s young girls, something she herself experienced. Emily helped girls build confidence by teaching them dance skills and encouraging them to try something new. She had guest speakers who discussed how their confidence built over time and how they were able to overcome esteem issues. Each girl also received books with inspiring quotes and messages for them to keep. The girls then learned a dance routine that they performed for their parents and guests.

Through her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Emily gained valuable leadership skills that she’ll be able to use throughout her life. “This project helped me learn the skills needed to be a leader. I also learned the importance of planning ahead, clear communication and being flexible when things don’t go as planned,” said Emily.

Emily is the daughter of Dennis Ripperda and Linda Loepker. She is currently a sophomore at Central Community High School. Emily has been a Girl Scout for 10 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.

Elaina Johnson from Breese Has Earned the Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Elaina Marie Johnson from Breese has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Fine Arts Camp, Elaina held a fine arts camp at her local high school for the youth of her community. She has always been involved with the arts and wanted to showcase the positive effects of participating in the fine arts. Elaina’s camp consisted of five days, each day focusing on a different art: music drama, dance and art. On the last day of her camp, everyone showcased what they had been working on throughout the week.

This Girl Scout Gold Award project was a rewarding experience for Elaina. “My project taught me that the passion for the arts isn’t being put out, but it does need help being kindled. The kids involved were excited to let out their creativity and excitement when given the opportunity,” said Elaina.

Elaina is the daughter of Robin and Donna Johnson. She is currently a sophomore at Central Community High School. Elaina 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.

Katelyn Elias from Breese Earns the Girl Scout Gold Award

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

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, called Retiring the Stars and Stripes, Katelyn wanted to increase the respect given to the United States flag in her community. She wanted to help educate people what the flag means to this country and how to properly retire the flag. Katelyn began by collected flags in her community that were in need of retirement. Then, she organized a flag retirement ceremony which she presented to the public. Katelyn also made presentations on the topic to other Girl Scouts, 4-H groups at her local library.

Through her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Katelyn gained valuable leadership skills that she’ll be able to use throughout her life. “After this project, I learned that I have more self-esteem than I thought I had,” said Katelyn.

Katelyn is the daughter of Jeff and Kelly Elias. She is currently a sophomore at Central Community High School. Katelyn has been a Girl Scout for 10 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.