Girl Scout Gold Award Centennial: Sophia (Thomasson) Cykert

Since 1916, Girl Scouts have been making meaningful, sustainable change in their communities and around the world through their Girl Scout Gold Award projects. The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn, acknowledges the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering herself, but also to make the world a better place for others. As the Girl Scout Gold Award celebrates 100 years of girls changing the world, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) are highlighting some of our shining stars who exemplify the greatness of this award.

Sophia (Thomasson) Cykert always knew the importance of education. Growing up in Belknap, IL, she was able to see the positive impact her mom was able to make in the lives of children through her job as a teacher. In addition, Sophia’s parents always encouraged her and her sister to actively pursue learning, whether it be to simply satisfy a curiosity or obtain a degree.

She wanted to help instill that trait in the youth in her community, so she created programs to incorporate literacy and character education lessons for children and drastically expanded the library at the Massac County Housing Authority for her Girl Scout Gold Award project. Because of her project, children could access these programs and books when they came in for the existing lunch program. The children could even opt to keep their favorite books – with some of them taking home the first books they could call their own.

“Our world has so much hardship and suffering on its own, and I realized that kids can use all the help they can get to come out on the brighter side of things. I knew that if I could share the magic of reading with these kids who were struggling, they would have a safe space to escape long enough to discover their dreams,” said Sophia.

Sophia herself credits Girl Scouts with helping her to discover and fulfill some of her dreams. “Through Girl Scouts, I was able to develop a much stronger sense of self,” she said. “I learned to find practical solutions for turning my dreams into reality. Girl Scouting taught me how to actually reach my goals and gave me the skills I needed to do so,” Sophia added. One of those dreams she fulfilled was that of working for the US Federal Government. Upon graduating high school, Sophia attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale on a full presidential academic scholarship. She now lives in Nashville, TN and works as a legal administrative specialist with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Sophia encourages other Girl Scouts to chase their dreams and earn their Girl Scout Gold Award as well. But, she emphasizes the importance of keeping focus on the work that is being done rather than the award that will be received. “I would encourage young Girl Scouts to not worry so much about the prestige or glory of the project,” said Sophia. “For me, God is the greatest part of my life. So, I believe the glory goes to him anyway. With that worry out of the picture, it frees you to focus on the helping of others. Focus on helping people and making a positive impact in your community, and the accolades will come,” she added.

The Girl Scout Gold Award 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 Scout Gold Award Centennial: Golden Sisters Nicolle and Danielle Patton

Since 1916, Girl Scouts have been making meaningful, sustainable change in their communities and around the world through their Girl Scout Gold Award projects.  The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn, acknowledges the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others.  As the Girl Scout Gold Award celebrates 100 years of girls changing the world, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) will highlight some of our shining stars who exemplify the greatness of this award.

Most people who have been a part of Girl Scouting for several years feel as though their troop and leaders are like a family.  That’s definitely the case with Nicolle and Danielle – literally.  The Patton sisters, both from Mt. Vernon, have been involved with Girl Scouting ever since they were old enough to join the organization.  And, each of them earned the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award.  They attribute a lot of who they are today to Girl Scouts and their journey for Gold.

When the sisters were in the process of earning their Gold Awards, they each took on projects that would benefit the youth of their community.  Nicolle partnered with Hope In Christ shelter.  She educated people on the issue of homelessness in their community, made major improvements to the shelter facility and provided Christmas boxes to the children at the shelter.  “Nicolle has influenced me for as long as I can remember.  Every little sister wants to be like her older sister, and I was no exception,” states Danielle.  “When I saw her work hard for her Gold Award, I told myself that one day I would be standing on that stage receiving recognition for all of my hard work.  She made me want to strive to be a better person and set my goals higher,” Danielle added.

For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Danielle partnered with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates).  She wanted to give the youth that were served by this organization some of the luxuries many others think of as staples.  She made sure each child had a box that contained supplies to have an age appropriate birthday party; a bag with many essentials, books and toys; and a life book that provided words of encouragement and inspiration to the children who received them.

Having achieved the Gold Award herself, Nicolle was there to support her sister along the way.  “Danielle has always told me she looked up to me.  I wanted to set an example for her; I wanted her to strive to be the best that she could be because she’s an amazing young lady,” said Nicolle.  “Above all, I reminded her of the impact she was making as she continued to work on her project.  She was changing people’s lives for the better.  The long hours of work she put into the project couldn’t compare to the impact she was having on those deserving people.  I am extremely proud of what she accomplished.”

Nicolle and Danielle encourage young girls to get involved in Girl Scouting and for older girls to go for their Gold Award.  “Girl Scouts has impacted my life so much over the years,” said Nicolle.  “Not only has it helped me come out of my shell, but it also taught me some important life lessons along the way.  It taught me that I could be a leader – that I had the drive and the skills all along.  To this day, I use those same skills in my work and my schooling,” Nicolle added.

“Earning my Gold Award taught me skills that I’ll use in the future; it gave me a sense of adulthood,” Danielle said.  She also encourages other girls to strive for this top award.  “Do it!  Believe in yourself and push yourself to do better each day,” she added.

Nicolle is in her final year at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where she will graduate with a degree in Mass Communications, minoring in Theatre and Dance.  She plans to pursue a career in the television industry after graduation.  Danielle is a senior at Mt. Vernon Township High School.  Upon graduation, she intends to pursue a degree in Communications.

Mary Ann Hopper: Girl Scout Gold Award Trainer Since 2000

Since 1916, Girl Scouts have been making meaningful, sustainable change in their communities and around the world through their Girl Scout Gold Award projects. The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn, acknowledges the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others. As the Girl Scout Gold Award celebrates 100 years of girls changing the world, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is highlighting some of our shining stars who exemplify the greatness of this award.

Girl Scout Gold Award recipients make great impacts on their communities. A girl puts in a tremendous amount of work to make her project successful, thus earning her Girl Scout Gold Award. But how does a girl get started on her journey? That’s where a group of select Girl Scout volunteers come in – volunteers like Mary Anne Hopper.

Mary Anne Hopper from Waterloo, IL first became a Girl Scout volunteer in 1993. While registering her youngest daughter for Girl Scouts, she learned there was a need for more troop leaders in her area. With the help of another parent as a co-leader, Mary Anne started her Girl Scout volunteer experience as a troop leader for her daughter Amy’s troop.

In 1996, Mary Anne’s oldest daughter, Michelle, earned her Girl Scout Gold Award. Soon after, daughter Amy was approaching the age when many Girl Scouts start thinking about the Gold Award themselves. As Amy’s troop leader and parent, Mary Anne wanted to know as much as she could about the award. Mary Anne was herself a Girl Scout for 8 years but never knew about the Girl Scout Gold Award (then known as First Class). She wanted to make sure Amy and other Girl Scouts knew about the award and had the necessary resources to achieve it. In 2000, Mary Anne became a Girl Scout Gold Award Trainer and Gold Award Committee member – positions she still holds today.

Mary Anne is a very busy individual; she is a full time paraprofessional at Waterloo High School and also works as an usher for the St. Louis Cardinals during baseball season. In addition, Mary Anne also volunteers at her church as well as the Cub Scout Day Camp and Camp Vandeventer. People like her usually get asked why they do so much or if they ever think about “cutting back” on their commitments. When Mary Anne is asked this regarding her Girl Scout volunteering, she replies, “If there had not been volunteers for my daughters’ troops, they would have missed out on a lot of new experiences. I have something to share with the girls as well as the adults with whom I interact, and it is important to me that I share it.”

As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scout Gold Award, Mary Anne encourages other adults to consider becoming a Girl Scout Gold Award volunteer. She states, “You get to watch girls grow into young women who can do anything they choose to do. If you help a girl with her Gold Award project, you may be that one resource that helps her project go from good to great!”

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award a girl can earn in Girl Scouting. To earn this award, a Girl Scout Senior or Girl Scout Ambassador must design and carry out a project that fulfills a need within her community, creates change and is sustainable. The project must be completed with a suggested minimum of 80 hours of work, and only about 5 percent of eligible girls earn the prestigious Gold Award.

Girl Scout Gold Award Centennial: Alumna Jennifer Thole from Trenton

Since 1916, Girl Scouts have been making meaningful, sustainable change in their communities and around the world through their Girl Scout Gold Award projects. The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn, acknowledges the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others. As the Girl Scout Gold Award celebrates 100 years of girls changing the world, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) will highlight some of our shining stars who exemplify the greatness of this award. 

Jennifer Thole from Trenton, IL grew up knowing the importance of health care. Her mom is a nurse and Jennifer herself was working as a nurse assistant in high school. When contemplating her Girl Scout Gold Award project, it was a natural fit for her to choose a project related to health care. Jennifer brainstormed some ideas and decided to develop a health fair for kids that focused on making smart food choices, staying active and proactively combating diabetes. 

Jennifer’s Girl Scout Gold Award project was titled "Sugar and Spice is Not Always so Nice." Jennifer got the ball rolling by setting up meetings with the Diabetes Educator and Dietitian at her local hospital. She took the knowledge she had gained and developed a health fair in which parents and their children could learn more about healthy and easy after school snacks, fun exercises and games, calculating body mass index and visual representations of sugar amounts in various candies and sodas. Jennifer’s project was a great success. 

After graduating from Mater Dei High School in 2009, Jennifer continued to pursue the health care field. She graduated from Quincy University Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing in 2013. Today, she is a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at Anderson Hospital in Maryville, IL. 

One of the requirements of the Girl Scout Gold Award is that the project must fill a need in the girl’s community. “Giving back” has always been one thing Girl Scouts, especially Girl Scout Gold Award recipients, excel in. Jennifer didn’t stop “giving back” once she completed her Gold Award. In fact, her project not only paved the way for her career but also for how she is now able to be of service to others. This spring, Jennifer was part of a team that went on a surgical mission trip to Bohol, Philippines. This team spent 12 days in Bohol where they performed 115 surgeries ranging from goiter removals to hernia repairs to hysterectomies. “The people there have so little yet are so grateful for everything,” said Jennifer. “It was the most eye opening experience I have ever had,” Jennifer added. 

The Girl Scout Gold Award 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. 

“You will not regret doing it, but you will regret NOT doing it,” are words of advice Jennifer offers to Girl Scouts who want earn the highest award in Girl Scouting. “It will be a lot of work but you never know the networks you may build and the things you will learn that will shape your future,” adds Jennifer. 

Today, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. is the largest voluntary organization for girls in the world. Its sole focus is to meet the needs of all girls (ages 5-17) from diverse racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Today’s Girl Scouts not only enjoy camping and crafts, but they also explore math and science and learn about diversity, good citizenship, leadership and teamwork. Girl Scouting is the place where girls experience the fun, friendship and power of girls together. 

Dara Weaver-Holmes: Girl Scout National Young Woman of Distinction

Since 1916, Girl Scouts have been making meaningful, sustainable change in their communities and around the world through their Girl Scout Gold Award projects. The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn, acknowledges the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others. As the Girl Scout Gold Award celebrates 100 years of girls changing the world, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) will highlight some of our shining stars who exemplify the greatness of this award.

Dara Weaver-Holmes

Dara Weaver-Holmes of Carbondale, IL was always active in Girl Scouts. As a teen, she didn’t just stick with Girl Scouting – she excelled – earning the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award her senior year. For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Dara organized a highly successful career fair and virtual career website. “I kept hearing how young Americans were not trained to enter the work world,” she said. “I have never liked to be at the bottom. It’s just not me. I got tired of hearing how we were not preparing American youth and decided to startt preparing us,” added Dara.

Dara’s initiative and successful Gold Award project paid off. Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois chose to nominate her for the highly honored award of National Young Woman of Distinction. Each year, ten exceptionally inspiring Girl Scout Gold Award recipients from throughout the country are chosen by Girl Scouts of the USA as National Young Women of Distinction. Dara was selected by GSUSA as a 2012 Young Woman of Distinction which also came with a $3,000 scholarship, an all-expense paid trip to GSUSA’s national convention and exclusive leadership opportunities with the organization.

Dara contributes a lot of who she is today to Girl Scouting and earning the Girl Scout Gold Award. “Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award gave me the opportunity to give speeches around the country, allowed for networking opportunities and provided a strong sense of family. Several of us Gold Award recipients remain in touch today,” she said. And, she encourages other Girl Scouts to set goals and achieve the Gold Award. “Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do it. I heard that a lot throughout my life, but Girl Scouts pushed me forward and allowed me to fulfill my dreams,” Dara added.

Dara’s success continues today. She currently attends Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL. In 2012, Dara co-founded their local chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists with Jasmine Jackson. Dara was President of the chapter until the fall of 2015. This spring, she will graduate from Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in American Sign Language. Upon graduation, Dara will be applying to attend law school.

The Girl Scout Gold Award 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 Scout Gold Award Centennial Celebration at the Illinois' Capitol

Past and present recipients of the highest award in Girl Scouting (Girl Scout Gold Award, First Class Award, Curved Bar, Golden Eaglet, Golden Eagle of Merit) are invited to attend the Girl Scout Gold Award Centennial Celebration at the Capitol on May 6. 

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Girl Scouts is Celebrating the Centennial of its Highest Award

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois, along with Girl Scouts everywhere, is celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the movement's highest award, which has been named the Girl Scout Gold Award since 1980. 

While the name of the award has changed over the years, the hard work, heart and hope for a better future that inspires girls to earn this prestigious award has remained the same for 100 years!

In honor of this momentous occasion, GSSI is highlighting several of our alumnae who have received the highest award in Girl Scouting, as well as volunteers who have mentored young women while they completed leadership and community service projects required to earn the award.  Do you or someone you know have an inspiring story about earning the Girl Scout Gold Award or one of its predecessors?  Please contact Communications & Marketing Manager Tricia Higgins at 800.345.6858, 2143 or e-mail thiggins@gsofsi.org. 

GSSI Girl Scout Gold Award Recipient 
Alumnae Profiles to date:

Cheyenne Chalkus from Salem: Girl Scout Gold Award Recipient and Heroic Lifesaver

Alyssa Heimerman from Belleville: Girl Scout Gold Award recipient to Air Force Officer

Karlene Hoefener from O'Fallon: Gold Award Mentor Extraordinaire

Dara Weaver-Holmes from Carbondale: National Young Woman of Distinction

Angie Zahn from Trenton: Dedicated Girl Scout Volunteer and Gold Award Advisor – 29 Years and Counting!

Watch for more GSSI Girl Scout Gold Award Centennial Stories!  

Angie Zahn: Dedicated Girl Scout Volunteer and Gold Award Advisor – 29 Years and Counting!

Since 1916, Girl Scouts have been making meaningful, sustainable change in their communities and around the world through their Girl Scout Gold Award projects. The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn, acknowledges the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others. As the Girl Scout Gold Award celebrates 100 years of girls changing the world, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is highlighting some of our shining stars who exemplify the greatness of this award.

Angie Zahn	A great part of the success of many organizations relies heavily on the quality and dedication of volunteers who are passionate about the organization they are serving. This is true about Girl Scouts as an organization, and this is true about Angie Zahn as a long-time Girl Scout volunteer.

Angie Zahn from Trenton, IL is a Managing Broker with Strano & Associates Real Estate. Even with her busy career, Angie has found time to pour her heart and soul into Girl Scouting. Being a Girl Scout Troop Leader for 29 years is quite an accomplishment in itself, but it doesn’t stop there for this volunteer. Angie has worn (and still wears) many hats with Girl Scouts, ranging from Day Camp staff to Board of Directors Chair. One of the roles that Angie has held for several years, and still holds today, is that of Girl Scout Gold Award advisor and mentor.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award a girl can earn in Girl Scouting. To earn this award, a Girl Scout Senior or Girl Scout Ambassador must design and carry out a project that fulfills a need within her community, creates change and is sustainable. The project must be completed with a suggested minimum of 80 hours of work, and only about 5 percent of eligible girls earn the prestigious Gold Award. To say that a girl’s Gold Award Advisor is instrumental in her journey would be an understatement.

Angie began her adventure as a Girl Scout Gold Award Advisor by first mentoring her daughter through her Gold Award project. Angie’s daughter, Jennifer, developed a summer reading program for kids in their hometown of Trenton. Jennifer arranged for speakers, door prizes and activities for the kids at the library all summer. Angie went on to mentor another 6 girls through their Gold Award projects, including Sarah Monical who is now Angie’s Troop Co-Leader. She hasn’t stopped there; Angie is currently working with her eighth Girl Scout who is going for Gold.

“At the end of the day, we talk a great deal about how the Girl Scout Gold Award project was designed to benefit others. What I have seen time after time is truly the benefit to the girls. The payback for our girls comes from finding out they are capable of making a difference, that they are capable of making decisions that affect themselves and others, and that they have it within themselves to succeed,” said Angie of the Girl Scouts she has mentored.

As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scout Gold Award, Angie encourages other adults to consider becoming a Girl Scout volunteer and Gold Award advisor. She states, “There is nothing more satisfying than watching a young woman recognize her own power and realize her dreams.”

Cheyenne Chalkus: Girl Scout Gold Award Recipient and Heroic Lifesaver

Since 1916, Girl Scouts have been making meaningful, sustainable change in their communities and around the world through their Girl Scout Gold Award projects. The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn, acknowledges the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others. As the Girl Scout Gold Award celebrates 100 years of girls changing the world, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) will highlight some of our shining stars who exemplify the greatness of this award.

Cheyenne Chalkus

A simple newspaper article on a beginner’s class in cemetery cleaning inspired Cheyenne Chalkus of Salem, IL to pursue her Girl Scout Gold Award. Cheyenne knew she wanted to do something unique for her Gold Award project, and this was just the ticket. She cleared overgrowth and restored vandalized headstones at Dickens Cemetery, a historic burial site owned by the City of Salem. After obtaining the proper permits to start her project, Cheyenne went to work – fixing damaged memorials, clearing brush and removing poison ivy from the site. To ensure the cemetery would stay maintained, she held a public presentation and distributed pamphlets about volunteer upkeep of historic cemeteries. To emphasize the importance of treating aging burial grounds with respect, Cheyenne included genealogy of those who were buried at the cemetery during her presentation.

Not long after earning her Girl Scout Gold Award, Cheyenne earned another prestigious Girl Scout award – the Girl Scout Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor is a lifesaving award given by Girl Scouts of the USA to girls who have saved or attempted to save a human life under circumstances that indicate heroism. This award is reserved for those Girl Scouts who have performed heroic acts beyond the degree of maturity and training to be expected at their age. At the age of 18, Cheyenne saved the life of her 22 month old nephew when he ended up face down and unconscious in a hot tub. Thanks to her CPR training, Cheyenne was able to revive her nephew by the time paramedics arrived.

Cheyenne will likely positively touch and save many more lives in the future. She currently attends Kaskaskia College where she is enrolled in the school’s nursing and band programs. Once she graduates from Kaskaskia, Cheyenne plans to further her education by pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing.

The Girl Scout Gold Award 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. “It’s an accomplished feeling to have completed Girl Scouts ‘all the way’,” says Cheyenne of earning the Girl Scout Gold Award. “If I could give any advice to future Girl Scouts it would be to finish Girl Scouts to the fullest (earn the Gold Award) because you will become a better person from the characteristics instilled throughout the program,” Cheyenne added.

Alyssa Heimerman: Girl Scout Gold Award recipient to Air Force Officer

Since 1916, Girl Scouts have been making meaningful, sustainable change in their communities and around the world through their Girl Scout Gold Award projects. The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn, acknowledges the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others. As the Girl Scout Gold Award celebrates 100 years of girls changing the world, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) will highlight some of our shining stars who exemplify the greatness of this award.

Alyssa Heimerman

Alyssa Heimerman, originally from Belleville, earned her Girl Scout Gold Award in 2009. Alyssa believed more environmental-based learning opportunities should be provided to youth in grades K-12. For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, she teamed up with the YMCA. The organization provided Alyssa with a trailer on their grounds for her to renovate into an Environmental Education Center. Alyssa worked to renovate the interior of the trailer, build a deck outside, create nature trails around the area and develop a K-12 curriculum.

Alyssa Heimerman, originally from Belleville, earned her Girl Scout Gold Award in 2009. Alyssa believed more environmental-based learning opportunities should be provided to youth in grades K-12. For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, she teamed up with the YMCA. The organization provided Alyssa with a trailer on their grounds for her to renovate into an Environmental Education Center. Alyssa worked to renovate the interior of the trailer, build a deck outside, create nature trails around the area and develop a K-12 curriculum.

The Girl Scout Gold Award 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. “Find something you are passionate about, something that you want to make better, something that motivates you…and don’t give up,” are words of encouragement Alyssa offers to Girl Scouts who want earn the highest award in Girl Scouting.

Completing a Girl Scout Gold Award project benefits the community by filling a need, but the project also benefits the girl by helping her gain skills she can take into adulthood. Alyssa, now a 1st Lieutenant with the United States Air Force, says her Girl Scout Gold Award project helped prepare her to enter the military. "My Gold Award project prepared me to become a military officer and leader by teaching and reinforcing so many characteristics – communication, responsibility, short-term and long-term planning and time management," said Alyssa.

"I attribute a lot of who I am today to the Girl Scout organization," said Alyssa. "Girl Scouts teaches so many characteristics to help young ladies become women with confidence and open-mindedness to take on all the world has to offer. Organizations and corporations today need not only leaders, but also team players, and Girl Scouts is the ideal organization for girls to perfect those skills," Alyssa added.

Alyssa Heimerman is an Aircraft Maintenance Officer stationed at Travis Air Force Base in California. She is currently serving as the Operations and Training Flight Commander, 821 Contingency Response Support Squadron.