Fourteen GSSI Girl Scouts Receive the Trifecta Award

Girl Scouts were shining stars during Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois’ (GSSI) All That Glitters Award ceremony on March 28, 2015 at Rend Lake Resort in Whittington, Illinois. Each year, the banquet recognizes Girl Scouts from across southern Illinois who achieve significant accomplishments in community service and leadership. This year, GSSI recognized girls with the Girl Scout Trifecta Award, which honors GSSI Girl Scouts who have earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award, Girl Scout Silver Award and the Girl Scout Gold Award.

2015 GSSI Trifecta Award recipients:

Katie Albert - Troop #387, Waterloo
Elizabeth Arend, Troop #17, Highland
Lainey Brown, Troop #915, O'Fallon
Kaylynn Clement, Troop #915, O'Fallon
Kaitlyn Frick, Troop #46, Edwardsville
Megan Kraus, Troop #332, Waterloo
Alexandra Lloyd – Troop #1123, O’Fallon

Jordan Larusso – Troop #551, Edwardsville
Tessa Miller - Troop #8303, Red Bud 

Samantha Mitchell – Troop #8174, Carbondale

Caitlynn Rosenberg – Troop #915, O’Fallon

Tera Sparks – Troop #915, O’Fallon

Kathryn Stacy – Troop #915, Shiloh
Krista VanDriel - Troop #915, O'Fallon

Samantha Mitchell from Carbondale Earns the Girl Scout Gold Award

 

 

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSSI) is pleased to announce that Samantha Mitchell from Carbondale has received the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive

 For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Samantha organized a community project to make and send children’s clothing and school bags to Haiti. After learning more about the poverty in Haiti following the massive 2010 earthquake, she was wanted to connect her hometown to global service and fellowship.

“The problem is still there and there are so many people living without basic necessities,” she explained. “We see these disasters that happen far away on the news and say ‘that’s too bad’ and then go on with our lives because it didn’t affect us. In a few weeks it disappears from the news and we think the problem is gone.”

Samantha first got connected to Midwest Mission Distribution Center, a Christian disaster relief organization, which was collecting clothing items for Haiti. She then mobilized the community by giving presentations and distributing pamphlets about the Haitian earthquake and the lasting devastation. She then taught her Girl Scout troop how to sew, so they could make bags and clothing together. She hoped to inspire others to perform hands-on service to increase the connection they felt to those in need.

“I wanted the people who helped to feel good about what they did and that it was meaningful, and that they would want to work on projects like this again.”

Samantha’s troop, along with First United Methodist Church’s “Sewing for Missions” group and the Carbondale Middle School Sewing Club, made 102 outfits and school bags that will be filled with supplies to send to Haiti. Her church group decided to continue with the project in the future.

Along with fulfilling her goal to unite her community to global needs, Samantha also developed self-assurance and improved vital skills such as public speaking, people skills and project management.

“I learned how to be a better leader,” she said. “I can say I did this project and be proud of myself and I am confident that I can do it again.”

Samantha is the daughter of Nancy Mitchell and Keven Mitchell. She is graduating from Carbondale Community High School and plans to enter the Air Force, where her Girl Scout Gold Award has given her the opportunity to enter with a higher rank.