2 Madison Residents Receive Prestigious Connecticut Girl Scouts Gold Award

By WENDY ANN MITCHELL (Patch Staff)

Two Madison residents recently took home gold for their community focused projects that helped them earn their Gold Award. A total of 86 Connecticut Girl Scouts received the recognition.

"The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest and most prestigious award that Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors can earn. Each Gold Award Project addresses a community issue and improves lives. The Gold Award process builds girls’ personal leadership skills. A Gold Award Project inspires others to take action within their communities," according to the Girl Scouts website.

Here is some information concerning each of the Madison award winners via the Connecticut Girl Scouts:

Kelly Derken
Madison
Kelly’s Gold Award Project, “Hummingbird Garden at A Place Called Hope” focused on increasing the number of hummingbirds in the area to benefit her community’s ecosystem. At her local raptor sanctuary, A Place Called Hope, Kelly built a hummingbird garden with perennials. Kelly found that it positively impacted the amount of hummingbirds and butterflies in the sanctuary, thus benefitting her town’s ecosystem. The perennial plants that Kelly planted will grow back every year and staff members at the sanctuary will continue to sustain the garden for years to come. Upon graduating high school, Kelly plans to pursue a career in the sciences.

Nina E. Lunn
Madison
Nina noticed that the boardwalk people in her community used had fallen into disrepair, so she restored and renewed the area. Nina created two signs, one fictional and one historical, to be placed in the walkway, and also installed benches and cleaned up trash that was littered throughout the area. With her project, Nina’s goal was to create a more comfortable, family-friendly area that everyone in her community can enjoy. Nina’s signs will stay on the boardwalk for the future, and her town’s public works department will continue to maintain the area. Local Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops will also continue to make sure that the area is litter-free. Nina currently attends Quinnipiac University and plans to pursue a career in physical therapy.

Click here to see the full list of Gold Award recipients.

Image via Girl Scouts of Connecticut