New Tampa Girl Scout Named One of Ten National Young Women of Distinction

Jamila Blake, 2012 graduate of Paul R. Wharton High School, has been named by Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) as one of its 2013 National Young Women of Distinction.

A truly exclusive and special honor, the National Young Woman of Distinction designation is conferred every other year by GSUSA on 10 young women who have earned the Girl Scout Gold Award – the highest and most prestigious award in Girl Scouting. Each of this year’s recipients, including Jamila, completed Gold Award projects that demonstrated extraordinary leadership, had a measurable and sustainable impact, and addressed a local challenge that related to a national and/or global issue. Overall, two hundred girls from across the nation entered their Gold Award projects for consideration.

Jamila’s personal journey toward the Girl Scout Gold Award, and ultimately being named a National Young Woman of Distinction, began in the seventh grade when she was introduced to Invisible Children, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the plight of the youth of war torn Northern Uganda. She was immediately inspired to bring to light the heinous crimes of Dictator Joseph Kony and the need for education and rebuilding of Uganda.

"I am so grateful to be among a group of such amazing girls,” said Jamila. “I'm also very excited for the amount of exposure for Joseph Kony and the plight of the Ugandans beyond my community."

Working in partnership with Invisible Children, Jamila started the Global Outreach Club at Paul R. Wharton High School and focused on promoting awareness and aid for children in need in our local communities as well as on a global scale. On behalf of the Global Outreach Club, Jamila hosted Invisible Children screenings for her peers and worked to bring a student guest speaker from Uganda to her high school to share her story. Jamila also planned and organized Roots for Peace, a community festival to help spread awareness of the plight of the children of Northern Uganda. Additionally, Jamila advocated with local legislators about the importance of Invisible Children and its work; she was instrumental in encouraging these legislators to pass the Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act.

Currently a freshman at the University of Delaware, Jamila is studying wildlife conservation with a minor in sociology. Because of her deep ties to Invisible Children, she hopes to once again work closely with the organization upon graduation and has plans to visit Uganda before she turns 25.