Five Naperville Teens Receive Top Girls Scouts Award

Source: Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana 

More than 80 local high school students recently earned Girl Scouts of the USA’s most prestigious national honor for girls, the Girl Scout Gold Award. Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana honored their accomplishments during a special ceremony at the Hilton Rosemont Hotel.

The accomplishments of five Naperville teens were recognized at this year’s event.

Emily Deahr, Taylor Demming, Darcy England, Jada Haynes, and Andrea Zimmerman received their Girl Scout Gold Awards after completing a complex series of requirements, including the implementation of a significant community service project.

Deahr, an 18-year-old member of Girl Scout Troop 91521, earned her Gold Award by initiating “Junior History Program,” which guides children and their families through the various exhibits of Naper Settlement.

Photo: Recipient Emily Deahr with CEO Nancy Wright (left) and Board President Karen Layng (right)

Demming, a member of Troop 50292, planned a day designed to build confidence in minority and under privileged middle school girls. The 18-year-old’s project, “Confidence is Key,” enlisted the assistance of mentors to focus on topics of academic achievement, etiquette, self-confidence and conflict resolution.

“This experience was so impactful because many of the young ladies, for the first time, envisioned possibilities of a college education after high school,” Demming said.

Now a student at Eastern Kentucky University, England, 18, earned her Gold Award for her project, “JAMS Garden.” Her efforts installed a fence around the Jane Addams Middle School Garden, and she filled a garden bed and started a compost bin.

Photo: Recipient Jada Haynes with CEO Nancy Wright (left) and Board President Karen Layng (right)

Haynes, a 17-year-old member of Troop 50252, earned her Gold Award when she initiated “Getting Hyped About Physics.” She led fun, hands-on physics activities for the children at the IIT Engineering Fair. Her project, she said, was designed to spark an interest in STEM-related fields among children in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Zimmerman, 19, earned her Gold Award for her project, “Young Hearts Together.” The current University of Missouri student created a website for teens and young adults who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Her website promotes a community of support and offers different ways to cope, include a blog, her personal story, and healthy ways to move forward.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award that a Girl Scout ages14-18 may earn. The leadership skills, organizational skills, and sense of community and commitment required to complete the process set the foundation for a lifetime of active citizenship. Girls complete seven steps to earn the Gold Award, including the completion of a significant service project.

Photo: Recipient Andrea Zimmerman with CEO Nancy Wright (left) and Board President Karen Layng (right)

“Completing my Gold Award helped show me that if I put my mind to something and focus I can accomplish great things,” England said.

The project fulfills a need within a girl’s community (whether local or global), creates change and is sustaining. The Gold Award recognizes the work of Girl Scouts who demonstrate leadership culminating in 65 hours or more, dedicated towards their service project. Girls complete a minimum of 40 hours in a leadership role before embarking on the final project.

Girls have earned Girl Scouts of the USA’s highest awards since 1916, just four years after the organization’s founding in 1912. These awards include the Golden Eagle of Merit, Golden Eaglet, Curved Bar, First Class and the current Girl Scout Gold Award which was introduced in 1980.

As awareness of the Girl Scout Gold Award continues to grow, so does its prestige. An increasing number of colleges are offering financial incentives to those who earn Girl Scout Gold Awards and admissions counselors view it as a sign of an individual girl’s ability to lead.

Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana impacts the lives of more than 69,500 girls and 24,600 adult members in 245 communities in six Illinois counties (Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kankakee, Lake, and Will) and four Indiana counties (Jasper, Lake, Newton, and Porter). Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.