MELVILLE, NY — A Melville Girl Scout has earned a prestigious national scholarship for a project aimed at supporting family caregivers and raising awareness of caregiver burnout.
Samaya Syali was selected for a 2026 Girl Scouts of the USA Gold Award Scholarship after completing "Care for Caregivers," an initiative inspired by watching members of her own family care for loved ones battling Parkinson's disease and cancer.
The project sought to connect caregivers with resources and support while reminding them that taking care of their own well-being is important, too.
"My uncle has Parkinson's and for the last 20 or so years, my aunt has dedicated her life to caring for him as he battles this truly debilitating disease," Syali said. "While she does this with grace, the work does take a toll on her."
Syali said she also watched other relatives experience the guilt and burnout that can accompany caring for someone with a serious illness. After researching the issue, she learned more about caregiver syndrome and saw a need for greater awareness and recognition of caregivers.
She submitted her Gold Award proposal to Girl Scouts of Suffolk County in summer 2024 and received approval to begin the project in May 2025. She spent more than 80 hours developing Care for Caregivers before completing it in September 2025.
The Girl Scout Gold Award is the organization's highest achievement and requires Girl Scouts to identify an issue, develop a sustainable solution and take action intended to create lasting change.
As part of her project, Syali created the Care for Caregivers website, which provides information about caregiver burnout and resources intended to help caregivers practice self-care.
She also developed and distributed informational brochures and conducted surveys to better understand caregivers' needs and determine whether participants knew where to find assistance.
Syali used what she learned to organize an event specifically for caregivers. With donations and community support, she assembled care baskets, secured donated gift cards and created opportunities for caregivers to meet with other caregivers and social workers.
"At the event, we gave out the care baskets and had many activities to make them feel seen, which truly felt rewarding," Syali said.
According to Girl Scouts of Suffolk County, feedback from participants showed that caregivers felt more supported and knowledgeable about available resources after taking part in the initiative. Syali also distributed brochures through doctors' offices to reach additional caregivers.
The project is expected to continue beyond Syali's completion of the Gold Award. A doctor's office where she worked committed to incorporating caregiver support into its annual patient appreciation events.
For Syali, the project's central message is that caregivers should not feel guilty for taking time to care for themselves.
"I'd like to let them know that their work is valued and that it is okay to take time for themselves," Syali said. "Engaging in a few small self-care activities is not only super beneficial to you but also will allow you to be a better caregiver."
Syali said completing the project also strengthened her leadership and time-management skills. Securing donations proved difficult at first, she said, but persistence eventually helped her gain significant community support.
This fall, Syali will attend Vanderbilt University, where she hopes to continue exploring caregiver burnout through research and service initiatives.
"I'd love to conduct research on caregiver syndrome and the best ways to bring awareness and combat this," Syali said. "I'd love to continue this project in college, possibly through service initiatives and starting a club. I hope to build on what I did with Girl Scouts' help."
More information and caregiver resources are available at careforcaregiversawareness.net.
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