Massapequa Residents Achieve Highest Honor in Girl Scouting

Being a teenager in the 21st century isn’t easy. With busy social schedules, the Internet, gaming systems and social media sites, high school students often do not find time for community service activities, let alone their homework with these distractions.

However, this year Brittany Calcagno, Nicole Cirami, Brianna Dara, Brooke Dutka, Kelsey Koetzner, Krystyna Leone, Morgan Maxwell, Marie McKiernan, Jessica-Ray Realmuto, Jessica Stolfi and Meaghan Sullivan of Massapequa join the record number of 119 Girl Scouts in Nassau County that have fit a minimum of at least 65 hours of community service into their busy schedules. These young women developed Gold Award community action projects, promoting acts of kindness and goodwill, which ultimately make the world a better place. Their efforts earned these girls the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor that a young woman can achieve in Girl Scouting.

Brittany Calcagno’s Gold Award project was inspired by her love of children and her own experiences with doctors. Knowing how scared a post-surgery patient can be, she decided to create Spanish/English coloring books for the sick children at the hospitals. The coloring books outlined what children should expect when having surgery, so they would be less afraid. Ms. Calcagno graduated from Massapequa High School in 2010. She attended track camp for two summers and will be majoring in education and foreign language in college.

Nicole Cirami and Jessica-Ray Realmuto teamed up for their Gold Award project titled, "Meet the Cool Cats." They decided to provide a fun and inviting place for children with special needs in Massapequa. The children were able to crate new friendships while learning new skills taught by Ms. Cirami and Ms. Realmuto. They recently graduated from Massapequa High School and teach baseball to children with special needs.. Ms. Cirami was a member of the National Honor Society, SADD and Italian Club. She will be attending St. John’s University in the fall. Ms. Realmuto was a member of the ASL Club, SADD and varsity gymnastics. She will be attending C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in the fall.

Brianna Dara earned her Gold Award for her project titled. "Educate Yourself: Breaking Down the Barriers on Physical Disabilities." For her project, she worked with different non-profit organizations to host an event where community members could receive information on physical disabilities, such as missing limbs, deafness, blindness or paralysis. Ms. Dara recently graduated from Massapequa High School, where she was the Vice President of the Key Club. She also volunteers at the Bubba Foundation, which gives support to children with disabilities. Ms. Dara will be attending Mount Saint Mary College in the fall.

Brooke Dutka thought it was important to inform her community about car safety, after she sustained a neck injury in a recent automobile accident. Her project, "Protect a Life: Passenger Seatbelt for All," consisted of a series presentations, which she held for children and r their parents. She talked about her car accident experience and gave tips about being safe while in a moving vehicle. Ms. Dutka also created a blog about car safety tips that people could read all over the world. Ms. Dutka recently graduated from Massapequa High School, where she was a member of the Character Education Club. She will be attending Fairfield University in the fall.

Kelsey Koetzner earned her Gold Award for her project titled, "Building for the Better: Farming for the Disabled," which benefited the volunteers at Sophia Garden in Amityville. Through Ms. Koetzner’s hard work, she was able to build two tables for the garden’s elderly and disabled volunteers. The volunteers are now able to sit comfortably while washing the organic produce. Ms. Koetzner recently graduated from Massapequa High School, where she was a member of the varsity swimming and diving team, ASL Club, Key Club and SADD Club.  She will be attending Mount Saint Mary College in the fall.

Krystyna Leone wanted to raise awareness of the importance of recycling in her community. For her Gold Award project, she gave a presentation at Joseph S. Saladino’s Marine and Outdoor Recreation Expo called, "Do You Know What’s in the Marine Environment?: Pollution Invasion." Ms. Leone informed the community about how harmful pollution can be to animals by displaying poster boards and pictures.

She also produced a brochure with tips on reducing plastic waste. Ms. Leone recently graduated from Massapequa High School, where she volunteered as a tutor and was a member of SADD and SETA Club. She was accepted into the Health Studies program at Farmingdale State College for the fall.

Morgan Maxwell wanted to inform her community about the benefits and the rewards of volunteering. Targeting children aged 7 to 12 years old and their parents, she created a documentary film to give them ideas how they can get involved in their communities. Her film included interviews with active volunteers and local officials, whose stories were both informative and inspirational. Ms. Maxwell recently graduated from Massapequa High School, where she was a member of SADD and Key Club. She also studies acting, dancing and singing at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York City.　

Marie McKiernan earned her Gold Award for her project titled, "Animal Shelters: The Forgotten Pets," which benefited the animals at shelters in Freeport and the Town of Oyster Bay. As an animal lover, she decided to educate the community about the benefits of adopting pets from shelters through an article in the local newspaper and the creation of an educational brochure. To further help the shelters’ animals, Ms. McKiernan built a cat tower and whelping box, which she donated to them and also coordinated a drive for pet food and supplies. Ms. McKiernan recently graduated from Massapequa High School, where she was a cheerleader. She will be attending SUNY Oswego in the fall.

Jessica Stolfi earned her Gold Award for her project titled, "Educating a Generation: Learning the Mystery of Cerebral Palsy," which was designed to give young children in her community a better understanding of the condition. Her event consisted of different stations with assorted games, facts and statistics about Cerebral Palsy. In addition, members from the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County spoke at the event. Ms. Stolfi recently graduated from Massapequa High School, where she was active in Chorus, Chamber Orchestra, Italian Club and SADD. She will be attending Adelphi University as a Girl Scout Gold Award Scholarship recipient.

Meaghan Sullivan was inspired by the work of Habitat for Humanity and wanted to spread awareness of the organization and its benefits to low-income families. Her Gold Award project, "Affordable Housing: Operation Green House" added her own spin to their program. She created a brochure to educate the community and also hosted an event to highlight the need for affordable housing on Long Island. Ms. Sullivan also created "Welcome Home" kits, which consisted of flower boxes and all the supplies needed to grow their own flowers) for new homeowners in the program. She recently graduated from Massapequa High School, where participates in Chiefs Challenge Club and the high school musical. She plans to attend SUNY Cobleskill in the fall.

"We are proud of all the young women who earned their Girl Scout Gold Award this year," said Donna Ceravolo, Executive Director of the Girl Scouts of Nassau County. "Only five percent of eligible Girl Scouts choose to take this rigorous path towards earning their Gold Award. We couldn’t be happier for those that achieved this award and really changed the lives of others and improved their communities in significant ways."

On June 12th　the Girl Scouts of Nassau County honored　Girl Scouts Seniors and Ambassadors between the ages of 15 and 18 at a special ceremony held at The Inn At New Hyde Park. In addition to the Girl Scout ceremony, on June 8th, Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano presented the girls, along with their Eagle Scout counterparts from Boy Scouts, with certificates for their achievements at the　Theodore Roosevelt Legislative Chamber in Mineola.

"Girl Scouts who achieve the Gold Award demonstrate perseverance and determination as well as time management and organizational skills.

They have joined an elite group of American women who are part of the Girl Scouts of the USA's Gold Award Alliance," said Ms. Ceravolo.

The Gold Award project helps high school-aged Girl Scouts develop leadership skills and explore various career paths. Overall, the Gold Awards require up to a three-year commitment from each young woman. It affords the teen the opportunity to learn about arts and humanities, cultural and global relations, personal well-being, technology and science, environmental concerns and many of the innumerable issues facing young women and the world today.

Girl Scouts of Nassau County builds girls of courage, confidence and character. Girl Scouting in Nassau County creates an accepting and nurturing environment, which gives girls a chance to build character and develops leadership skills for success in the real world. In partnership with committed adult volunteers, girls develop qualities that will serve them throughout their lives, like strong values, social conscience, and conviction about their own potential and self-worth. With more than 22,000 girl and 7,000 adult members, Girl Scouts of Nassau County has become the preeminent organization and leading authority for girls. The organization, now in its 99th year, continues to make the world a better place one girl at a time. For more information on the Girl Scouts of Nassau County call Donna Rivera Downey 516 741-2550 at ext. 260, or visit www.gsnc.org.