Seaford Girl Scouts Awarded Highest Honor

Seaford, NY (July 9, 2018)—Girl Scouts of Nassau County recently hosted its annual Gold Award ceremony at Adelphi University. During the event, more than 70 local Girl Scouts earned their Gold Awards, including Gisselle Anguita, Victoria DeMaria, Anna Gagliano and Lauren King of Seaford. The Gold Award program recognizes the power and dedication shared by an elite group of young women who earn the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve.

“These young women are among an exclusive group of leaders who have earned the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn. I commend each and every one of them for the countless hours they have spent dedicated to their project—not only to empower and better themselves, but to make the world a better place,” said Rande Bynum, Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts of Nassau County. “Gold Award projects have positively impacted girls’ lives, their communities and the world for over one hundred years.”

The Gold Award Girl Scouts each tackled a project that held a deep significance to them. Their projects are described below.

Gisselle addressed how Post Traumatic Stress Disorder affects veterans and people who have suffered a traumatic experience with her project, “Helping Children of Individuals with PTSD.” Gisselle reached out to teenagers and parents in her community who knew people in their lives living with PTSD. She then held educational workshops informing community members about the signs and symptoms of PTSD. Gisselle also shared coping mechanisms to help their loved ones overcome difficult moments. Gisselle’s Facebook page will allow community members to access information about the illness, as well as the various resources available to them.

Gisselle is a recent graduate of Seaford High School. During her high school years, Gisselle was an avid ballerina and an active member of her local church’s swim team. This fall, Gisselle will be attending Nassau Community College studying health and science. Her fondest Girl Scout memory is selling Girl Scout cookies every year with her troop.

Victoria used her love for living a healthy lifestyle and helping others to create her project, “Ready, Set, Grow.” She wanted to tackle the issue of obesity in the United States, so she created a recipe book and educated young children and their families about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. Victoria’s book can be found at local libraries, schools, and farmers markets and it continues to be an educational tool in her community.

As a recent graduate of Seaford High School, Victoria was part of the World Culture club and color guard. She was also an active member of the track and soccer teams at her school. Victoria will be attending Farmingdale College in the fall studying to be a physician’s assistant. Her fondest Girl Scout memory is the sleepover her troop had at the science museum.

Anna noticed a need for more interaction between special needs students and their peers in her high school. Through her project “Go Girl,” Anna was able to develop a pep-squad to cheer on the special needs basketball team during their games. She provided social interaction opportunities for the girls on the team while hosting activities that helped showcase their strengths and boost their self-esteem. Anna’s club is now operating for a second year and has planned for the vice president to take over once she graduates.

As a recent graduate of Seaford High School, Anna was treasurer of Student Council, captain of the cheer team and served as a representative for her school’s leadership initiative program. Anna will be attending LIU Post in the fall. Her fondest Girl Scout memory is when her troop ran a father-daughter square dance for Daisy and Brownie troops.

Lauren was looking to help her school encourage kids to expand their knowledge when she took on the task of mentoring middle school musicians through her project, “I’ve Got the Music in Me.” After noticing the lack of students enrolling in music classes in her local schools, Lauren wanted to create a program that encouraged students to explore their musical talents. Lauren created a mentoring program where the middle school students would work with the Seaford High School Music Honor Society students on a weekly basis. At the end of the program, the students performed in concerts and solo competitions. Lauren’s program has been adopted by the Tri-M Music Honor Society, continuing to impact young musicians for many years to come.

As a rising senior at Seaford High School, Lauren is an active member of her school’s robotic team, marching band and Key Club. She is also an active member of the varsity field hockey team. Her fondest Girl Scout memory is her troop trip to the Museum of Natural History where they stayed overnight.

Approximately 1 million Girl Scout alumnae have developed Gold Award projects that addressed local or global issues. After identifying an area of interest, a successful Gold Award recipient performs hours of research and prepares a project proposal to be submitted for feedback and approval to the Girl Scout Council before embarking on her project. The Girl Scout presents her final conclusions as the last step of the journey.

Lifelong value comes with having earned a Gold Award. According to the Girl Scout Research Institute, Gold Award Girl Scouts display more positive life outcomes pertaining to sense of self, life, satisfaction, leadership, life success, community service and civic engagement. Recipients of the award who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive advanced rank for their achievements and can receive scholarships or other recognition from most colleges or universities.

We’re the Girl Scouts of Nassau County: We’re 23,000 strong – 17,900 girls and 5,000 adults who believe in the power of every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ from Nassau County to change the world. Our extraordinary journey began more than 100 years ago with the original G.I.R.L., Juliette Gordon “Daisy” Low. On March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia, she organized the very first Girl Scout Troop, and every year since we’ve honored her vision and legacy, building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. We’re the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. And with programs in Nassau County, across Long Island and throughout the United States and across the globe, Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success.

We’re the Girl Scouts. To volunteer, reconnect, donate or join, visit www.gsnc.org or contact Donna Rivera-Downey at 516 741-2550.