Seven young women from Fayette County were among 79 Girl Scouts from Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta who recently earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award girls can earn in Girl Scouts.
The seven are as follows:
Katherine Burke of Peachtree City, founded a special education club at Bennett’s Mill Middle School to give main stream teens opportunities to interact positively with special needs students. She is the daughter of Barbara and Brenden Burke. Katherine has been a Girl Scout for 11 years and is a rising junior at Fayette County High School.
Hannah Chambless of Peachtree City, designed, built and planted a butterfly garden at Christian City Children’s Homes. Her parents are Lisa and David Chambless. Hannah has been a Girl Scout for 12 years. She graduated from McIntosh High School this year.
Catherine Chapman of Peachtree City, designed, built, and collected approximately 900 books for a library at Promise Place, a local domestic violence women’s and children’s shelter. She is the daughter of Susan and Gilbert Chapman. Catherine has been a Girl Scout for 11 years and graduated from McIntosh High School this year.
Catherine Keen of Peachtree City, daughter of Jane and Jerry Keen, worked with the students of the TRIAD program at the end of one school year to ease the transition to a different school. TRIAD helps students with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome cope with stress, anxiety and social confusion. Catherine has been a Girl Scout for 11 years and graduated from McIntosh High School this year.
Evelyn Keysar of Peachtree City, worked with a master gardener to plan and plant an area in front of a park pool. She is the daughter of Elizabeth and Kevin Keysar. Evelyn has been a Girl Scout for nine years and graduated from McIntosh High School this year.
Christina Marty of Peachtree City, daughter of Julie and Harold Marty, provided children at Promise Place with a backpack, blanket, stuffed animals, and toiletries to let them know that someone cares about them. Christina has been a Girl Scout for six years and graduated from McIntosh High School this year.
Elizabeth Schmidt of Peachtree City, created a tour CD and booklet that newcomers or visitors can use to experience and learn about Peachtree City. She is the daughter of Anita Barton-Schmidt and Steve Schmidt. Elizabeth has been a Girl Scout for 11 years and graduated from McIntosh High School this year.
Only Girl Scouts in grades 9-12 are eligible to earn the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award, Girl Scouting’s highest award. It is achieved by completing a Girl Scout Gold Award project that fulfills a need within a girl’s community (whether local or global), creates change and is sustainable.
The Girl Scout Gold Award project is more than a good service project. It requires significant skills in project planning, communication, time management, presentation, delegation, interpersonal relationships, networking and leadership. The process to design, plan, implement and evaluate a project must take at least 65 hours, usually much more.
For many, the leadership skills, organizational skills and sense of community that come from “going for the Gold” set the foundation for a lifetime of active citizenship.
— Written by Kate Grinalds for Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Inc.
