Three Howell Scouts Among Gold Award Recipients

This week more than 50 Girl Scouts from around Monmouth and Ocean County were recognized this week for receiving their Gold Award which is the highest achievement possible for the scouts. Three of the recipients came from Howell Township.

In order to earn the Gold Award the scouts had to "utilize their leadership skills learned through Girl Scouting to address and raise awareness of a specific issue within their community," a release from the Girl Scouts said. Recipients of the award are required to spend at least 80 hours working on their project which, "should have a lasting impact on the girl's community."

In the press release the three Howell recipients and their projects were:

• Jillian Behan- For her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Jillian sent care packages to the troops overseas and promoted American pride. She collected items to send to the troops and made cards to put in the packages. She visited a Brownie troop and third grade classes, read a book, made cards, and answered questions. Jillian set up a booth at her school’s “Salute to the Troops” chorus concert where she handed out ribbons to veterans. She also “Trick-or-Treated for the Troops” and donated candy to them. Through this project, troops in the Middle East received something from home and younger children learned about the sacrifice that the troops are making for America.
• Erika Lau- Erika’s Girl Scout Gold Award project is "Eating Healthy around the World". She held a children's program at the Howell Library to educate children about different cultures and healthy foods inspired by those cultures. Each week, she gave a presentation on a different country, a craft, and a healthy snack with its recipe. Throughout this Gold Award process, Erika found that organization was key. Also, it was important to maintain connections with people in the community and inspire them to make a positive change. Erika’s Gold Award project has allowed her to grow as a leader, as well as a person.
• Steffanie Rosko- For Steffanie’s Girl Scout Gold Award project, she designed six dog waste stations that were built and installed along the walking trail at the Jersey Shore Animal Center in Brick. Disposal bags were attached to each station. This allows all volunteers to easily clean up after taking the dogs on walks around the shelter, and eliminates the waste from seeping into the soil and contaminating our drinking water.  Being in a leadership position on this project made Steffanie realize that she can do almost anything if she just puts her mind to it. 

Susan H. McClure, the Chief Executive Officer of the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore praised the recipients for their accomplishment. "It is an inspiration to watch these girls grow into strong, dedicated young adults through the Gold Award Program," she said. "Each girl addressed an issue of importance and took the necessary steps to not only complete the project, but fulfill its lasting impact on our community. Each of the Gold Award recipients should be very proud of themselves."