Megan Fasano

Great Neck Association

Troop 622

Megan is a senior at Great Neck South High School where she plays field hockey. Her Gold Award project titled “Healthy Workshop” was designed to teach young girls how to eat healthy so they won't grow up to be overweight adults. Megan collected food from local area merchants and gave the girls, in grade 4 th though 6 th , cooking lessons using healthy ingredients. Megan plans to attend Cabrini College in the fall.

Michelle Finegan

Hardscrabble Association

Troop 3504

“Sharing Happiness at Ronald McDonald House” is the title of Michelle's Gold Award project. Michelle collected, prepared, cooked and served dinner to families who have terminally ill children at Ronald McDonald house so they could spend an evening dining together without the extra burden of having to cook the meal. Michelle is a senior at Farmingdale High School where she is the president of Interact Club, the secretary of the Spanish Honor Society, a member of the National Honor Society, Key Club and Varsity Leaders Club. She is also the captain of the varsity tennis team and fourth doubles on the varsity badminton team. Michelle is a religious education teacher at her church and volunteer for the Association for the Help of Retarded Children. In the fall Michelle plans to attend the University of Delaware and major in Elementary Education.

Amanda Gaines

Merrick Association

Troop 2358

Drawing from her own experience after she had broken her finger, Amanda used her interest in magic, and some inspiration from David Copperfield, to create a Gold Award project that used magic tricks as a means to help patients who had injured fingers, hands or wrists. Working with fellow magicians, she developed a few fun manipulative effects that were approved by her physical therapist. She taught these tricks to those in physical therapy, and they were able to work towards recovery in a more fun and entertaining manner than the usual regimen of physical therapy – helping them to heal “like magic.”

A 2006 graduate of Sanford H. Calhoun High School, where she was editor-in-chief of the school newspaper and a member of the Art Club, Amanda has just completed her freshman year at University of Maryland at College Park where she continues to pursue her interest in journalism by helping at the school's television and radio stations, as well as various publications.

Kimberly M. Gamble

Uniondale Association

Troop 1485

Kimberly worked with her sister Girl Scouts, Victoria Ellerbe and Rhonda Nieves to educate the Uniondale High School community about HIV/AIDS. Through her Gold Award project titled “AIDS Awareness Among Teens” Kimberly answered the questions: “What is AIDS? How can you get it? How you can prevent it and where can I go to get more information and support?” Kimberly held a social gathering at the high school gym, served refreshments and played music to create a fun, positive environment where the students could read posters and pick up flyers and brochures on AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Kimberly is a junior at Uniondale High School where she is on Student Council, is a member of the Future Business Leaders of America and the National Honor Society. She is also on the badminton team and is a cheerleader.

Lauren Giambrone

Garden City Association

Troop 1693

Lauren's Gold Award project titled “Helping Others Through Cooking” brought some holiday cheer for teenagers of Madonna Heights , a home for foster children and teens who need shelter. Lauren cooked a holiday meal for the residents of Madonna Heights , made a cookbook for the young mothers of Momma's House to provide them with quick, easy, healthy meals to prepare for themselves and their children. She also helped younger Girl Scouts earn their Food Power Badge. Lauren a sophomore at Garden City High School, is the president of the Heart 2 Heart Club and plays flute in the marching band and pep band. Lauren is very involved in her church volunteering for many worthy causes.

Hilary Gillen

Bellmore Association

Troop 942

The goal of Hilary's Gold Award project was to provide a day of carefree fun to a group of mothers and their children who often had to deal with situations that were anything but fun. Bethany House is a facility dedicated to improving the lives of homeless women and children on Long Island . Working with the staff of Bethany House, Hilary learned about the needs of the residents, and then went to work to fill those needs. Recruiting a group of volunteers to help her, she planned an afternoon of food and fun for the mothers and children at their residence. Simple activities, some food to share, and the knowledge that someone worked to make a difference, led to the success of this project. In addition to the day's activities, Hilary left a large donation of clothing, food and children's books with Bethany House. A 2006 graduate of Holy Trinity High School , where she was a member of the Track Team, Hilary is currently attending Nassau Community College .

Kristen Grennan

Massapequa Association

Troop 2081

“Running for Your Life” was the title of Kristen's Gold Award project. Kristen's project focused on living a healthy lifestyle by running. She held workshops for Girl Scout Daisies and for sixth graders in her school district. She wrote several articles on different running events, which were published in a local paper and had an information booth at an awareness fair. Kristen also collected over 150 pairs of sneakers from local stores, clubs and teams to donate to third world countries to be recycled into playgrounds. Kristen, a senior at Massapequa High School , is the co-founder of Girls Against Peer Pressure (GAPP) a student run organization to help females locally, nationally and internationally by raising awareness about serious issues that would otherwise be overlooked by the student body. She is also a member of the school newspaper, The Chief , the CARE Club and runs on several track teams. Kristen has raised thousands of dollars for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in honor of a friend with Leukemia. She ran the Long Island Marathon this year and sings in the St. Rose of Lima Youth Chorus. In the fall Kristen will be attending college.

Latisha Hanna

Bellmore Association

Troop 942

Tisha's “Senior to Senior Apollo Show” is the title of Latisha's Gold Award project. Latisha, a senior at Baldwin Senior High School , asked her classmates to help her put on a show to benefit the residents at the Baldwin Senior Center . Latisha's project brought different people of different ages together for a common cause; to have fun and make people smile. She decorated goodie bags and gave them to all the people that attended the show. The show was a great success; the senior citizens had a great time.

Niyati Harneja

Great Neck Association

Troop 622

The purpose of Niyati's Gold Award project, titled “Sun Care or Beware!,” was to promote skin cancer awareness among young children through interactive workshops, as well as teaching them good habits before exposure to the sun. Niyati, a senior at Great Neck High School , met with a dermatologist who provided her with information and pamphlets for her presentation. She created activities for different ages and goody bags filled with sunscreen, lip balm and sunglasses. Everyone had a great time and learned a very valuable lesson that will benefit them for years to come.

Kristine Hartmann

Oceanside Association

Troop 2147

The title of Kristine's Gold Award Project was “Arts in the Park.” The goal of the project was to teach younger children about their environment in a fun and educational way. Kristine ran a number of art workshops for elementary school kids, introducing them to several art mediums and famous artists. Kristine is a junior at Oceanside High School . She also volunteers in her community and helps with church functions.

Theresa Hempstead

ELLM Association

Theresa brought a community, young and old, together with her Gold Award project titled “Lap Blankets for Hospital, Fireman's Home, and VA Hospital”. Speaking to senior citizens in her community, Theresa found a need for lap blankets. Theresa organized and taught a group of young girls to crochet and make some of the lap blankets that were donated. Theresa is a junior at East Rockaway Sr. High School where she participates in the National Honor Society, softball and soccer, Rock Rivalry, All County Band and Diabetic, Cystic Fibrosis and Breast Cancer walks. When Theresa is not busy with all her school activities, she volunteers at South Nassau Community Hospital .

Lauren Horn

Plainedge Association

Troop 3502

Lauren's Gold Award project “Music Heals” was designed to benefit children, teens and organizations on Long Island . Using her love of music as a foundation of the project, Lauren organized a band concert at her high school. This 5-hour concert featured a line-up of local talent, and was advertised to teens and community members. Admission was a new stuffed teddy bear, which was then donated to local hospitals. At the concert, Lauren had also arranged to have a Teen Help Fair. Representatives of local organizations were there to make the students aware of their services and the support that is available to the community. Many of the concertgoers also learned about volunteer opportunities with these organizations, so that the help may continue to go both ways!

A 2006 graduate of Plainedge High School , where she was a member of various Honor Societies, Key Club, and orchestras, Lauren has completed her first year at Northeastern University in Boston , where she continues her commitment to a variety of interests – Concert committee, student newspaper, and volunteering at Boston area homeless shelters, soup kitchens and Diabetes and Breast Cancer walks.

Caitlin Irwin

Massapequa Association

Troop 2081

Bullying, as any student can tell you, is one of the most difficult aspects of a young person's life. Using her Gold Award project titled “Different Like Me: An Exploration of Diversity,” Caitlin raised the awareness of middle school and elementary school children about bullying. Caitlin wrote and directed a film, which she donated to the health department in her school, about a student driven to suicide by bullying and how it could have been avoided. Through her research, she realized that disrespectful behavior starts with young children so she developed two age-appropriate programs and presented them to 14 Girl Scout troops, helping them earn “Celebrating People” badge and “Sharing and Caring” Try-It. Caitlin is a senior at Massapequa High School where she is a member of Quizbowl, Mathletes, G.S.A and G.A.P.P. She is also a Tackapausha Museum volunteer and a tutor.

Jessica Joanlanne

East Meadow Association

Troop 1062

Jessica's project “Helping Around the House” brought needed exterior home repairs to an elderly couple living in Bellmore . Working through St. Barnabas Parish Outreach Program, Jessica identified the family in need, met with them to determine their wishes and then set to work to sand, paint, caulk and do the necessary carpentry to improve their home. Her project made the house safer, more attractive and more energy efficient, and brought great joy and satisfaction to the homeowners. Jessica is a senior at Kellenberg Memorial High School where she has been active in the Blue and Gold dance competition, the school newspaper and is a member of the National Honor Society. Jessica plans to attend George Washington University .

Chelsey Kaplan

Bay Association

Troop 87

Chelsey wanted to share the magic of music with children at Schneider Children's Hospital. Using her talents as a flutist, she performed for the patients at the hospital, and taught them about the composer of the music- “Magnificent Mozart.” In order to continue the experience, she created a coloring book based on the life of Mozart. She distributed the coloring books and crayons to the children, along with a CD of his music. Chelsey received immediate feedback from the adults who heard her playing, as the music helped to relieve the stress that they were under. A Senior at Oyster Bay High School , Chelsey is a member of the National Honor Society, Interact Club, and the Student Athlete Leadership Mentor Program. She is also a Varsity athlete, competing on the field hockey, winter track and spring track teams. She plans to attend Cornell University in the fall.

Melissa Knudsen

Great Neck Association

Troop 622

“Surprise Baggies for Women” was the title of Melissa Knudsen's Gold Award project. Melissa wanted the women of a battered women's shelter and a homeless shelter, to feel special. She held a workshop to raise awareness about self-defense and after the workshop handed out gift bags filled with toiletries, which she collected as donations from her community, to all the women. Melissa is a senior at Great Neck High School and plans on attending college in the fall. Melissa plays field hockey, runs track and is a member of the fencing team. She is also secretary of the girls Varsity Club and Irish Culture Club and a member of the Italian Culture Club and Best Buddies. Melissa is a religion teacher at her local church, preparing second graders for communion.