2007 Gold Awardees
 The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award a girl can achieve in Girl Scouting. In the past it was also called the Golden Eaglet, the First Class and the Curved Bar Award. The Gold Award is the culmination of a Senior Girl Scout's experience in Girl Scouting. It encourages the girl to reflect on her accomplishments, goals, resources and obstacles, and gives her the responsibility of planning and implementing her own leadership/community service project. It really gives the girl the opportunity to give back to the community all she has learned in Girl Scouting.
To earn her Gold Award a girl must complete four steps before being interviewed - four Interest Project Patches, Career Exploration, leadership hours and a Senior Girl Scout Challenge. At her interview, she presents her Gold Award Project Plan. Her project should meet an expressed need in the community and reach beyond the Girl Scouting community. The project has a time requirement of a minimum of 65 hours.
Meet our 2007 Gold Award recipients.
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Nicole Saracino
Oceanside Association
Troop 2147
The goal of Nicole's Gold Award project titled, “Camping Cookbook,” was to create easy, healthy and fun recipes for children of all ages. Nicole put together a workshop and created a cookbook with easy recipes that can be made at a campsite or at home. With help from her family and local community businesses, Nicole wrote her own cookbook and then demonstrated some of the recipes in the book to younger Girl Scouts. Nicole is a junior at Oceanside High School where she participates in the Best Buddies Club. |
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Claire Scherder
Great Neck Association
Troop 622
Claire Scherder's Gold Award project titled “Moving with Dignity” focused on the needs of foster children. Claire helped raise awareness in her community about the struggles foster children face every day. Many children in foster homes move frequently and carry their belongings in paper or plastic bags. Over 100 suitcases were collected, decorated, and donated for foster children so they could move with dignity. A junior at Great Neck South High School Claire enjoys soccer, is a member of the stage crew, and helps at Girl Scout Brownie meetings. |
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Suzanne Sommerhalter
Bay Association
Troop 87
“Preserving History Through Helping Hands” was the title of Suzanne Sommerhalter's Gold Award project. Utilizing her writing, computer and photography skills, she wrote a series of articles for the Enterprise Pilot, to help publicize the volunteer needs of local non-profit organizations in her community. The articles were distributed to Girl and Boy Scout Leaders and community service volunteers at her high school. At Oyster Bay High School where Suzanne is a senior, she is part of Interact, the Honor Society, a member of the high school band, chorus and musical theater as well as a cheerleader and a member of the student council. An avid flutist, Suzanne will be attending the University of Arizona 's Music School in the fall of 2007. |
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Fallon Stapleton
Seaford/Wantagh Association
Troop 3268
“Art Therapy” was the title of Fallon Stapleton's Gold Award project. Using her love of art, Fallon, now a freshman in college, worked with young people ages 3 to 20, who were patients at Schneider Children's Hospital. She wanted to lift their spirits and make their time in the hospital a little more enjoyable. Fallon is a member of the Circle Club, Outdoor Adventures Club and is involved with community service and social programs organized by her dormitory. |
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Julianne Stiene
Bay Association
Troop 87
A senior at Oyster Bay High School , Julianne's Gold Award project was titled “Wildlife on Stage.” The goal of Julianne's project was to educate children about wildlife in a fun and entertaining manner. Julianne built and painted an attractive puppet theatre and created educational puppet skits about wildlife to present to children visiting the Theodore Roosevelt Bird Sanctuary. Julianne is a member of the wind ensemble and symphonic band at her high school. She is also the captain of the varsity cheerleading squad and stage manager of the school play. Julianne is a member of Christ Church Youth Group and works at a law firm. In the fall Julianne will be attending the University at Buffalo , SUNY, majoring in pharmacy.
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Alexandra Taliana
East Meadow Association
Troop 1062
The title of Alexandra's Gold Award project is “Internet Safety.” This is a concern of many parents. Alexandra and her sister Girl Scout Christina Pietras put together an informative presentation for parents and teens in their community. Alexandra created a brochure and conducted a hands-on seminar that included ways to keep yourself safe from predators on the internet and taught them about firewalls, spy ware, checking web browser history and many other important items. Alexandra is a senior at W. Tresper Clarke High School were she plays lacrosse, volleyball and is a member of the schools orchestra. In the fall Alexandra plans to attend Mount Saint Mary College. |
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Deepika Thadhani
Great Neck Association
Troop 622
Deepika is a senior at Great Neck South High School where she plays field hockey and softball, and is a member of Teen Connect and president of Girls Varsity Club. The goal of her Gold Award project, titled “Stick With It – A Field Hockey Clinic,” was to teach young girls that organized sports is a great way to exercise, keep in shape and make new friends. When Deepika is not running around the field playing hockey she is a counselor/volunteer at Danceville Recreation a summer camp counselor and a Progressive Gymnastics birthday party instructor. In the fall Deepika will be attending Towson University . |
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Kimberly Vespo
Plainedge Association
Troop 3502
There are many benefits from learning to play an instrument. It promotes success in school, helps enhance brain function, helps with social skills and it's fun. That's exactly what Kimberly's Gold Award project titled “Let's Make Music” taught students and their parents. Kimberly felt that third graders benefited most from her presentation because they would be choosing an instrument in fourth grade and this gave them an idea of what instrument they would like to play. In high school, Kimberly was a drum major in the marching band, played in the concert band, jazz band, flute quartet, pit orchestra, Plainedge High School Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Tri-Music Honor Society. She was president of the Key Club and participated in the Intel Science Competition. Now a freshman at the University of Massachusetts Lowell , Kimberly plays in the marching band, concert band and is a member of MENC. |
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Anjali Serena Vora
Manhasset Association
Troop 517
Anjali a senior at Manhasset High School , wanted to educate the children in her community about the importance of road safety. Anjali's Gold Award project titled “Use All Your Might to Keep Safety in Sight” reached approximately 180 children in her community through informative discussions. She joined the Coalition for a Safer Manhasset, and designed a workbook with activities and parent and child safety promises. Through her discussions and her workbook, Anjali was able to open a dialogue between parents and their children about pedestrian and driver safety. In high school Anjali is involved in Student Government, several theater musicals, Fiddlers Group, indoor varsity track, Mathletes, Manhasset Youth Council, Math, Spanish and National Honor Society, World of Difference, Outreach Club, Student Senate and she served as Tri M Music Honor Society's food drive chairperson. Her community activities include Young Indian Culture Group and volunteering at Helen Keller National Center . She is a member of the Asian Task Force and SPAT of Girl Scouts of Nassau County. Anjali is a member of the group New Found Sound, and performs and gives workshops on traditional Indian classical dancing. In the fall she will be attending Duke University . |
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Megan Sarah Wang
Manhasset Association
Troop 517
Megan's Gold Award project titled, “Kidz Create,” was based on education through art. Megan had several components to her project. Through drawing, research and cooperation a group of children created a giant puzzle of the United States . Through music, education and art another group of children put together a musical performance, which included a mural the children painted themselves. Megan also worked with a group of Junior Girl Scouts creating a backdrop, props and costume designs for a play they were performing for their Bronze Award. Megan, a senior at Manhasset High School , spends her spare time as a member of AP Art, Varsity Crew Club and the Varsity Volleyball Squad. Megan also volunteers at AHRC (Association for the Help of Retarded Children) and the Manhasset Junior Coalition Against Breast Cancer. In the fall she will be attending Arizona State University .
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