Girl Scouts of SNE Celebrate Highest Awards at Shine Ceremony

On Thursday, May 24th, Girl Scouts from across Southeastern New England received their Gold Awards and celebrated among friends and family during this important Girl Scout tradition. [Picture above 2018 Girl Scout Gold Award recipients (left to right): Mary Beth Clarke, Annie Liu, Nicole Famiglietti, Emily Mathews, Sarah Deyo, Maia Correll, Kyra Obert, and Elizabeth Pekar.]

In addition to celebrating the highest awards recipients, the council’s three Young Women of Distinction were announced. This honor is given to Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors whose Gold Award projects demonstrate extraordinary leadership, have a measurable and sustainable impact, and address a local challenge related to a national and/or global issue. These young women are taking matters into their own hands, and generating much-needed change.

The young women selected were:

• Sarah Hackey, Troop 70 from Wakefield, RI – Her project titled “Turning the GEARS: A Guide to All-Inclusive Live Theater” hoped to bring attention to theater as an important part of culture with positive benefits for the community, especially in a technology-based society. Sarah worked with GEAR Productions, a local theater group which provides opportunities for people of all ages and abilities, and created a physical and digital handbook which shared GEAR’s philosophy and unique style of theater to provide future partners with a guide to the production process.
• Nicole Famiglietti, Troop 198 from Portsmouth, RI – Nicole’s project titled “Technology for Cognitive Function” involved preparing catalogs and informative pamphlets of apps that improve cognitive function for the recreational therapy department at Newport Hospital. Apple and Android information was provided to patients in the rehabilitation unit and they were instructed in the use of these apps so they could work on the activities individually.
• Annie Liu, Troop 277 from East Greenwich, RI – For Annie’s project, titled “Chinese Culture Handbook”, involved the creation of a handbook and website focused on the important and interesting aspects of Chinese culture and related crafts. The handbook was a compilation of easily comprehensible text and intriguing pictures on fifteen key aspects of Chinese culture; the website displays summaries of the chapters, as well as various links to fun crafts and activities aimed towards younger children. The handbook was successfully donated to elementary and middle schools as well as the public library in her local community.

The evening’s celebration was held at the Heidi & Walter Stepan Grand Hall at Bryant University where GSSNE warmly welcomed guest speaker Joan Johnson-Freese, Ph. D., a Professor in the National Security Affairs Department at the US Naval War College in Newport, RI.

About the Girl Scout Gold Award

Since 1916, Girl Scouts have been making meaningful change in their communities and around the world. The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn, acknowledges the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering and bettering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others.