Award Girl Scout Class of 2023
Saturday, June 24, 2023
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Award Girl Scout Class of 2023
Saturday, June 24, 2023
Gold Award Girl Scouts are change-makers. They have changed the world, changed lives, and earned the most prestigious award in Girl Scouting.
To earn the Gold Award, a Girl Scout identifies an issue in her community, drafts a plan to address the root cause, and leads a team of volunteers to implement it. When the project is complete, the Gold Award Girl Scout and her team have made a sustainable impact on the world that continues to last beyond her involvement.

It’s a huge accomplishment that also impacts the Gold Award Girl Scout as a person. How she sees the world—and how the world sees her—is forever changed. It’s also a credential that will be with her for the rest of her life; having the Girl Scout Gold Award on a high school transcript or résumé can make a Girl Scout stand out when it comes to college admissions, scholarship applications, internships, and job interviews.
Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
Girl Scout Law
I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout.

Congratulations, high school graduates!
As you embark on this exciting new phase of your life, we look forward to supporting you as a Girl Scout alum and having you remain a part of the Girl Scout family. We’re proud that the skills you’ve learned in Girl Scouts have prepared you to take on your next adventure.
As a lifetime member of Girl Scouts, you will remain connected with the Movement while continuing to be a champion for girls who are changing the world—today and for generations to come.
Become a Lifetime Member at mygs.girlscouts.org
Your lifetime membership also includes benefits, such as discounts and invitations to special events.

Refreshments
Presentation of Colors
Welcome Megan Wright Gold Award Committee Member
Alumna Impact
Leadership Remarks
Words of Inspiration
Faith Harper
Gold Award Alumna, Class of 2022
Nancy Wright
GSGCNWI CEO
Sidney Dillard
President and Board Chair
GSGCNWI Board of Directors
April Morgan
Chief of Staff to the Chairman, Chicago Transit Authority;
GSGCNWI Board of Directors
Presentation of Awards Megan Wright Faith Harper
Closing Remarks
Retire the Colors
Nancy Wright

Faith is a rising sophomore and journalism major at Howard University in Washington, D.C. She was a ‘22 Gold Award Scholarship recipient for her Take Action project on creating a hair club at her high school called Rooted Paradise. The club discussed the different types of hair textures and created a safe space for students to learn and ask questions they may have felt uncomfortable asking.

Megan is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She earned her Gold Award with a project establishing a teddy bear program with her local emergency medical services providers and updating the play resources in the pediatric departments of two local hospitals. She is a lifetime member, a Gold Award panelist, and leads two

April is the Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Board. As Chief of Staff, April advises the Chairman and Board Directors on policy issues that impact the agency’s daily operations and coordinates with the CTA President and senior leadership on key initiatives such as finance, workforce development, procurement policy, DEI, and intergovernmental relations. April was also a founding member and former President of the Associate Board of the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (GSGCNWI). April believes strongly in civic engagement and giving back. Her service on the Associate Board led to her recent appointment to the GSGCNWI Board of Directors. In addition to her board service, April is a Girl Scout troop leader and serves in several leadership and volunteer roles for community organizations promoting educational, professional, and economic development. April received her Juris Doctor from Northern Illinois University College of Law, where she was a member of the Law Review. She graduated with honors from Knox College in Galesburg, IL, where she received her B.A. in Political Science and Sociology.
IN WITH 61 Communities 6,856 People TO 5,073 Items Donated THROUGH 4,713 Hours of Service Earned the Gold Award 49 Girl Scout Seniors & Ambassadors Earned the Silver Award 320 Girl Scout Cadettes Earned the Bronze Award 642 Girl Scout Juniors So Far in 2023

Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana thanks the generous donors who support our council’s Gold Award Scholarship fund. In the third year of this scholarship fund, six Gold Award Girl Scouts received a total of $10,000 in college scholarships in honor of their commitment to making the world a better place.
Moorea Gay – University of California, Berkley
Megan Gianino – Joliet Junior College
Faith Harper – Howard University
Emily Jones – Purdue University
Abigail Mackey – Purdue University
Priyanka Patel – University of Missouri
Tara Gillespie
Inaya Gray
Grace Koziol
Lily Kellams
Katherine Lowrie
Alyssa Norton
Bryce Pacourek
Sydney Richardson
Makaila Young
Ameenah Zawahir
The Feral CATastrophe
My Gold Award project was to write information sheets for people adopting rescue cats from Feral Fixers. I wrote and illustrated an interactive pamphlet for children whose families adopted a new cat. It prompts children to interpret and respect their cat’s communication and enjoy the new pet in ways that are good for both the child and the cat. I also built two winter shelters for feral cats and two trap–neuter–return insulated boxes, which will allow the rescue to continue its important work when the weather is colder.


CDH NICU Library
My Gold Award project created a little wooden library for the NICU at Central DuPage Hospital for the NICU’s reading program. That program educates parents on the importance of reading for the baby’s brain development and strengthening the parent-child relationship. The library stores books and all the resources needed for the program. I also created an Amazon wish list where others can continue

My Gold Award project worked with Pediatric Therapy Centers to provide books for the Lending Library to ease stress and anxiety before and after their therapy sessions. Additionally, I worked with my church to host a mental health awareness night. It mainly targeted
youth and educated them about resources
Build Proper Signage and Bring Awareness to the Clarendon Hills Historical Society
My Gold Award project raised money to purchase a proper sign for the Clarendon Hills Historical Society. This sign was well-built and will last for many years to come. I also threw an awareness party for the society where many community members were able to visit and understand all the work that the Historical Society does.

Daisy Mural at CPC
My Gold Award project involved a small team, and we designed and painted a daisy mural, which is our town flower. We painted the rest of the room as well. Our town was accidentally daisy fields before it was a town, and the local church basement desperately needed to be repainted.
My Gold Award project was to revitalize a horse trail for a nonprofit horse therapy barn. The trail had been overtaken by invasive buckthorn, which narrowed the trail so much that it was virtually unusable. I worked to remove this buckthorn and put in place sustainable methods to stop its continued growth.

The Cookie Bake Off
My Gold Award project was a Girl Scout community event geared towards older Girl Scouts during cookie season. This event aimed to help keep older girls involved in Girl Scouts by showing there are fun events for girls their age.

Kidz Play Expansion Project
My Gold Award project helped to give underprivileged kids better access to extra-curricular clubs, sports, and activities. In 2014, I created a nonprofit organization called Kidz Play to help tackle this issue, but as the years went on, I struggled to expand Kidz Play outside my small town. Through my Gold Award, I expanded Kidz Play throughout my state and beyond!
It’s a Female Thing
My Gold Award project aims to address the issue that women living in poverty or homeless do not have access to sanitary products. I reached out to women’s organizations and my community for donations to fill the shelves at four food pantries to see if there was a need. The response was overwhelming. Because of my efforts, these products will now become a regular on their shelves.

YouTube Channel for the Elderly
My Gold Award project addressed the issue that loneliness is a common problem among seniors, especially those with dementia and other illnesses. I asked student volunteers to record videos of them sharing talent and posted them on a YouTube channel I created. I also made a website that is easy to use for senior citizens with information about my project and access to the YouTube channel. I shared these resources with several nursing homes in my area.
Composting: Reducing in the Community
My Gold Award project was focused on composting, so I built a large community composting pile in collaboration with my park district. I also talked to local Girl Scout troops and first-year biology students at my high school and shared a video about how to

Sharing Minority Stories Through A Podcast
My Gold Award project created an interview-style podcast to discuss minority experiences in predominately white space. We explored a variety of issues, such as the model minority myth, affirmative action, and the thin blue line controversy from the unique perspectives of minorities within predominately white communities. I took this opportunity to share these overlooked experiences and create a community that understands the nuances associated with racial identity.

My Gold Award project was created to provide healthy and nutritious meals for low-income families. All of these meals can be made with ingredients that are cheap and easy to get ahold of, and a licensed nutritionist approved all recipes.

My Gold Award project aimed to educate teens with law enforcement officer parents, create a network for education so they can feel connected to others, and create a place where knowledge about mental health issues within law enforcement is accessible and easy to understand.

trying to make getting a book easy and accessible for all children. I am trying to give kids the fundamentals they need to go through life while also taking them on a wonderful adventure.
well-being. I created trivia that fit the broad demographic, organized various supplies (stress balls, decks of cards, books, board games, etc.) so patients could individually pass their time, and created videos of myself and other girls from my troop showing off their talents. All of these resources are used by hospital staff to keep patients engaged and entertained.

My Gold Award project focused on mental health in students. I’ve noticed that kids are often stressed around finals but also in their everyday lives. Having a sensory box can help kids relax and give them a break from their responsibilities for a little bit. I’ve seen that kids don’t know how to take care of their mental health, so this sensory box can be a tool to help educate and provide ways to achieve better mental health.
time. This can lead to boredom and depression, which is unsuitable for their

My Gold Award project was to start an early intervention program to get children interested in reading, especially in the technologycentered post-pandemic world. I built the Community Bookshelf, a little permanent library at the First Christian Church of Lansing curated for school-age children. In addition, I ran a program with the five kindergarten classes at Coolidge Elementary School. I visited each of the five classes four times and hand-made 100 reading buddies to distribute to the students once they had returned a reading log to me, proving that they had read 20 books. Along
with their reading log, they received a book to keep to begin their reading journey, a journey that I hope will last a lifetime.

My Gold Award project focused on period poverty, a significant issue that mainly affects homeless women and girls who don’t have access to or the means to buy menstrual products. My project addressed this issue by bringing awareness to the problem and providing the means for women to get these products.

My Gold Award Project has increased people’s knowledge about native plants. I designed a patch program, a brochure for Richmond Gardens, and started an annual native plant seed donation drive.

My Gold Award project addressed the mental health problems incoming students transitioning into middle school can face. I designed, wrote, and printed a guided journal because that was what I found helpful during that same period in my life. My project helped students work through their emotions and thoughts while they began to build their own paths.
Ivywhale.com -
Socialization Not Isolation
My Gold Award project connects hospitalized or otherwise isolated children with high school and college students to play games, do homework, read, or just talk. Through a web-based platform, parents can sign their children up for an experience where their child can be a kid and forget about feeling isolated. Beyond the primary injury, over 90% of hospitalized children suffer emotional upsets due to being hospitalized; Ivywhale.com hopes to help minimize that trauma. Ivywhale.com recognizes that children do not need to be hospitalized to feel isolated. We welcome any child to visit us for an experience.

Community Prayer Garden
My Gold Award project was creating a community prayer garden for people to have a space to sit, be at peace, meditate, and pray.

My Gold Award project was to renovate two areas at the DuPage County Animal Shelter. I painted and put in new ceiling tiles in their multipurpose room that is used for training, potential adopters, staff meetings, and more. I also put in new flooring and trim in the cat adoption room. My main goal was to help more animals get adopted out of the shelter, and the completion of my project did just that. Since being done, countless amounts of animals have been adopted and have found their forever homes.

Drama Club Green Room
My Gold Award project cleaned out our school drama club’s green room to make a more usable space. I went through our costumes and created a more cohesive organization system so that we could better use what we had, and I got rid of many old items that were no longer usable. The project aimed to save money for the drama club, create a rehearsal space, and make putting on shows easier.

Bridging the Gap
My Gold Award project focused on the transition from middle to high school through the lens of mental health. It consisted of an oral presentation given to my high school’s first-year class supplemented by an interactive online presentation with resources to help firstyear students cope with their emotions,
Drauden Point Middle School National Junior Honor Society by helping them start their own recycling program.

Information is Queen
My Gold Award project gives back to my Girl Scout community. My old service unit (SU509) was struggling to communicate effectively, and I recognized they needed a centralized information system (new website). Their website makes it easier for leaders and parents to access contact info, event details, badge ideas, archived newsletters and provides links to critical resources. I created an instruction manual and companion YouTube channel to help other service unit managers update their sites. I led a web design class for service unit managers, and I gave them access to all of my web design resources. Beyond that, I taught a similar class to five younger Girl Scouts. I created a lesson plan for the event and shared it with SU509, so other troops could replicate it if they wished.

Community Recycling and Conservation
My Gold Award project addressed the issue of plastic caps that are improperly disposed of and cause harm to animals and the environment. My community, Boy Scout Troop 13, Plainfield North High School, and my friends and family helped me collect plastic caps to recycle into a bench through the ABC Promise Partnership recycling program at Plainfield North High School. I also mentored

The Golden Arrow Archery Range
My Gold Award project built and created an archery range in Des Plaines, IL, on the property of the Society of the Danube Swabians and will be utilized by Girl Scouts Service Unit 404. The project provided two archery targets, an arrow net, two structures to hold up the net, eight compound bows, 100 arrows, and eight forearm shields. Girl Scout leaders obtained Level 1 Certification Archery Training to teach the Girl Scouts the sport
of archery, and troops within Service Unit 404 will enjoy learning and playing archery for years to come. Through learning and playing archery, girls will improve their self-confidence and carry these lessons into

We Dine Together
My Gold Award project, We Dine Together, is a club that focuses on making sure everyone at my high school feels like they belong and are included. Our mission is to ensure no one eats alone at lunch and facilitate monthly outreach activities for the school. Going back to school after the pandemic showed how much people struggled with feeling alone, so having people to sit next to and events to attend helped build the school community

Comfort Pillows and Pamphlets for Breast Cancer Patients
My Gold Award project involved creating mastectomy comfort pillows to ease a patient’s pain and discomfort while riding in the car during recovery. The pillows clasp around the seatbelt, providing a cushioned barrier to protect the chest and prevent irritation post-surgery. I also created a tutorial video for anyone who wants to learn the pillow-making process.
Fostering Resilient Learners; Educate and Regulate
My Gold Award project developed a mentorship program at my local middle school. A team of eighth-grade students were taught about adverse childhood experiences and different ways to manage stress and negative emotions. They then shared their knowledge and built connections with fifth-grade students. Before graduating, the eighth-grade students passed their knowledge on to the seventh-grade students who would take over the project the following year.

Women in the Workplace
My Gold Award project was to record interviews with 24 women in my community across a wide range of professions to provide a reusable podcast resource for girls. The information I collected includes recommended high school courses, educational requirements, interests, day-to-day job activities, pros and cons, and more. I published these episodes to Spotify to create my podcast called “Women in the Workplace.” I shared this resource with clubs at my high school and local Girl Scout troops. I also have a link to the podcast posted at my local library.

Recycling Campaign and Signage Installation
My Gold Award project was a three-part effort to reduce the amount of contaminated recycling within my community. The first part of the project was to design and spread infographics about recycling, focusing on the economic and environmental benefits of recycling. The second portion of the project was to design and implement signage at a popular picnic park in my community. The final component of the project was to lead a clean-up of the project.

My Gold Award project involved creating and implementing a health curriculum to be used in primary education. Working with a local gym teacher, I pulled together a variety of resources and materials to build a fun and engaging program that would teach kids the basics of being healthy. Several lessons in this program were taught in my senior year, and the resources were compiled for future education.

Seeing the World Beyond Your Neighborhood
My Gold Award project involved creating a website that provides resources to help individuals who want to explore and learn about other cultures. In addition to my website, I educated individuals on various cultures through presentations and personal experiences.

Crafting Your Confidence
My Gold Award project addressed psychological well-being in elementaryaged children by working on self-confidence, courage, and a growth mindset. I created guided journals and confidence kits for various communities, such as patients with chronic illnesses, hospital settings, foster care, and Girl Scouts. Packaged in a bag, these kits included the journal, positive stickers, pencils with affirmations, crayons for coloring and writing, and a stress ball. These items focused on the theme of “humankind,” being both human and kind.
Riverside Triangle Park Improvement
My Gold Award project aims to improve a local triangle park area near my home, which acts as an entrance to my community. I cleared the area of all the weeds and invasive species, which were choking the base of the mature trees and blocking visibility to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. I also organized a date and volunteer group to plant the native plants. My final project also includes six tree tags to educate residents about native species.

Don’t Worry It’ll Be OK
My Gold Award project spreads awareness about mental health issues and their symptoms and signs, but in words that teens going through a tough time can understand. I also made a
website saying all of these feelings are ok, some quick tips on how to help self-love, and resources to forward to these teens to help.

My Gold Award project addressed the issue of indoor isolation and the importance of getting outside for physical and mental health. Specifically, I created a website that includes an I-Spy scavenger hunt, a did-you-know nature guide, and a personal goals pledge to encourage participants to continue to get out in nature and commit to doing something good for nature. As people learn more about nature, they are likely to take the time to enjoy it more, care for nature, feel interested, and feel good about themselves.

My Gold Award project raised awareness about different types of eating disorders, their causes, symptoms, and what others can do to help people affected by an eating disorder. I also discussed the HAES (Healthy At Every Size) concept to emphasize that people can have different body sizes and be healthy. I taught people about these concepts through presentations where the audience was middle or high school students. I also created a website for this information so it is available to anyone who wants to learn about eating disorders.
My Gold Award project supported Family Promise, an organization that provides shelter, food, and an opportunity to regain employment through its program. My project made their family rooms more functional and organized. These improvements gave the children a safe and comfortable space to play and study while keeping their entire family unit together. The improvements also provided a clean, safe space for everyone to socialize, work, get ready, and more.

My Gold Award project was to create a specific cookbook for kids and adults with Down syndrome to provide recipes and tips for independent cooking. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most people had to do remote learning or work from home, which caused many people to prepare meals for themselves or their families. This project will help those with disabilities learn how to cook at home and gain skills of independence in life skills that can impact their overall health.
Improving Safety and Efficiency for Equestrian Connection
My Gold Award project focused on transforming a storage space from unsafe and inefficient to a furnished and usable closet at a local nonprofit, Equestrian Connection. They work with individuals with disabilities, several of which are veterans, to rehabilitate them and restore confidence. Their storage closet is mainly used for keeping equipment for their annual fundraiser, whose profits are used to further their mission.

Autism Baskets
My Gold Award project helped my community by making sensory kits for the local schools. I put together different textured toys, fidgets, and colored and textured pasta. The schools put these kits to good use, and the teachers absolutely loved them!


Animal Welfare Project
My Gold Award project partnered with the Phillips Park Zoo in Aurora, Illinois, to discuss ways to help an endangered blue-throated macaw, Iggy. Blue-throated macaws originated from northern Bolivia and were once thought to be extinct. During my project, I held presentations to spread awareness of endangered species and how we can help them. I also held a workshop with younger Girl Scouts where we made enrichment toys for Iggy. I created a website and blog with more information and statistics on how to help endangered species and posted pictures of my workshop and presentations. My website was shared on social media and on the DuPage AME Church Girl Scout website as a learning resource for current and future Girl Scouts.

Renovation and Reopening
My Gold Award project was to revamp and reopen the library at LEARN 10 Charter School in North Chicago. I provided the kids with a space that held the necessary resources to enhance their reading skills and give them a nice place to learn. I also purchased new books that the kids wanted to see more of to encourage them to read more at home and make them realize their love for reading.
Bella Zamudio
One Stitch at a Time My Gold Award project intertwined mental health coping skills and knitting. I created a booklet that described beginner knitting steps and related each of those steps to a certain coping skill for anxiety and depression. I hosted learn-how-to-knit events at two libraries and created a public YouTube channel and blog where I posted knitting steps and coping skills to increase awareness of art therapy.

Ameenah Zawahir
My Gold Award project addresses the lack of support for left-handed students in school environments. I accomplished this by distributing handneutral desks in all of the classrooms, which gave students adequate workspaces so they are not at a disadvantage on timed assignments. I also brought awareness to the differences in teaching left-handed students fine motor and writing skills at the elementary level through in-person and recorded training. My project led the high school to look into surveying the desk counts at their other school and create a committee to look into purchasing handneutral desks for all the schools in the district.
Thank you to our committee members who support Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors through the process of earning the Girl Scout Gold Award.
Jane Clark Committee Chair
Jessica Roberson Binder Coordinator
Charlene Getz
Annie Gilmartin
Julie Gilmartin
Juliann Krupa
Kelli Mason
Kaycee Mendoza
Fatima Patel
Ladwonda Soloman
Vanessa Valdez
Megan Wright
Officers
Sidney Dillard
President Partner & Head of Corporate Investment Banking Loop Capital Markets
Jackie Barlow
1st Vice President Managing Director CRE CIBC
Sarah Cigrang 2nd Vice President
Vice President, Human Resources Griffith Foods
Carol Murphy Treasurer Managing Director
AON Risk Solutions
Sheryl L. Yasger
Secretary
VP, Diners Club International
Ad, Brand & Marketing Discover Financial Services / Discover Global Network
Ex-Officio Member
Nancy L. Wright
Ex-Officio Member/CEO
Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana
Members
Duke Alden VP, Technology & Operations Alight Solutions
Danielle Austen Managing Partner & CEO fluent360
Susan Beverly Director and Head of Worldwide Transparency, Partnerships and Engagement Amazon
Theresa Boland Partner KPMG
Valerie Bomar Vice President & Deputy General Counsel NiSource
Christine Concari Director, Order Fulfillment and Customer Service Arcelor Mittal
Shannon Fuller Health Care Service Corporation VP of Talent Solutions
Paul Gariepy Partner Principle Ernst & Young
Robin Goolsbee Managing Director Diversified Search Group
Janet Hulet
President, Navigating Brilliance, Inc.
Maureen Jamrock
Lara Liss
Group Vice President, Global Chief Privacy Officer
Walgreens Boots Aliance
Annette Martinez Director of External Communications and Outreach Strategy
Argonne National Laboratory
Ann McAloon
Senior Vice President Bank of America
Merrill Lynch
Ami McReynolds Chief Equity Officer
Feeding America
Carla Michelotti President
Carla Michelotti LLC
Jennifer M. Mikulina Partner
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
Jennifer Montague VP, Communications and External Affairs
NiSource
April Morgan
Chicago Transit Authority Chief of Staff to the Chairman
Bobby Owens
Sr. VP President–Sales & Customer Experience
Randstad USA
Patricia Palaez Principal
Charles River Associates
Veronica Villalon Pinela
Sr. Brand Manager, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Amazon
Kimberly R. Reome
Central Region Lead Partner The Kenrich Group, LLC
Kathy Scherer Managing Partner, Business Tax Services
Deloitte Tax LLP
Hille Sheppard Partner
Sidley Austin LLP
Victoria Tate Partner
Sidley Austin LLP
Monica M. Weed
Girl Representatives to the Board
Sydney Kirages
Kelsey Riordan
Madelyn Dryier
Matilyn Terrell
Kayla Smith
Kaylyn Crawford