Carmel Valley residents earn prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award

Girl Scouts San Diego hailed the leadership and community service achievements of 57 local Girl Scouts at its recent annual Gold Award ceremony at the Joe and Vi Jacobs Center. The recipients included three Carmel Valley residents.

Kate McBride helped Philippine orphanages educate and improve the lives of children through her Gold Award project, “For the Love of Literature.” Kate collected and shipped thousands of children’s books to orphanage in the Philippines. Along with the books, she sent letters and decorative bookmarks she crafted with children from her church. Kate, whose parents are Doug and Janeen McBride, was been a Girl Scout for 12 years. She graduated from Torrey Pines High School this year, and will attend the University of Southern California in the fall.

Honoree Jordan Moore’s Gold Award project, “Inclusion Made Easy: How to Bring Everyone to the Table,” promoted inclusive environments in high schools. She created a resource guide and website targeting student leaders, clubs, government bodies and faculty, and disseminated the information to 38 schools, potentially reaching more than 67,000 people. Jordan is the daughter of Sidnie Moore, and is a 2011 graduate of Cathedral Catholic High School who will study environmental studies and pre-law at Yale University. A member of Troop 8409, Katie started Girl Scouting as a Brownie 13 years ago.

Katie Twyman — through her Gold Award project — “Increasing Childhood Obesity Awareness” – taught students in grades 4-6 about the importance of eating well-balanced meals and staying active. She also ran a basketball skills clinic. She was a member of Girl Scout Troop 1461 for 13 years, and recently became a lifetime member. A 2011 graduate of Canyon Crest Academy, she is set to attend the University of California Davis, majoring in environmental science. Katie’s parents are Amy Seki and Mike Twyman.

The Girl Scout Gold Award — Girl Scouting’s highest honor — recognizes the leadership, effort, and positive impact girls in grades 9-12 have on their communities. Each recipient spends two to three years completing a seven-step process that includes exploring career interests, colleges, internships and jobs. It culminates when the girl plans, executes and evaluates a major service project based on a personal passion that addresses the needs of a specific community.

“As I shook the hands of the awardees, I marveled over how they poured their hearts, time and talents into their projects, said Girl Scouts San Diego CEO Jo Dee C. Jacob, who presented the awards. “These amazing leaders-in-the-making joined the elite 5.4 percent of Girl Scout Gold Award recipients nationwide – to the great benefit of the communities they serve.”

Those who benefited from the 2011 Gold Award recipients’ projects included children who discovered the joy of dance, art, and music, along with the fun side of math, science, reading, and healthy living; organizations preserving culture, history, serving veterans, and protecting the environment and wildlife; families in the midst of medical crises, homelessness and trauma recovery; senior citizens who got to share treasured photos, recipes and stories; and individuals whose lives will be saved by workshop participants who learned self-defense, earthquake safety and first aid. Other projects promoted inclusive environments and individual confidence.

Founded in 1912, Girl Scouting provides the world’s best leadership experience for girls. Through Girl Scouts, girls discover themselves, connect with others, and take action to make the world a better place. Girl Scouts San Diego (www.sdgirlscouts.org) provides activities for 40,000 local and adult members, trains volunteers, and maintains three camps and four program and service facilities.

Related posts:

1. Area residents among Girl Scout honorees
2. Carmel Valley Girl Scout Troop Spring Fling encourages recycling
3. Girl Scout volunteers her time to build a garden for the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito
4. Carmel Valley Girl Scouts complete Cyber Savvy workshop
5. Carmel Valley resident’s Eagle Scout project helps make CVREP trail safer

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