12 Gulfcoast Girl Scouts earn Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting

Apr11 by Jessica Miano

Twelve outstanding young women across Lee, Sarasota, and Manatee Counties dedicated over 80 hours each to attain the highest award in Girl Scouting, the Gold Award.

The Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida are proud to recognize twelve outstanding young women for earning the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. The Gold Award recognizes high school Girl Scouts who address issues they are passionate about by planning and implementing a project that produces lasting change in their communities and beyond.

Local Gold Award Girl Scouts and their projects include:

Abigail Dalesandro, North Fort Myers High School; Art Through Lee: Behind the Scenes and LOTHCAT Draws
Alexis Morrison, homeschooled in Sarasota; Mental Health Awareness
Alexis Smith, Lehigh Senior High School; Heart to Heart
Autumn Pepper Rhodes, Cypress Lake High School Center for the Arts; Girls Who Soar
Faith Chaney, Sarasota High School; Period’s Aren’t Taboo
Jainley Garcia, Oasis High School; Educating The Youth On Deforestation & Urbanization
Julia Sammons, Lakewood Ranch High School; Reading and the Mind
Madison Witherspoon, Riverview High School; L.F.A Program
Natasha Agarwal, Canterbury School Ft. Myers; PAGETURNER Digital Learning Library
Olivia Thorstad, Cypress Lake High School; Removing Barriers to Student Success
Tristan Blankenship, North Port High School; Tristan’s Blankets of Love
Victoria King, Bonita Springs High School; Volleyball for Confidence

The girls will be recognized for their achievements on Sunday, April 30th at the 3^rd annual GSGCF Gold Award Celebration Luncheon at the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, FL, where they will receive their Gold Awards and have the opportunity to speak about their projects to friends, family, and members of the Board of Directors of GSGCF. The girls will also be distinguished at GSGCF’s annual Young Women of Distinction Ceremony, which will be held this year on May 21st at the Charlotte Harbor Convention Center in Port Charlotte, FL.

“Gold Award Girl Scouts are the dreamers and doers who take ‘make the world a better place’ to the next level,” said GSGCF CEO Mary Anne Servian. “These girls tackled issues that are important to them and their communities, and we congratulate them on this momentous accomplishment.”

The Girl Scout Gold Award acknowledges the power behind each Gold Award Girl Scout’s dedication to not only empowering and bettering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others. Through earning the Gold Award, Girl Scouts become innovative problem solvers, empathetic leaders, confident public speakers, and focused project managers. They learn resourcefulness, tenacity, and decision-making skills, giving them an edge personally and professionally.

By earning their Gold Awards, these young women have distinguished themselves as true community leaders and change-makers who have made a meaningful and sustainable difference in the world. Their accomplishments reflect leadership and social responsibility that set them apart from their peers.

According to recent research, Gold Award Girl Scouts are more likely to fill leadership roles at work and in their personal lives and are more civically engaged than their non-Girl Scout peers. Eighty-five percent of Gold Award Girl Scouts say that earning their Gold Award gave them skills to succeed in their daily lives, and eighty-seven percent say it gave them skills to help them succeed professionally.

As a bonus, the Gold Award opens doors to a variety of scholarships, preferred admission tracks for college, strong networking and amazing career opportunities, and much more. About 4,000 Girl Scouts earn their Gold Award every year, placing Abigail Dalesandro, Alexis Morrison, Alexis Smith, Autumn Pepper Rhodes, Faith Chaney, Jainley Garcia, Julia Sammons, Madison Witherspoon, Natasha Agarwal, Olivia Thorstad, Tristan Blankenship, and Victoria King among a prestigious community of change-makers who have achieved this honor. Since 1916, over 160,000 Girl Scouts have earned the Gold Award or its equivalent.

Girl Scouts Announce “Play Ball!” at Red Sox Spring Training

Mar28 by Jessica Miano

The Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida were invited to the Red Sox’s Inaugural Spring Training Girl Scout Day on March 26^th. Two Girl Scouts were presented with $5000 scholarships in a pre-game ceremony.

Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida recently partnered with the Boston Red Sox to host the first ever Inaugural Spring Training Girl Scout Day at JetBlue Park Stadium on March 26^th for girls and their families to enjoy. A total of 60 Girl Scouts and their family members purchased tickets for the weekend game.

Those who attended reported they had a wonderful time and are already looking forward to attending future Girl Scout events with the Red Sox.

“This was a lot of fun for the girls,” said Christine DiBenedetto, a Girl Scout parent who attended the game on Sunday.

Every Girl Scout with a game ticket was given access to special events, including a pre-game announcement welcoming the Girl Scouts to the ballpark, an in-game video shot and a pre-game parade along warning track. All of the Girl Scouts who attended also had the opportunity to announce say “Play Ball” before the game over the PA system. Girls had the chance to meet and fist-bump with players, as well.

In a pre-game ceremony, the Boston Red Sox also presented 15 high school seniors each with the Lee County Red Sox Scholarship, a $5,000 scholarship for academically talented Lee County public high school seniors who are making meaningful impact through service in their community. This prestigious scholarship award is for students pursuing a two-year or four-year degree at any college or university.

Two of the recipients, Autumn Pepper Rhodes and Alexis Smith, are Gulfcoast Girl Scouts and Gold Award Girl Scouts. The Gold Award is the highest achievement within the Girl Scouts of the USA, earned by Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts. Gold Award Girl Scouts in high school complete projects to make the world a better place and earn the highest award available to Seniors and Ambassadors. Only 5.4% of eligible Girl Scouts successfully earn the Gold Award.

“It was really cool to attend a game like this,” scholarship recipient Autumn Rhodes said. “It was something I have never done before, and it was really cool to meet the other scholars, to talk to them and to see how diverse everyone was. Next fall, I am going to college at Rice University in Houston and I am going to be a dual major in mechanical engineering and astrophysics.”

“Attending the game was better than I would have ever imagined,” said Alexis Smith. Girl Scout Day was her very first experience attending a baseball game. “The staff were extremely friendly and seeing all the Girl Scouts there made the experience even better. This scholarship is really going to help take off some of the financial burden and stress I was having. I am working towards becoming an orthopedic surgeon and will be attending Florida International University in the fall to major in health science. I am also pursuing an internship in sports medicine while there.”

The March 26^th game was between the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins. According to ESPN, the Twins won, with a game score of 7 – 2.

For every ticket purchased a portion of that ticket was generously donated by the Red Sox back to Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida.

March 26, 2023, Fort Myers, FL: Girl Scouts say play ball before a Grapefruit League game against the Minnesota Twins at jetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida Sunday, March 26, 2023. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/Boston Red Sox)

All of the Girl Scouts who attended had the opportunity to announce say “Play Ball” before the game over the PA system.

March 26, 2023, Fort Myers, FL: Girl Scouts walk the field before a Grapefruit League game against the Minnesota Twins at jetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida Sunday, March 26, 2023. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/Boston Red Sox)

Girl Scouts met and shared fist-bumps with players.

The Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida were invited to the Red Sox’s Inaugural Spring Training Girl Scout Day on March 26th.

Autumn Rhodes, 2023 Red Sox Scholar

Autumn Rhodes and Alexis Smith, both Gold Award Girl Scouts from Gulfcoast Florida, received the Lee County Red Sox Scholarship on March 26th, a $5,000 scholarship for academically talented Lee County public high school seniors who are making meaningful impact through service in their community.

March 26, 2023, Fort Myers, FL: Scholarship winners are recognized before a Grapefruit League game against the Minnesota Twins at jetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida Sunday, March 26, 2023. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/Boston Red Sox)

Girl Scouts head to NYC as national representatives for 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations

Mar11 by Jessica Miano

Three members of the Girl Scouts Gulfcoast Council were among those representing the Girl Scout movement and serving as delegates at the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations headquarters in New York City in March.

The Gulfcoast delegates included Girl Scout Seniors Mackenzie Shockey, Olivia Trader, and Mackenzie Valenza.

Each year, more than 5,000 women and girls from around the world gather for this session focused on the worldwide state of gender equality. Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida is one of only five Girl Scout councils, out of more than 100 councils nationwide, selected to send a delegation to the 2023 session.

The girls submitted applications to the council and were selected to join fellow Girl Scouts from California, Florida and Oklahoma.

During the Commission on the Status of Women, girls attended sessions, listened to speakers and advocated for what they believe is important and relevant for girls today. They engaged with non-governmental organizations, U.N. agencies, country missions and other youth delegates from around the world. Delegates also took part in and spoke at Girl Scout parallel events about STEM, digital literacy, access to technology in rural areas, and the importance of Girl Scouts and other organizations to champion digital literacy for girls.

Along with attending inspirational events led by women leaders and professionals from across the globe during their visit to the U.N., the girls were also part of advocacy groups, conversation circles, assisted with girl statement writing, and moderated their own event in collaboration with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. They also met people from all over the world, visited GSUSA headquarters, sat in on the UN General Assembly and more.

To prepare for their roles during the experience, Girl Scouts participated in bi-weekly Zoom training beginning in August 2022.