Teen Girl Scouts Receive Top Honors for Community Service Work

April 2, 2004

By Ursula Castrillon, staff writer

Ten extraordinary teen Girl Scouts from across the nation gathered in Washington, D.C., in mid-March to be honored as Girl Scout Gold Award Young Women of Distinction. This year's honorees possess outstanding leadership qualities and the commitment necessary to create projects that impact local communities. Their dedication was honored by hundreds of Girl Scout executives at the fifth annual Girl Scout Gold Award Young Women of Distinction event.

"We can see the beginnings of leadership qualities in some girls even in their Brownie Girl Scout years, but by the time they are in their teens, we see some amazing accomplishments," said Cynthia B. Thompson, Chair of the Girl Scout National Board of Directors, before she welcomed each girl to the stage. Kathy Cloninger, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, formally presented each girl with the Girl Scout Gold Award Young Woman of Distinction recognition.

Left: Melanie McMillan Schild from the Kappa Delta Foundation awarded the 10 Girl Scout Gold Award Young Women of Distinction with $1,000 scholarships. Right: Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) met with Ashleigh, a Young Woman of Distinction from North Carolina, and Brandi, a teen advisor for Girl Scouts of the USA.

Left: Analucia is officially honored by Girl Scout CEO Kathy Cloninger as a Girl Scout Gold Award Young Woman of Distinction. Right: On Advocacy Day, Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) met with Jillian, a Young Woman of Distinction, and Girl Scout executives.

During their week-long experience in D.C., which was sponsored by Girl Scouts of the USA and Delta Air lines, the community-minded teens spoke with government officials about the issues they tackled. After receiving training on advocacy and communications, girls and Girl Scout executives flooded Capitol Hill on Girl Scout Advocacy Day to speak about critical issues facing teens today.