Over this past break, Chelsea Smith ‘19 was awarded the Girl Scout Gold Recognition. The Gold Award represents the highest achievement Girl Scouts can achieve. By earning the Girl Scout Gold Award, Chelsea Smith has become recognized as a community leader.
Chelsea Smith ’19 (Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge)
The Gold Award recognizes girls in grades 9 through 12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through sustainable and measurable “Take Action” projects. On the official Girl Scouts website, the Gold Award is described as “open only to girls in high school, the Girl Scout Gold Award is the most prestigious award in the world for girls—and the most difficult to earn—and it’s only available to Girl Scouts. As a Gold Award Girl Scout, you’re challenged to change the world—or at least your corner of it.” In addition to recognition, some universities and colleges offer scholarships specifically to Gold Award recipients.
This award is difficult to earn. In order to do so, applicants must prepare a 7-step project that is designed to fix a problem in their community. During her time as a Girl Scout Chelsea has earned several activity badges, completed 3 journeys, and completed two long-term community service projects resulting in the Bronze and Silver Award. To obtain her final and most prestigious award, Chelsea worked with Head Injury Specialists and Andrew Donatello, the Northwood’s athletic trainer, to collect concussion baseline testing of all the students at Northwood.
“My project was directed to the issue of concussions in the skiing community,” said Smith. “Concussions have slowly become a larger part of many skiers’ lives. With this, not many are thoroughly and correctly educated on the dangers of concussions and how they happen,” She said. “My project was creating a video outlining the causes, symptoms, precautions to take, and other information on concussions. I also helped Donny with the baseline testing to get everyone tested to help us in the case of a concussion.”
When asked about the importance of receiving this award, Chelsea reflected on her siblings. “My two brothers achieved the Eagle Scout award for Boy Scouts in the past few years. They have been Boy Scouts for as long as I can remember, and that whole time I have been a Girl Scout,” she said. “With this, I wanted to get the highest award I could in the Girl Scouts, just like my brothers did for Boy Scouts.
“I’m very excited about this accomplishment,” Smith added. “I hope my project will hold well and help to inform many about concussions in the skiing community.
Chelsea Smith’s Girl Scout Gold Award Project Video is available online.
