Darien Girl Scouts Earn Gold Award

Victoria Eng and Kathryn Ann FitzMaurice of Darien have earned their Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a girl can earn in Girl Scouting.

In order to earn the Gold Award, Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts between the grades of 9-12 spend at least 80 hours researching issues, assessing community needs and resources, building a team, and making a sustainable impact in the community. A Gold Award recipient’s accomplishments reflect leadership and citizenship skills that set her apart as a community leader.

Victoria addressed the lack of emergency preparedness within Darien’s elderly community. She created a booklet and presentation to educate senior citizens about staying safe in times of crisis. At the end of the class, each participant created their own starter 72-hour emergency kit to take home. Victoria trained underclassmen to continue the class in the future. She is attending the University of Michigan and plans to study chemistry.

Kathryn engaged middle school students to continue learning about their faith and created fun ways for them to stay involved with Saint John Church. She aimed to create an enjoyable church environment and a safe place for students to grow. This outreach will continue with other youth group members. Kathryn is studying Communications at Saint Mary’s College of Notre Dame.

For more information about the Gold Award or how to become a Gold Award volunteer or mentor, visit http://www.gsofct.org/pages/GoldAward.php.