Celebrating Our Gold Award Girl Scouts

Our annual event is a special time to recognize our Gold Award Girl Scouts, for girls to reflect on their projects, and for families to acknowledge the hard work and dedication it takes to earn one of Girl Scouting’s highest and most prestigious awards for Seniors and Ambassadors.

Scholarship Recipients

This year, Alexia Michitti of Vestal, N.Y., was awarded an inaugural Girl Scouts of the USA Gold Award Scholarship for the project Becoming Your Best Self—13PosiTV:). The scholarship recognizes one outstanding Girl Scout per council whose Gold Award project exemplifies the award’s core standards. Alexia was granted $2,060 thanks to sponsorship from Arconic Foundation and Kappa Delta Foundation. (Read about Alexia’s project in the bios below.)

Three other Girl Scouts were selected for GSNYPENN Council Scholarships because their projects also demonstrated highest levels of the award’s core standards. Thanks to generous donors, a total of $3,300 was awarded in memory of special GSNYPENN Girl Scout sisters lost in 2019. (Read about each Girl Scout’s project in the bios below.)

• The Marie Hepworth Scholarship (in the amount of $1,500) was presented to Alex Shaffer of Cortland, N.Y., for the project Purple Pantry. Ms. Hepworth dedicated her life to supporting girl development through her 20-plus years serving as executive director of GSNYPENN legacy council Indian Hills and various volunteer activities in her community of Johnson City.

• The Kelly Perkins Scholarship (in the amount of $1,000) was presented to Kynzee Sethi of Binghamton, N.Y., for the project The Pandemic Records. Ms. Perkins, a lifelong Girl Scout and GSNYPENN summer camp staff member, impacted the lives of campers and younger Girl Scouts in her community of Newark Valley.

• The Kerrie Black Scholarship (in the amount of $800) was presented to Katelyn Sonnen of Vestal, N.Y., for the project Blast Into Science. Ms. Black, a lifelong Girl Scout, was a GSNYPENN Regional Support Manager for Broome and Delaware counties who served her volunteers with excellence and was always willing to lend a hand to her colleagues.

Read about the 21 GSNYPENN Class of 2021 Gold Award Girl Scouts here

Hallie Bain
Alexandria Bay, N.Y. (Jefferson County)
Take Action Project: Me in the Mirror

Alicia Baldwin
Baldwinsville, N.Y. (Onondaga County)
Take Action Project: Veterans Food Pantry Renovation

Miah Barnard
Vestal, N.Y. (Broome County)
Take Action Project: A Healing Garden for Cancer Patients

Nicola DiLuzio
Vestal, N.Y. (Broome County) 
Take Action Project: Large Animal Rescue Horse Trailer

Rachel Duggan
Syracuse, N.Y. (Onondaga County)
Take Action Project: St. Joseph's Little Free Library

Zoe Gates
Harpursville, N.Y. (Broome County)
Take Action Project: Golden Dancers

Mia Gaylord
Vestal, N.Y. (Broome County)
Take Action Project: Girls Golf: A Game Changer

Abigail Herrington
Pompey, N.Y. (Onondaga County)
Take Action Project: Learning Ecosystem

Sara Kelly
Camillus, N.Y. (Onondaga County)
Take Action Project: Dance is for Everyone

Audra McFarland
Owego, N.Y. (Tioga County, N.Y.)
Take Action Project: Hometown Harvest

Alexia Michitti
Vestal, N.Y. (Broome County)
Take Action Project: Becoming Your Best Self—13PosiTV:)

Madison Milheim
Mansfield, Pa. (Tioga County, Pa.)
Take Action Project: At-Home Olympic Village and Volunteer Awareness

Addison Moore
Locke, N.Y. (Cayuga County)
Take Action Project: Moravia Farmer’s Market

Miranda Rogers
Binghamton, N.Y. (Broome County)
Take Action Project: AED for Hillcrest Ogden Methodist Church

Kynzee Sethi
Binghamton, N.Y. (Broome County)
Take Action Project: The Pandemic Records

Alex Shaffer
Cortland, N.Y. (Cortland County)
Take Action Project: Purple Pantry

Lexi Snell
Clay, N.Y. (Onondaga County)
Take Action Project: Colorful Wings

Katelyn Sonnen
Vestal, N.Y. (Broome County)
Take Action Project: Blast Into Science

Mercedes Stiner
Conklin, N.Y. (Broome County)
Take Action Project: Tools for Tomorrow

Lyndsey Wright
Phelps, N.Y. (Ontario County)
Take Action Project: Eagles Nest

Elaina Wainwright
Rensselaer Falls, N.Y. (St. Lawrence County)
Take Action Project: The Bee’s Knees