Smithtown and Commack Teens Earn Girl Scout Gold Award

The Girl Scouts of Suffolk County recently celebrated local Girl Scouts who earned the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award, including five members of Commack Service Unit 615 and Smithtown Service Unit 625.

The awards were presented during the 2023 Gold Award Dinner, which was held at The Inn & Spa at East Wind and featured a keynote address by Rebecca Sanin, President and CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island. The Gold Award program recognizes the power and dedication shared by an elite group of young women who earn the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve. The members of Commack Service Unit 615 and Smithtown Service Unit 625 who achieved Gold Awards this year were Chloe Visnius, Elysena De Stefano, Ava Mahoney, Sophia Recine and Jessica Andrews.

“The Gold Award is the highest distinction a young woman can earn in Girl Scouting and is earned by less than 6 percent of Girl Scouts annually,” said Tammy Severino, GSSC’s President & CEO. “Earning this award takes an extreme amount of dedication, hard-work and commitment from each of the girls. We are incredibly proud to celebrate this distinguished class of young women and the great efforts they have made for their communities.”

The Gold Award Girl Scouts each tackled a project that held a deep significance to them. To be eligible for a Gold Award, each recipient must complete two Senior or Ambassador Journeys, or their Girl Scout Silver Award before beginning their Gold Award project. To meet the Girl Scout Gold Award requirements, each candidate must complete at least 80 hours toward their project.

Girls in grades 9-12 begin their Gold Award journey by identifying a civic or social issue they care about. Next, a Girl Scout builds a team to support her project with the mission to create a positive impact in her community by addressing an issue she feels passionate about. Through the process, Gold Award Girl Scouts build invaluable problem-solving, organizational, and leadership skills, while educating and inspiring others.

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Elysena De Stefano created an outdoor learning library with a teacher bench, platform and inspirational signs for the preschoolers at the Suffolk Y JCC.

Ava Mahoney provided equipment and a training session for girls to play field hockey by running a free clinic. The clinic aimed to build healthy relationships and team bonding.

Sophia Recine volunteered at Long Island Alzheimer's and Dementia Center’s Day Care and painted a mural. She also designed a poster with dementia care tips for caregivers.

Jessica Andrews addressed the issue of poverty and health for young adults by providing them with useful resources.

Chloe Visnius was recognized, but decided not to share her project.