The Girl Scout Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable. Available to Girl Scout Ambassadors and Seniors, the Gold Award requires girl to identify a problem, research potential solutions, and take action through the creation of a sustainable Gold Award project. Most Gold Award Girl Scouts spend a minimum of 80 hours working on their project and developing important life skills.

As recipients of Girl Scout’s highest award, Gold Award Girl Scouts have taken their promise to “make the world a better place” to the next level. In reaching this milestone, girls show their ability to tackle local, national, and global issues head on all while showcasing their leadership skills. The Gold Award can unlock doors to the future from scholarships to enlisting in the military at a higher pay grade, and the skills developed during this time are with a girl for life.

Check out how earning their Gold Award has impacted some of Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines’ own alumnae.

Emily Camplejohn 2014 Gold Award Girl Scout

For her Gold Award, Emily created a program to help Spanish-speaking students with their homework, as their parents may not be able to check assignments written in English.

How long were you a Girl Scout?  I started Girl Scouts in 3rd grade as a Brownie and stayed in Girl Scouts until I graduated high school! So a total of 9 years!

What have you been up to since your time in Girl Scouts ended?  I studied Biblical Studies abroad in Germany for a year, then I studied Teaching English as a Second Language at Liberty University in Virginia, studied Spanish abroad in Guatemala, finished my degree in December 2019 with student teaching in Bogota, Colombia where I then started my teaching career in January 2020.

How has being a Girl Scout affected your life? I learned how to take initiative and take leadership on projects! I started developing my love for the outdoors and the environment in Girl Scouts!

What did you learn from earning your Gold Award and how has it benefited you moving forward?  My Gold Award project was a huge factor in helping me to identify my career passion!  My idea for my Gold Award project was to help students whose first language was Spanish and spoke Spanish at home with their parents. I think that when it first occurred to me that these students were in completely English-speaking schools in my community and whose parents struggled to read their homework, I knew I wanted to help! Fast forward a few months to the summer after graduating high school when God confirmed my career calling after a mission trip in Mexico! Fast forward again to my current job which is being an ELL (English Language Learner) Specialist at a school of primarily ELL students!  Basically I’m doing my Gold Award Project times 100!  I had no idea at the time that my project would become such a piece of my story!  

What advice do you have for younger Girl Scouts and those working towards their highest award?  My advice would be to choose a project that makes you excited! Be creative! As you work on your project be driven by love! If you love the people and earth affected by your project, it will make all of the work worth it!

Alissa Goode 2015 Gold Award Girl Scout

For her Gold Award, Alissa painted a room and built a golf course at a Cumberland County Museum to foster imaginative development in school-age children.

How long were you a Girl Scout? I joined Girl Scouts as a Brownie in the first grade. I am currently a lifetime member, so for a total of 18 years.

What have you been up to since your time in Girl Scouts ended? I graduated from college in May with a Bachelor of Arts in Design Studies from North Carolina State University. Now I am trying to gain professional experience in the design/ tech world.

How has being a Girl Scout affected your life? Girl Scouts gave me a sense of pride. I love being part of an organization that strives to empower young women.

What did you learn from earning your Gold Award and how has it benefited you moving forward? Working on my Gold Award project taught me responsibility, keeping track of deadlines, and seeing a task until the end. It helped me in my personal and professional life particularly when I entered higher education.

What advice do you have for younger Girl Scouts and those working towards their highest award? My best piece of advice would be to pick a cause that you can get behind, a project that you are interested in investing your time in, but also something realistic. I would also advise starting early as possible so you have time to contact who you need to contact, get your paperwork done, and carry out your project.

Brianne Vasarhelyi 2015 Gold Award Girl Scout

For her Gold Award, Brianne created a database of services provided by local charities to make it easier for individuals to get the assistance they need.

How long were you a Girl Scout? I participated in Girl Scouts from 2003 in through 2016.

What have you been up to since your time in Girl Scouts ended? After my time in Girl Scouts, I completed my bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science at UNC Chapel Hill as well as minors in Neuroscience, and Spanish for the Healthcare Professional. I joined a local volunteer Rescue Squad as an EMT, CPR Instructor, and Technical Rescue Team member. I enjoyed Emergency Medical Services so much that I decided to continue on by earning my Paramedic certification. At that time, I moved into an officer role at the Rescue Squad. Helping lead and train EMTs along with helping to manage squad operations were some of my favorite roles. I currently still serve as an operations officer on the Rescue Squad, work as an EMT with my county EMS system, and teach EMS classes at my local community college.

How has being a Girl Scout affected your life? Being a Girl Scout has had a positive impact in my life. I made friends and learned life lessons, such as teamwork, time management, and leadership skills. At Girl Scout camps, we would each take responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning, or planning activities. We had to work in teams and solve problems together, even when we had differing opinions. Managing time between school, sports, and Girl Scouts helped me develop organizational skills I use every single day.

I also learned the importance of volunteering in the community and spreading kindness wherever I go. From charity drives to community events to my Girl Scout highest award projects, I learned that kindness goes a long way. That’s why I love to sprinkle some kindness into my everyday life, such as paying for the person behind me in line at a coffee shop or simply giving a friend a phone call. 

What did you learn from earning your Gold Award and how has it benefited you moving forward? My Girl Scout Gold Award project included visiting and contacting as many local charities, support groups, and churches in the Raleigh area as I could to create a resource database. In my time providing Emergency Services to the community, I have come across patients who either use or are in need of these same services. I can see the footprint that these charitable organizations have on the community and it’s exciting to see their positive impact on peoples’ lives. 

What advice do you have for younger Girl Scouts and those working towards their highest award? My advice for younger Girl Scouts and those working towards their highest awards is to get involved as much as you can in what you enjoy. There are so many opportunities in every field- healthcare, technology, science, art, etc. Find out how you can use your skills and interests to benefit others in the community. When you are passionate about something, the rest is easy! 

Learn more about the Girl Scout Highest Awards here.