Town honors Gold Award Girl Scouts


group photo

From left to right: Councilman Tom Hand, Supervisor Joseph Saladino, Sara Hughes, Danielle Galardi, Ava Fiorello, Joan Olivero, Eden Price and Girl Scouts of Nassau County CEO Rande Bynum.

The Town of Oyster Bay recently joined with Girl Scouts of Nassau County CEO Rande Bynum to honor Girl Scouts who have achieved their Gold Award.

“We are so proud to honor such distinguished young women. The Gold Award acknowledges the power behind each Girl Scout’s dedication to not only bettering herself but committing to make the world a better place for others,” said Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino. “These girls identified needs in their communities and took dedicated action to address them. We are so proud to honor Girl Scouts who have achieved the most prestigious award in scouting.”

2022 Girl Scout Gold Award Honorees Include:

 

Sara Hughes of Farmingdale

To earn her Gold Award, Sara started a Zumba fit club at her high school. She developed this club in order to address the lack of fitness clubs offered in her school, and to find a solution to social isolation experienced by many students during lockdown. While promoting exercise in a fun and engaging way, Sara educated students about the physical, mental and social benefits of Zumba while also leading workshops for schools, teachers and Girl Scout troops. The Zumba Fit Club will be carried on through Sara’s school as it was approved by the school’s administration.

Danielle Galardi of Seaford

Post COVID-19, mental health concerns amongst teens and young adults are on the rise. Through Danielle’s project, “You Are Not Alone in this World,” Danielle took on the challenge of bringing Mental Health Awareness initiatives to these students. To prevent stigma around mental health, she created a presentation to educate her community on the importance of mental health and emotional wellbeing while also developing a resource guide that was shared with her school’s psychologist to assist students. Danielle’s high school psychology teacher implemented her message into his curriculum.

Ava Fiorello of Massapequa

Ava’s project, “Chess and Unwind” provides a safe environment for people of all ages to play a healthy and relaxing game of chess outside while also providing an education on the benefits of chess. Ava’s project aimed for people to get outdoors and to challenge themselves to think differently. Her project consisted of a permanent life-size chess set that will continue to be accessible to residents. Additionally, the senior day care center has added chess to their programming to help engage individuals to improve their mental skills.

Joan Olivero of Oyster Bay

Joan addressed the issue of e-waste to earn her Gold Award. She partnered with the Town of Oyster Bay, Best Buy and the ERI National Recycler to assist in her project. Joan developed a campaign that educated consumers about the benefits of repurposing the valuable metal of electrical cords. She hosted a grassroots information and collection center at the local farmers’ market and the Town of Oyster Bay’s Town Hall to connect members of her community with existing programs. She continues to educate people of the negative effects for irresponsibly disposing of e-waste.

 

Eden Price of Massapequa

Eden educated youth ice hockey players on safety and injury prevention to earn her Gold Award. She researched and presented information to young players along with their parents on common injuries sustained in hockey, how to prevent these injuries and when to seek medical attention. Eden also designed a pamphlet, and created a website to raise awareness on player safety. Northwell Health and Eden’s local hockey rink will continue to use her pamphlet at the Town of Oyster Bay’s hockey player safety meetings and it will be permanently posted on the bulletin board when you enter the rink.

Kate Blundin of Locust Valley

Kate took on the challenge of addressing food insecurity by teaching younger children about giving back to the community. Due to the pandemic and rise in food insecurity, many food services such as food pantries and soup kitchens struggled to keep up with the demand. Kate partnered with NOSH, a program of the North Shore Soup Kitchen, designed to deliver groceries to those in need. Through her discussion, presentations, and video, she worked with children to educate them on food insecurity while also making notes and bracelets on the grocery bags.

Yesha Chandnani of Syosset

To earn her Gold Award, Ayesha Chandnani interviewed senior citizens to document their life story and give advice for younger people. Ranging from starting a business, to pursuing a career in engineering, to serving in the army, Ayesha highlighted how her interviewees persevered and used problem-solving skills to achieve their goals. She presented these interviews at local libraries, and they can be viewed through her website along with a guide to help students reach out to elders in their communities.

Emma Schneider of N. Massapequa

To earn her Gold Award, Emma Schneider tackled the issue of gender inequities in the STEM field. The goal of her project was to address a lack of exposure and gender biases in the field of STEM. She aims to create a growing interest in girls to major in STEM. Emma produced a documentary series titled “The STEM Station,” that educates girls on what STEM is and types of careers that are available. Her channel includes a guide of what courses girls should take and clubs to join in high school to be prepared for a college STEM major. “The STEM Station” is the centerpiece of Emma’s Girl Scout Gold Award and the Emma’s resources will be sustained on YouTube to help more students pursue a career in STEM.

Giuliana Feijoo of Old Bethpage

Giuliana Feijoo successfully educated young students on the dangers of e-cigarettes to earn her Gold Award. Within her project, her goal was to address the lack of information on smoking and vaping found on social media. She hosted in-person and virtual presentations on the dangers of short and long-term effects of smoking in any form. Giuliana also led discussions after her presentation to help answer additional questions from students. Her resources can be accessed on YouTube and related social media to continue to raise awareness on the negative effects of e-cigarettes.

 Julianna McCarthy of Massapequa

To earn her Gold Award, Julianna McCarthy successfully set up a sensory path hallway in Schwarting Elementary School. Teaming up with an Applied Behavioral Analysis therapist, Julianna researched how different activities can help sooth a child or increase their stimulation to awaken their sensory systems. In doing so, she created a mood regulator path benefitting children with sensory issues while also remaining open to all students and teachers. She included a description and purpose of each activity along the path and created a packet for the main office to distribute to other school staff. Julianna’s sensory path is sustained by the school psychologist and continues to be utilized by the teachers and staff in the building.

Michaela Johnson of Farmingdale

To earn her Gold Award, Michaela Johnson addressed the issue of the expense and access of diabetic supplies. She spoke at many seminars and national organization events as well as with local community members. Through her discussions and website, she shared available resources to help people to acquire diabetic supplies they might not be able afford. She worked closely Tami Balavage, the founder of Help a Diabetic Child Foundation and her project will continue to make an impact as her website will be available to all those who need.

“On behalf of the Town Board, we commend these fine young women for earning the highest and most coveted achievement through the Girl Scouts of America,” said Councilman Tom Hand. “What makes attaining a Gold Award even more admirable is that less than 6% of Girl Scouts achieve this accomplishment annually. These honorees express a special commitment to themselves, their communities, and their futures.”

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