By Leslie Gonzalez
Local teens win top honors from Girl Scouts
The Girl Scouts of Nassau County recently recognized seven of our area's brightest young women who, rather than watch television or hang out at the mall, instead chose to spend their free time resourcefully for the benefit of others. Kimberly Fox of East Rockaway; Tracy Burke, Hsiao-Bei Chen, and Tiffany Lee of Lynbrook; and Heather Tullo, Meredith Foley, and Elizabeth Salogub of Malverne all received the Gold Award, the Girl Scouts' most prestigious recognition.
"They have been truly committed to their projects and helping better our community. These girls are tomorrow's leaders," said Marion Dreyfus of Nassau County Girl Scouts, who also commended the work of troop leaders Edith Foley (troop 2336) and Ann Szalai (2182).
The Gold Award requires a two-year commitment with a minimum of fifty hours of community service, and is defined as a culmination of all that has been learned and experienced as a Girl Scout: arts and humanities, cultural and global relations, personal well-being, science, technology, and women's issues. Award candidates must first complete four Special Interest Projects, Career Exploration, leadership hours and a Senior Girl Scout "Challenge" before being interviewed. Qualified scouts choose their individual project based on personal interest and submit a proposal, which must meet an expressed need in the community. In this process, each girl designs, develops and fulfills their own public service project.
A total of 27 Nassau County girls ages sixteen to eighteen accepted their awards at a special ceremony held at Long Island University's C.W. Post Campus in Brookville. With seven award recipients, the East Rockaway/Lynbrook/Malverne area produced nearly 25 percent of the entire county's Gold Award winners.
Kimberly Fox chose to stress the importance of reading to young children. She collected book donations and volunteered in a "Reading Partners" program that reads to elementary school children. She also tutored and worked together with a younger Girl Scout troop to earn their "Books Badge". A recent graduate of East Rockaway High School, Ms. Fox was a member of the Student Council, the Key Club, the Student Peer Organization and the National Honor Society. She will be attending Sacred Heart University in Connecticut this Fall.
Tracey Burke organized and coached a fourth grade boys' basketball team. She created a lesson plan used at practice, and taught the importance of good exercise, fair play and sportsmanship. As a junior at Kellenberg Memorial High School, Ms. Burke was a member of the Band, Pep Band, Crafts Club and Yearbook Staff. She also plays softball for a team in East Meadow and basketball at Our Lady of Peace, where she also coaches.
Hsiao-Bei Chen assisted New Eyes for the Needy, Inc. by donating glasses and eyeglass cases for those who cannot afford to buy them. A recent graduate of Sacred Heart Academy, Ms. Chen was a member of the Computer Club, Spanish Club, Chorus and National Honor Society. She also painted a mural for Sacred Heart, and volunteered at the Lynbrook Public Library. Ms. Chen will be attending Hofstra University this Fall.
Tiffany Lee addressed the needs of the visually impaired by transcribing instruction manuals to everyday items such as watches, calculators and alarm clocks, onto videotape. As a junior at Malverne High School, Ms. Lee served as a member of her high school newspaper and literary magazine staff, and was a member of the Tennis and Bowling Teams, Amnesty International, and the Malverne Community Service Club. She also volunteers at the New York Aquarium.
Meredith Foley recruited her parish and the American Legion to gather toys, books, a television and VCR for children who live at the Center for Developmental Disabilities in Woodbury. A recent graduate of Sacred Heart Academy, Ms. Foley was a member of the Latin Club, Chorus and school newspaper; and a member of the Math, Science, Latin and National Honor Societies. Ms. Foley plans to attend the University of Notre Dame this Fall.
Elizabeth Salogub organized a local outreach program called "Nourishing the Newborns" that collected donated baby items such as formula, diapers, pacifiers, clothing and toiletries for distribution to those in need. A recent graduate of Sacred Heart Academy, Ms. Salogub was a member of the Math, Science, Spanish and National Honor Societies, and served as Sports Editor for her High School newspaper. She was also a member of the Basketball and Swim Team, and participates in Community Youth basketball. She also volunteers for the Malverne Little League. Ms. Salogub will be attending St. John's University this Fall.
Heather Tullo helped "English as a Second Language" students with reading problems by transferring twenty elementary books onto audio tape. She hopes that students can now improve their pronunciation by listening to the tapes and following along in their books. As a junior at Sacred Heart Academy, Ms. Tullo was a member of the National Honor Society and Craft Club. She also participated in intramural sports.
Other Gold Award projects included the creation of a mural for a hospital pediatric ward; crafting teddy bears for hospitalized children; gathering donations for the Ronald McDonald House; and the organization of a health fair to improve the nutrition, fitness, and self-esteem of young girls. Students who embrace these projects reflect on their accomplishments, goals, resources and obstacles, and take responsibility in planning and executing leadership. As result, Gold Award winners are widely recognized by the community and professional organizations. Recipients are also eligible for many college scholarships.
The Girl Scouts of Nassau County are seeking to extend their Gold Award registry to include past honorees. If you or anyone you know received the Gold Eaglet, the Curved Bar, First Class or Girl Scout Gold award, please contact Marion Dreyfus at 741-2550 ext. 219 to be included in this registry.
