About Samantha

I just turned 16 years old at the end of May and am member of the Girl Scouts of Washington Rock Council, located in Westfield, New Jersey. I've been a Girl Scout for 11 years, and received my Silver Award for holding a career day for girls age 11-17. I found women in non-traditional roles to come and talk with the girls so that they knew that they could be anything they want.

I am a high school sophomore, and have done over 165 hours of Community Service through Girl Scouting in that time. My Gold Award project will add over 80 hours more to that total.

The girls in my troop are working on earning our President's Volunteer Service Award this year. Some of us are also taking part in the Leader in Training program, and are taking training courses. We will help run a Daisy troop next year and their 1st year of Brownies the next year. I'm really looking forward to it! I love working with children!

Since the completion of my Gold Award project, I have been working on other projects, helping a sister scout our on her Gold Award project working at her Breast Cancer Awareness Day for teens, and collecting postcards from all over the world for my friend Kasey, who has cancer and is often stuck at home after chemo treatments. I've been working with my Brownie Troop, teaching them how good it feels to help other people. I had them make "Communication Packs" for veterans at the local Lyon's hospital for the Holidays. The packs had writing paper, envelopes, pens, holiday and other greeting cards in them. The Brownies packaged the items up in festive snowman bags, and made nice cards to go with them. They liked the thought of making the veterans happy with the candy canes we stuck in the packs for fun!

I'm very excited that I have been nominated for 2 more awards!!! I was nominated for and have been awarded the national "Daily Points of Light Award" for 'making a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others.' I am very proud of receiving this award!!!! The other nomination is for the Girl Scout "Young Women of Distiction Award." It's an honor even being nominated for this award. There are only 10 winners in the country and the judging is in March 2007. I am very proud that my Girl Scout Council thought enough of me and this project to nominate me for this award.

Even though it's wonderful to recieve all of these nominations and awards, the most important part of all is the fact that 155 children will hopefully feel even a little better than they would have without this project, and if it helps even one, it was way worth all of the work that I and my volunteers did to make it possible!!!!.