These outstanding young women join an exclusive group of distinguished women who have met the challenge of achieving the Girl Scout Gold, Silver, or Bronze awards.

	Girl Recognition Ceremony Paper work for Bronze Silver and Gold Awards is due to the council headquarters by March 10, 2010 to be honored at this year’s award ceremony. The ceremony will be held May 16th and the location will be announced in the invitations for the event.
	Llyswen Berna, Sarasota ~ Girl Scout Gold Award Recipient Focusing on her career interests in environmental science, Llyswen chose a project to benefit her school, Pine View School in Osprey. Recognizing the problems associated with invasive species of trees and plants on 12 acres of the school’s campus, she decided to rid the grounds of these and plant native ones. She developed a plan and recruited volunteers to help prepare the grounds by removing many of the larger Brazilian Pepper trees and non-indigenous shrubs. Volunteers used hand saws and chain saws to cut the trees and shrubs and passed them along to a wood chipper operated by Sarasota County volunteers. Other areas that were not highly visible were treated with herbicide. After the eradication process was complete, Llyswen and her volunteers planted tropical plants such as native coffee, beautyberry, firebush, and wax myrtle. Llyswen’s project was a valuable environmental benefit to the school and community.
	Kodie Brandt, Fort Myers ~ Girl Scout Gold Award Recipient Kodie’s project named “Project Smile” did exactly what it was intended to do. She collected comfort items, not often provided for men and women, and distributed them to residents of nursing care and helping-hand facilities. The bags contained items such as a book to read, body lotion, razors for men, and a new toothbrush. Kodie collected donated items from numerous local businesses throughout the community including Estero High School where she attended. She worked with two different Junior and Brownie Girl Scout troops to fill the bags and even completed about 60 bags herself. While distributing the comfort-care bags, Kodie developed relationships with many of the senior citizens and soon became a regular volunteer. She even brought her dog along to help pass out the bags. The residents deeply appreciated everything they received and returned their gratitude with a big smile!
	Jessica Libak, Fort Myers ~ Girl Scout Gold Award Recipient This past academic year, as a senior at Cypress Lake High School Center for the Visual Arts in Fort Myers, Jessica used her creative talents to make children feel more welcomed in a colorful, warm, and inviting environment at the Abuse Counseling and Treatment Center (ACT) in Fort Myers. She chose a jungle theme, and with the help of members of the National Art Honor Society at her school, painted various animals and tropical trees on the walls of the Children’s Department. She raised the necessary funds for her painting supplies by hosting a yard sale last summer. Jessica felt that if her painted murals made a single child smile, she knew that she had made a difference. (ACT’s mission is to protect, support, and educate victims of domestic violence and their children and survivors of sexual assault.)
	Alyssa Sullivan Gonzalez, Naples ~ Girl Scout Gold Award Recipient The purpose of Alyssa’s Girl Scout Gold Award project was to address the issue of hunger in Collier County. She wanted to provide food for some of those in need. Alyssa chose to involve the students in her pottery class at Naples High School to participate in her project. She and her fellow students made ceramic bowls and then filled them with food for distribution to Habitat for Humanity families. Alyssa asked local businesses to participate as well. When the bowls were completed and filled with donated food items, Habitat for Humanity picked them up and gave them, as a house-warming gift, to their new home owners. The success of her project resulted in her high school making her project a part of the pottery class’ curriculum.

These are just a few of the many famous Girl Scouts that include politicians, writers, educators, businesswomen, scientists, and so many more. Join them in their quest for excellence and Start Girl Scouting today!