Girl Scout Awards
Three High School North seniors earned their Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in girl scouting. Shaili Desai, Sohni Reddy, and Isha Vora were recognized at a Court of Awards ceremony at Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church on April 22. The Gold Award, an independent project, requires extensive prerequisites in the areas of badgework, career exploration, leadership, and community service.
Present to offer their commendations were Congressman Rush Holt, Assemblyman Bill Baroni, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, West Windsor Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh, Plainsboro Deputy Mayor Neil Lewis, Beth Maurer, president of the Delaware Raritan Girl Scout Council, and Seema Singh for Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein.
Shaili Desai’s project, “Camping With Confidence,” supported local leaders and parents who lacked confidence to allow their troops and daughters to go camping for the first time. She presented camping guidelines, helpful tips, and procedures to each troop and answered girls, leaders, and parents’ questions. Her project included two camping trips with planned activities such as nature walks, bonfire sing-alongs, night hikes, games, arts and crafts, and closing ceremonies. Despite the bad weather on both trips, they were a huge success.
“I have always loved camping, and I wanted today’s Girl Scouts to enjoy the same experience,” says Desai. “Sometimes in troops there is a separation among the girls and camping makes the girls bond. When my troop went camping, we all became closer and better friends.”
Desai, the captain of the girl’s varsity tennis team at North, also wanted to help younger girls keep their interest in Girl Scouting. She is interested in pursuing a business or law major in college.
Sohni Reddy’s project, “No Silence for Violence,” supported WomanSpace, a Mercer County-based agency that provides services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Reddy organized a musical concert that raised $4,”250. Then she held a garage sale with donated items and, with the proceeds, bought school supplies and educational toys for the children that stay at their shelter. Lastly she held a Girl Scout workshop, at which Susan Adams, a member of WomanSpace, discussed how woman are portrayed in the media and how the subtle negative images of a woman being subservient to man affect today’s youth. They also discussed domestic violence and sexual assault, and how one can identify and seek help in such a situation.
“By making teenagers aware of domestic violence at a young mature age, it allows our future women to stand up against those who want to harm them,” says Reddy. “I wanted to help not only the women, but the children involved in domestic violence and sexual assault situations. The children also need our support to become productive citizens of tomorrow.”
Reddy, an accomplished singer, is also a published poet, and a passionate cook. Reddy is joining a medical program at the American University of Antigua at their offshore campus in India.
Isha Vora’s project, “Women’s Health, Prevention and Awareness,” educated older Girl Scouts (ages 11 to 16) about women’s health issues. She ran a diabetes awareness booth at a Girl Scout festival with materials from the American Diabetes Association. She planned, created, and presented a women’s health workshop, covering cancer, substance abuse, the role of genetics, and eating disorders. She also hosted a career workshop, for which she recruited professional women in health related fields to speak on the panel. More than 100 girls attended the event.
“I wanted to help older Girl Scouts in my community become more aware of the health issues that are out there, especially ones that pertain to women’s health,” says Vora. “The more girls know about women’s health problems, the more they will advocate prevention and awareness and lead healthier lives.”
Isha, a junior black belt in Tai Kwon Do, plays piano. An active volunteer for children with disabilities, last summer she volunteered at the Jersey Shore University Medical Center and the Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute in India. She recently received the Mercer County Caring Award. She is interested in pursing a pre-med major in college.
