Hannah Marlow, a senior at Briarwood
Christian School, recently earned the Girl Scout Gold Award. Marlow earned the Gold Award for her project “Blessings Both.” Marlow hosted a soccer equipment donation
drive in her community to provide the necessary items, like cleats, to soccer
players in downtown Birmingham and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Items collected
included cleats, shin guards, socks, clothing, snacks and water bottles.
Marlow donated half of the items to NorthStar Youth Ministries to be
handed out in the Birmingham area, and she took the remainder of the items with
her on a missions trip to Brazil that she attended with Briarwood Soccer Club.
“One of the first days of being in Brazil we held a soccer training camp
for the kids in the villa,” Marlow said. “I handed one boy a jersey that was
donated and he came back the next day with it on. He told me that he had never
received a gift like that and he felt very special to have received it.”
Marlow has developed a sustainability plan for her project, ensuring
that the drive will continue to be held biyearly to correspond with the
Briarwood Soccer Club’s mission trip to Brazil. The drives will benefit both
Birmingham soccer players in need, as well as players in the South American
country.
“When I went down to Brazil to give the donations to the kids, I was
actually quite nervous,” Marlow said. “After I worked with the kids and
successfully completed my project, I realized that leading people is more about
serving and giving them an example to follow.”
“By earning the Girl Scout Gold Award,” said Mary Charles, interim chief
executive officer of the Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama, “Hannah has
become a community leader. Her accomplishments reflect leadership and
citizenship skills that set her apart.”
The girl who goes for the Gold embraces challenges, achieves excellence,
and works diligently to make the world a better place, in her own unique way.
Her leadership, vision, and boundless energy is an inspiration to all Girl
Scouts. Each girl earning her Gold Award demonstrates excellence through a
leadership project totaling more than 65 hours. Girls who earn their Gold Award
are also recognized by the President of the United States, the U.S. Congress,
the U.S. Armed Services, state legislatures, colleges and universities for
admission and scholarship opportunities, and the American Legion. Some universities and colleges offer scholarships
unique to Gold Award recipients, and girls who enlist in the U.S. Armed
Forces may receive advanced rank in
recognition of their achievements.
About
Girl Scout Gold Award
Since 1916, Girl Scouts have been making meaningful, sustainable change
in their communities and around the world. The Girl Scout Gold Award, the
highest honor a Girl Scout can earn, acknowledges the power behind each
recipient’s dedication to not only empowering and bettering herself, but also
to making the world a better place for others. These young women are courageous
leaders and visionary change makers. They are our future, and it looks
bright! To learn more about the Girl Scout Gold Award, visit girlscoutsnca.org.
About Girl Scouts of
North-Central Alabama
We're over 18,000
strong—14,000 girls and 4,000 adults in 36 counties in the state of Alabama who
believe girls can change the world. It began over 100 years ago with one woman,
Girl Scouts' founder Juliette Gordon "Daisy" Low, who believed in the
power of every girl. She organized the first Girl Scout troop on March 12,
1912, in Savannah, Georgia, and every year since, we've made her vision a
reality, helping girls discover their strengths, passions, and talents. Today
we continue the Girl Scout mission of building girls of courage, confidence,
and character, who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts is the preeminent
leadership development organization for girls. Girl Scouts of North-Central
Alabama is a United Way partner. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join,
visit www.girlscoutsnca.org or
call 800-734-4541.
