Brianna Anderson won’t just be celebrating receiving the Girl Scout’s prestigious Gold Award today (June 23) in Baton Rouge, she’ll also be a part of recognizing the centennial of the recognition nationally.
“Winning this award is important to me because it is a way of showing that hard work pays off in the end,” Anderson said. “It shows that I accomplished something great and that I possibly helped some children in my community while doing it. It shows that all of the skills I learned through Girl Scouts from leadership, to sisterhood, to teamwork are all very beneficial to have.”
A Scout for nearly six years, this Norco student is already among four Louisiana Scouts receiving the organization’s highest award for achievement among girls age 14 to 17. Since 1916, the Girl Scouts have honored their best and brightest for initiating meaningful, sustainable change locally, nationally and globally. The award has been called the Golden Eaglet or Curved Bar Award in the past, and since 1980 it’s been called the Gold Award.
Anderson, along with Victoria Murphy of Franklinton, Allison Smith of Geismar and Sarah Taylor of Bush will receive the award today at the Governor’s Mansion.
A member of Troop 20588, Anderson considers it “pretty crazy” that she’s among only four girls receiving this recognition.
Earning the award is challenging, but she readily conceded that reaching all the expectations and goals for the Gold Award is definitely possible. Anderson said she feels too many girls drop out of Girl Scouts before they ever get a chance to earn this kind of recognition because they don’t realize all the great opportunities it can bring in the future beyond their Girl Scout years.
Ironically, Anderson said her mother basically forced her to join the Scouts, but it was a move she came to appreciate.“I wanted to quit when I first started, but then my troop became my second family,” she said. “All the girls in my troop are like sisters, and I hope the younger girls from my troop choose to stay and complete the Gold Award project.”
Anderson considers the award itself her biggest achievement in scouting, but it also reflects all of what she’s done. Her second achievement is “graduating” or what she calls bridging into an adult Scout, including breaking out of her shell and overcoming her shyness with much improved people skills.
She also learned many different things like survival tips, building a fire, managing time wisely, being kind to everyone (including people who are rude), and using these skills every day at work and school.
“I really do hope that more girls are inspired to get into Girl Scouts and get involved in their communities,” Anderson said. “The more girls, the better our community becomes.”
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