Morristown Girl Scout Wins Award For Children’s Book On Alzheimer’s

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Valencia Julien, a 17-year-old from Morristown, is passionate about raising awareness about Alzheimer's disease, reminding us that it is never too early to begin advocating for change.

According to Julien, her book, "Giselle Learns About Alzheimer's," was inspired by her personal experience of discovering that her grandfather had Alzheimer's when she was in third grade.

Julien has been working to raise awareness of the disease by doing live readings on Zoom and in person, as well as holding workshops for elementary-aged children, since publishing the book as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project.

Gold Awards are the highest honor that Girl Scouts can receive, and the projects they complete to earn them put all of the skills they've learned over the years to good use.

To earn the award, the Girl Scouts spend a minimum of 80 hours over one to two years working on a project, from identifying the root cause of a problem to planning and implementing the solution, along with leading a team of people to complete it.

This month, the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey announced that Julien has also been selected as a recipient of the Girl Scouts of the USA’s annual Gold Award Scholarship for Higher Education.

The Gold Award Scholarship recognizes one outstanding Gold Award Girl Scout per council.

Julien was chosen by Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey because her project exemplifies the core components of the Gold Award, and she demonstrated exceptional leadership to drive lasting change in her community and beyond.

"Valencia’s advocacy and volunteer work on an issue so personal to her is deeply inspiring. She is so passionate and determined to make the world a better place, which is what being a Girl Scout is all about," said Sandra A. Kenoff, President and CEO, GSNNJ. "We are so proud of Valencia and all that she has accomplished, and congratulate her on earning the Girl Scouts of the USA’s Gold Award Scholarship."

Julien’s dedication to raising awareness of Alzheimer’s has extended beyond her Gold Award project.

For example, she spoke at an Alzheimer's: Diversity in Clinical Trial Participation and Brain Health educational workshop hosted by HEAL Collaborative and Mount Teman A.M.E. Church, where she discussed talking to and being open with children about family members with Alzheimer's.

She has also been recognized by the Alzheimer’s Association, the leading volunteer-driven health organization in Alzheimer's care, for her volunteer work with the organization, the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey said.

"I’m happy that my book and my advocacy are helping other people, especially kids, during what can be a confusing and scary situation," Julien said. "I’m thankful for the recognition from Girl Scouts of the USA and for all of the support from my GSNNJ council. I’m really proud of the positive impact I’ve been able to have, and I’m excited to keep raising awareness and using my voice for important issues."