Local Plainedge Teens Earn Prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award

PLAINEDGE, NEW YORK (JUNE 2022) — Girl Scouts of Nassau County recently honored Plainedge residents Brianna Kassatly and Julianna McCarthy for earning their Gold Awards. The Gold Award is the highest and most prestigious award a Girl Scout can achieve as it recognizes the remarkable dedication she has for improving their community and the world around them. Brianna and Julianna were presented with their Gold Awards at the Girl Scouts of Nassau County's 2022 Gold Awards Ceremony, joining an elite group of 53 young women from throughout Nassau County who earned the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve.

“The recipients of this year’s Gold Awards have displayed diligence, compassion and altruism in approaching issues facing their communities,” said Randell Bynum, the chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Nassau County. “Their efforts have not gone unnoticed in their communities and their impacts will leave an imprint for years to come. I applaud them for addressing topics like social justice, mental health, the environment and more, while putting forth solutions to create a better world.”
The Gold Award program is designated for girls in grades 9-12 and is intended to help girls explore civic and social issues they are passionate about pursuing. The process of earning a Gold Award begins with a Girl Scout identifying a civic or social issue, drafting a plan to approach the issue and, lastly, partnering with volunteers or community leaders to implement it. The plan implemented needs to be sustainable and reach beyond the Girl Scout’s personal community.
Brianna Kassatly successfully raised awareness about juvenile idiopathic arthritis and silent autoimmune diseases for her Gold Award Project, “Spreading Awareness About Autoimmune Diseases,” Brianna created a brochure and children’s book to educate her community on autoimmune diseases, and how we can help those around us who are battling with such diseases. She also developed workshops to help individuals share their stories and gain an understanding of how to cope with autoimmune diseases. Brianna’s resources for learning the causes and how to cope with autoimmune diseases can be accessed through her podcast, Instagram, and website. Brianna will be a senior at Our Lady of Mercy Academy in the fall.
To earn her Gold Award, Julianna McCarthy partnered with Schwarting Elementary School to set up “Sensory Path Hallway.” The path is a mood regulator that benefits children with sensory issues, and is also open to all students and teachers. Julianna teamed up with an Applied Behavioral Analysis therapist and researched how different activities can help sooth a child or increase their stimulation to awaken their sensory systems.
Julianna included a description and purpose of each activity along the path and created a packet for the main office to distribute to other school staff. Julianna’s sensory path is sustained by the school psychologist and continues to be utilized by the teachers and staff in the building. Juliana is an alumna of Plainedge High School and will be a sophomore at Quinnipiac University in the fall.

According to the Girl Scout Research Institute, girls who have achieved their Gold Award, experience greater life success due to a greater sense of self, satisfaction, leadership, life achievements, community service and civic engagement. Gold Award Girl Scouts who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive a higher pay grade and can receive scholarships or other recognition from most colleges or universities.

For more information about the Girl Scouts of Nassau County and the Gold Award program, visit www.gsnc.org.
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We Are Girl Scouts: Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs in Nassau County, across Long Island and from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alumni, Girl Scouts leads the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.