Of all the young women in the United States who have at some point in their lives participated in the Girl Scouts of America, only one percent will ever obtain the highest distinction that can be achieved: the Gold Award. Of this one percent, 10 women in the entire country are selected as Women of Distinction and receive special recognition at a ceremony held in the nation’s capital, attended by celebrities and prominent figures in the United States. This year one of the ten Girl Scouts selected to receive this honor was Oberlin first-year Tami Reed.
The Gold Award for Girl Scouts is an award equivalent to the Eagle Award for Boy Scouts. Like the Eagle, it requires the recipient to perform a large service project, demonstrate leadership abilities, gain merit badges for scouting and explore career options. For Girl Scouts, since rank is determined by age and not by
achievement, the award can only be earned by those girls who are Seniors (grades 10-12). Reed spent her three years as a Senior Girl Scout working towards the completion of her Gold Award since, she says, “getting your Gold opens a lot of doors for you.”
The San Jacinto Council of Girl Scouts nominated Reed for the Woman of Distinction Award for her outstanding work on her Gold Award project. Reed’s project involved arranging four demonstrations of scientific principles, including buoyancy and surface tension. The program, entitled “The Magic of Science,” took place at the Houston Central Public library. Reed did all the work in arranging materials, carrying out publicity and finding volunteers to assist with and conduct each workshop. Although Reed is not certain if her plans for a career correlate with her project, the project will definitely give her leverage as she continues toward her goal of a Ph.D. in Microbiology and work at the Centers for Disease Control.
Reed, who is from Houston, Texas, was notified in late January that she had received the award. Although she says that she first went into scouting with her “eyes closed,” she now feels that having stuck with the program of study “gives [her] a foot in the door.”
Reed’s award will be presented by Sandra Day O’Connor in Washington, D.C. on March 11. Also present at the ceremony will be Vera Wang, Elizabeth Dole, Judge Glenda Hatchett, and possibly even the President and First Lady. The ceremony is only a small part of the Women of Distinction gathering; the remainder of the time in Washington, D.C. is spent in touring the city, speaking to the nation’s leaders and shadowing jobs.