Obie
Receives National Honor
by Faith Richards
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 nations 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. Reeds 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.
Reeds award will be presented by Sandra Day OConnor
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 nations leaders and shadowing jobs.
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