HOLYOKE – Two young women from Russell were recently honored at a celebration hosted by the Girl Scouts of Central & Western Massachusetts for their “demonstrated extraordinary leadership” through sustainable and measurable take-action projects.
Sarah Farnham, a recent graduate of Westfield High School, and Lauren Pisani, a graduate of Gateway Regional High School, were among the young women from across the region who received the Girl Scout Gold Award, signifying achievement of the “highest recognition for girls” in Girl Scouting.
Sarah Farnham of Russell, center, is seen during the recent Girl Scout Gold Award winners evening with Pat Parcellin, CEO, of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, and Pattie Hallberg, CEO, of the Girl Scouts of Central & Western Massachusetts, (© Randy H. Goodman photography)
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“The recognition indelibly marks them as accomplished members of their community and the world,” said Dana Carnegie, community relations manager for the organization.
The celebration was conducted June 14 at Mill One at Open Square in Holyoke and included a keynote address by Annaka Paradis, currently attending Smith College and a 2015 recipient of the Girl Scout Gold Award.
“Nationally, less than 6 percent of the eligible registered Girl Scouts in grades 9 through 12 achieve the Girl Scout Gold Award,” said Carnegie.
In addition to the Holyoke reception, more than 60 Girl Scout Gold Award earners from Eastern Massachusetts and more than 30 from Central and Western Massachusetts attended a ceremony hosted by Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito on June 13 at the Massachusetts State House.
“Baker proclaimed it the official day of 100 Years of Changing the World to celebrate the centennial of the highest achievement in Girl Scouting, now called the Gold Award,” said Carnegie.
Farnham’s Gold Award project, “Education and Application for Peer Mentors,” came to fruition after she was placed in a special education classroom as a peer mentor in her freshman year at Westfield High. She thought it would be an easy undertaking but soon felt helpless when she realized she did not know how to aid the students in their academic and social pursuits.
Sarah Farnham of Russell helps stock shelves at the St. Vincent dePaul Food Pantry at St. Mary’s Church in Westfield.
“Peer mentors like me needed a better understanding of why students can get frustrated easily,” said Farnham, noting some students may have difficulty with simple tasks including gripping a pencil in one’s hand.
Her time working with the students sparked an idea – to research activities that would help peer mentors understand what their fellow students were experiencing on a daily basis which in turn would help improve student academic performance.
After researching activities for students with different impairments and disabilities through her junior year, she created exercises in the hope of helping her fellow classmates.
“We had peer mentors put on big gloves and try to grab a pencil as one example,” said Farnham, noting this one exercise gave mentors a new perspective on how others function each day in the classroom. “We found new techniques for the students to use through the
Sarah Farnham of Russell donates her time at the St. Vincent dePaul Food Pantry at St. Mary’s Church in Westfield.
research we did with the mentors.”
As Farnham’s research continued and the care given by mentors had an impact on the students’ academic performance, she realized the importance of sharing this information so that training would continue after she graduated. Her determination to pass on what she and her peer mentors learned and implemented can now be seen in a 90-minute video that also features interviews with specialists in audiology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language pathology. Additionally, her video includes an interview with the school nurse and an autism consultant.
In addition to being active in several clubs during her high school years, Farnham has also found time to volunteer at local soup kitchens, animal shelters, and at city wide clean-ups. She plans to attend Worcester State University and major in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Her goal is to become a speech and language pathologist.
“Being a Girl Scout for the last 13 years was one of the best decisions I ever made,” said Farnham, who is a member of Troop 40377.
Pisani’s Gold Award project, “The Effects of Distracted Driving,” had a decidedly different tone since her research was chosen because her father was killed by a distracted motorist. Her research included gathering facts and stories from people who had been directly affected by distracted drivers. Her message was then presented to students and faculty at Gateway and a local driving school. Pisani noted the high school and driving school will continue to use the presentation information to educate future students.
Pisani was active in several clubs during her high school years, ranging from the National Honor Society and Red Cross Club to the School Climate Club, and has studied ballet for 15 years and helps teach younger girls. She will begin her studies in nursing at Elms College in the fall.
Pisani noted her favorite Girl Scout memory was serving meals to veterans and listening to their stories.
Carnegie noted that Emma Morton of Southwick was also recognized on June 14 for her Gold Award project titled “Health Pamphlets for Baystate Hospital.”
For more information on Girl Scouts, call (413) 584-2602 or visit www.gscwm.org.
“Since 1916, more than 1 million Girl Scouts have made meaningful, sustainable change in their communities and around the world through completion of a Gold Award project,” said Carnegie.
