Gold Award Girl Scout: Julia Smith
Marbury Girl Scout earns highest award a Girl Scout can acheive for her project, "Prevent Pet Overpopulation."
Julia Smith has been a Girl Scout with Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama (GSSA) for 13 years. Fueled by her life-long passion for animals, Julia created a Gold Award Project that would benefit local animals and her community animal shelters. She educated her community about domestic animal overpopulation through her project, “Prevent Pet Overpopulation,” by hosting an assembly at her high school, filming it, uploading it on YouTube for future education, and collecting items for her local Humane Society.
The Girl Scout Gold Award is the pinnacle of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, and it is available exclusively to Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors (9-12 grade). Through the Gold Award, girls engage in a rigorous leadership process, tackle issues they are passionate about in order to create long-term, sustainable change. To earn the Gold Award, girls typically spend one to two years exploring the root cause of a local or global issue and partner with the community to create lasting solutions.
Julia shares reflections on her inspiring Gold Award project below.
How did you come up with your idea?
“I came up with this idea after a visit to my local Humane Society. I saw how hard the shelter staff worked to take care of the pets and strays, but there was just not enough room in the shelter for all of these animals, and even more coming in daily. When I got home, I did some research about shelter statistics, and I was alarmed at how many strays there are in my community and in Alabama. It was also surprising to see how many of these animals were never returned to their owners because they could not be identified. I started to connect the dots, and saw that the root of the issue was a lack of knowledge and responsibility from pet owners. I wanted to do something about this issue by educating my peers.”
Why did you choose this project?
“I have always been an animal lover, and I wanted to do something to improve the lives of these animals. It is heartbreaking to see so many animals euthanized each year, but this happens because there is not enough space in the shelters for every pet. It was also very alarming to see that many pets in my community enter shelters, and are never able to be returned to their owners because the animal does not have proper identification. I chose this project to improve the lives of these animals, and to help pet owners (and future pet owners) to gain more responsibility.”
Who are you hoping to help with this project?
“I hope to help these animals first and foremost so that their lives will be improved. I also hope that shelter workers and people who help with animal rescues are impacted by my project since they do so much for these animals daily. I also hope to help current and future pet owners to make more responsible decisions regarding pet ownership.”
What did you learn along the way?
“I learned that a lot of planning goes into creating projects like this one and that it takes a great team to accomplish the work. I also learned that people will care to listen if you are passionate about an issue, and will be moved to work toward a solution.”
Tell us a little story about some part of your project that was special to you. Something funny, touching, most successful, or where it went wrong and how you fixed it?
“Right after we had the first assembly at my school, and before the second assembly, the power went out at my school. We were hoping to have the problem fixed before the assembly, but the lights stayed off. In the moment, I was worried and stressed over when we would reschedule, but thankfully I had a great team of volunteers who helped to get things back on track. We were able to reschedule the assembly for later in the week, and all went well.”
How will people benefit from your project?
“More people will become aware of domestic animal overpopulation and how they can be more responsible pet owners. They will have the knowledge and skills needed to make wiser decisions regarding their pets.”
How did you feel after you finished your project?
“I felt very proud of what I was able to accomplish and relieved that everything was done.”
What advice would you give to other girls considering a Gold Award Project?
“I would tell them to consider their options carefully and decide whether or not it is important to them. I would tell them not to just do it for the award, but to find an issue that matters to them that they want to help change. The Gold Award project is a big commitment, and girls need to consider if they are willing to put in the time and effort to accomplish it, but I would also tell them that the things they will learn and accomplish along the way are so worth it in the end. If it is important to you, then build your plan and make change happen.”
Your Gold Project made a change for the better in your community. Did it change you? If so, how? Did you learn new skills, or change your outlook on an issue? What will you take away from this experience?
“My Gold Award project taught me a lot about my skills and what I am capable of, and it also taught me a lot about others. I learned a lot about communicating with my team and hearing the concerns of others. In doing the research for my project, I was enlightened on the perspective of shelter workers, and the many things that they do daily to make the lives of these animals better. This experience has ultimately made me more confident in my own abilities, and has taught me many valuable skills such as communication and problem-solving that I will be able to use for the rest of my life.”
Julia Smith is from Marbury, AL, and will soon graduate from Prattville Christian Academy. She plans to attend Troy University to pursue a degree in Elementary Education and Music Education with a hope to become an Elementary music teacher.
Congratulations on earning your Girl Scout Gold Award, Julia!
