As a Girl Scout since third grade, I’ve enjoyed forming friendships with other girls, learning about commerce, setting goals, and making my community a better place to live. Girl Scouts has provided me with many amazing opportunities, but the best one, by far, was when I learned about the Gold Award. The Gold Award is the highest honor a scout could earn and an amazing way to help our community. To earn it, I’d have to individually dedicate eighty or more hours to a project that would have a sustainable solution to a community problem. At this point, I was a mere eighth grader who didn’t know much about my community's challenges, so I set to work emailing organizations I had prior experiences with: my local YMCA, Humane Society, and library. They all responded with some of their problems, but the YMCA’s captured my attention the most. The forest surrounding the YMCA, where I had made countless memories ziplining and hiking with my family, was slowly declining in greenery. Their idea was to establish a beehive on the grounds to boost pollination, but they hadn't had the means or time to take action. That night I stayed up for hours researching bees and other pollinators and how they affected the environment. I was hooked. I emailed the YMCA to confirm my Gold Award intention with them. First, I had to plan. I drafted my course of action to achieve my award: how much money I’d spend and on what, a timeline, my team members, and the leadership skills I’d utilize. Finally, I submitted my plan to the Council and began working with many new people, such as a Gold Award mentor, the YMCA managers, my parents, and a local beekeeper. Accountability and communication were key, so I kept the YMCA managers updated as I constructed the beehive itself, bought various native flower starters and planted them in the garden area I made, and wrote both a beekeeping instruction guide and summer camp curriculum to later teach the youth about the importance of pollinators. The most exhilarating part of the project, though, was when I got to peer into the hive with the local beekeeper and YMCA managers. The sheer number of bees working together to make honey and keep the hive running was astounding! After accomplishing my goals, I re-submitted a Document of Progress to the Girl Scout Council, was acknowledged as an official Gold Award recipient, and joined the ranks as one of the thousands of scouts who’ve made a lasting impact on their communities. Now, three years later, I still make time to hike through the YMCA’s woods, where I pass by families with children playing and enjoying the wood’s lushness, and I come across the colony of bees I established. I recognize my colony by the assortment of cartoonish flowers painted on the hive. The colony is still thriving and pollinating its healthy environment, along with multiple other colonies that have joined since. Through the bees’ presence and the woods’ revival, I know that I’ve truly made a sustainable difference in my community. And I can't wait to do so again. Additionally, I know all the leadership, time management, collaboration, communication, money, and problem solving skills I learned through this project will benefit me indefinitely in the future when I enter into college and later the business world, where I hope to further my positive impact through working in a management position with a biotech company to help their research and product improve the lives of millions.

I have lived the past nine months with what was until last month an undiagnosed, lifelong genetic disease. Fortunately, doctors finally determined why I couldn’t keep meals down: I have Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes the body to attack gluten molecules that it recognizes as foreign molecules. People whose Celiac remains undiagnosed usually develop other autoimmune disorders, neurological disorders, or sometimes cancer. My diagnosis was determined rather early, so only the villi of my small intestine have been affected, resulting in extreme acid reflux that disrupts digestion and nutrient absorption. I consider myself lucky to have had my genetic disorder identified. A study cited by the Association of European Coeliac Societies found that of a group of 13,000 adults, 75% of those with genetic diseases were not aware of having the disorders, highlighting the issue of under-diagnosis of genetic diseases. I intend to major in business. How would having a business degree help to lower the under-diagnosis rates of genetic diseases? Because I’ve had an interest in genetics and in pursuing leadership opportunities since my freshman year in high school, I’ve decided to minor in microbiology with a focus in genetics. My goal is to combine an education in business and genetics to secure a leadership position at a genetically focused company where I can devote my time to lowering those under-diagnosis rates, likely by raising awareness of genetic disorder prevalence, symptoms of highly under-diagnosed diseases, and the importance of early testing at the onset of symptoms. I’m also excited about assisting with other issues surrounding genetics: the development of new medicines, the research required to cure genetic diseases, and the navigation around ethical situations related to genetic intervention. Although as a business major I won't perform the research, I will utilize my management and leadership skills to help the company run efficiently and remain on task. I’m looking forward to combining both of these passions as I delve into college courses and eventually build my place in the workforce. I’m highly motivated to pursue and reach my goals, especially those that will greatly impact my community. Realistically, I know that my efforts will not eradicate all genetic disorders, but the sooner I embark on tackling my goals, the sooner I can make a difference. As an honors student, I know I’ll study alongside other highly motivated students who will seek collaborative opportunities to be exposed to ideas, research, travel, and internships that will benefit us in ways that will help us reach our innovative goals that will positively affect our communities.