Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri Gold Award Girl Scout Honored with National Scholarship
August 20, 2024
Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri is pleased to announce Clara Bonstead, 2023 graduate of Francis Howell North High School has recently earned her Girl Scout Gold Award and a $5,000 national Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) scholarship for creating lasting change in her community. GSUSA recognizes one Gold Award Girl Scout per Council and one from the USA Girl Scout Overseas with this scholarship, which provides financial support for future education.
The Gold Award is earned by a high-school-aged Girl Scout who has dedicated, on average more than 80 hours, to address an issue they are passionate about in a way that produces meaningful and permanent change. Whether it is on a local, national, or global level, Gold Award Girl Scouts provide innovative solutions to pressing and relevant challenges.
Gold Award Girl Scouts become innovative problem-solvers, empathetic leaders, confident public speakers, and focused project managers. They learn resourcefulness, tenacity, and decision-making skills, giving them an edge personally and professionally. As they take action to transform their communities, Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they’re the leaders our world needs.
The 2024 Eastern Missouri Gold Award Girl Scout class identified issues in their communities, took action, and found or created solutions to earn their Gold Awards, addressing real-life problems such as environmental sustainability, racial justice, mental and physical well-being, and gender inequality in STEM.
Clara was passionate about helping children recently diagnosed with dyslexia and wanted to provide a resource to help them understand their diagnosis better. Clara researched, wrote, illustrated and published a children’s book titled “My Superpower: The Story of a Girl with Dyslexia.” The story follows the journey of Ella, a bright 3rd grader, as she struggles with reading and finally discovers her superpower. Clara included handwritten diary entries in the book to highlight how Ella’s brain works. She also provided materials for young readers to get more information on dyslexia at the end of the book. Clara donated more than 500 copies of her book to public schools across Missouri to complete her Gold Award project.
“I am honored to receive this national scholarship from Girl Scouts of the USA in recognition of my Gold Award project,” said Clara. “Completing this monumental project has encouraged me to continue learning, growing and making a difference in my community and I am grateful for the support I received along the way as I worked to achieve my goal.”
Clara, along with 25 other Gold Award Girl Scouts, was recognized during a special ceremony on Sunday, June 23, 2024.
“Clara demonstrated extraordinary leadership skills and aptitudes through her sustainable Gold Award community service project,” said Dr. Natissia Small, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri CEO. “We are proud of her many achievements during her 13-years as a GSEM girl member, and we know she will continue to soar high as she works to achieve her future academic and professional goals.”
For more details on the 2024 GSEM Gold Award Class, or Girl Scouts Highest Awards, visit girlscoutsem.org/highestawards.
