Girl Scout Gold Award Project: Samantha Preston, Fort Collins, “T1D K.I.T.S.”
- GSCO blog
- Oct 23, 2013
- 4 min read
Samantha Preston Fort Collins Fort Collins High School T1D K.I.T.S.
What did you do for your Gold Award project?
For my Gold Award project I made kits for kids with type one diabetes. These kits contained all the supplies kids need to be healthy at school. I then donated the T1D K.I.T.S. to the Poudre School District nurses who are distributing them to kids that have been recently diagnosed. In addition, I educated dozens of people about diabetes. I presented to many different age groups about what diabetes is, the different types, and how people live with it.
Why did you pursue this Gold Award project?
I pursued my Gold Award project because I wanted to make a difference. I focused my project around helping kids with type one diabetes because my little brother was diagnosed a year before I started my project. His diagnosis was a difficult transition for my family and I wanted to make it easier for people. After talking to my brother and the school nurse I decided to make kits for newly diagnosed kids. They said that learning how to handle diabetes in school, and getting the right supplies, was one of the hardest parts for families.
How did your Gold Award project make a difference?
My kits are currently helping diagnosed kids in Poudre School District and their families. The kits let families know there is support out there for kids with diabetes. They also give parents good tips on what snacks are healthy for their kids, who to contact in an emergency, and what type one diabetes actually is. In the near future these kits are going to help kids that are diagnosed. A long term impact of my project is how it had and is going to inspire others to do good. In addition, the new knowledge that I have given dozens of people will allow them to raise diabetes awareness and will help them be more prepared if they encounter a situation with diabetes.
What skills did you gain through earning your Gold Award?
This project gave me the opportunity to grow as a leader dramatically. Over the past two years I have been organizing myself and other people. Before this project I had always had my parents or mentors organize meetings, planning sessions, and other times to work on projects. My Gold Award was just that, mine. No one was in charge of contacting people or making time to work on the project. I was forced to dedicate myself and my time to my Gold Award, and as a result, I became a leader of my own life. At a leadership conference I was told that being a leader starts with yourself, if you aren’t your own leader no one else will want to follow you. I embraced this concept and became in charge of my life so I was able to organize time to work on my project. After I became my own leader I was able to contact people that were willing to follow me and help me accomplish my goals. This was an empowering experience. Most of the people I worked with during my Gold Award were much older and had more authority that I did, but they still chose to let me lead them. This made me realize that I can do almost anything I set my mind to, and has made me want to become more involved in my community and start new service projects. Lastly, after I distributed the kits and gave my final presentation I was able to look back on what I had done and realize that as a leader, I was able to inspire people. Not only did I reach out to young kids, but I also touched the lives of many adults. The realization that I had inspired others to do good in the community made me understand what is means to be a true leader.
What will you most remember about your Gold Award project?
The most moving part of my project was seeing results. One day I was talking to the nurse at Linton Elementary, and she asked me if she could have a kit because a kid was just diagnosed with diabetes at another school in the district. I gladly gave her a kit, and at our next meeting she told me how excited the family was to receive a kit. She explained how inspired and impressed they were with me and my project. The fact that my project directly helps families is what I’m most proud of. The feeling I had when the nurse told me how I helped that family is something I will never forget.
How will earning your Gold Award help you in your future?
My Gold Award will help me tremendously in the future. Colleges are very impressed with my extensive community service and leadership roles I have taken throughout the past two years. Also, my Gold Award gave me the skills to talk to many people of different age groups, which will be useful throughout my life.
Why do you feel the Gold Award is an important part of your Girl Scout experience?
Girl Scouts has helped me gain many different skills, and I wanted to put them all together for one final project. I think that it is very important for girls to be able to showcase their talents by pursuing their Gold Award. It allowed me to be a leader, and take responsibility. My project also showed me that I can make a difference, and makes me want to give back to the community.