Gold Award Girl Scout: Matt Bryan
Matt Bryan has been a Girl Scout with Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama for 13 years. For her Gold Award project, Matt created pollinator garden at Troy University Arboretum to bring awareness to endangered pollinators and species. She says that she has learned many things through Girl Scouting, but her Gold Award Project taught her how to handle setbacks and adversity to bring about a positive outcome.
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.
Matt gave insights on her life-changing Gold Award Project below.
How did you come up with your project idea?
"I first came up with the idea of Project Pollinator when my house was invaded by a swarm of honeybees looking for a queen. We asked a local beekeeper to help us remove them safely. We found a couple more swarms on our property as well."
Who are you hoping to help with this project?
"I hope to help strengthen the numbers of the endangered pollinators in my area. Bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies play a major role in our survival and environmental balance. In turn, this will help my community by providing food we all need."
How will people benefit from this project?
"From this project, people have learned about the importance of pollinators. People in the Troy area now also have a pollinator garden where they appreciate native plants and life."
How did your Gold Award project change you?
"It did change me. It gave me even more appreciation for all of the contributors to our ecosystem. It also made me a better communicator and planner."
Waht advice would you give to other Girl Scouts considering earning their Gold Award?
"I strongly advise to start planning as soon as you can. Time goes by so fast and if you don't set a good pace for yourself, you can get overwhelmed and stressed. Also, pick a project that speaks to you - be the change you want to see in the world!"
Congratulations on earning your Girl Scout Gold Award, Matt!
