Lisle Girl Scout earns Gold Award

Erin Weizeorick of Lisle was one of more than 50 area high school students who recently earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, Girl Scouts of the USA's most prestigious national honor. Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana honored their accomplishments during a June ceremony at the Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook.

Weizeorick, 17, a member of Girl Scout Troop 61476, earned her award by initiating "Boxing and a Better You" to combat obesity in young women. She recorded the boxing workouts at Title Boxing Club in Naperville and posted them to social media.

"In the end, my goal is to get people motivated and more active and leading a healthier lifestyle in hopes to reduce the chance of diseases," Weizeorick said.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award that a Girl Scout ages 14 to 18 may earn. The leadership skills, organizational skills, and sense of community and commitment required to complete the process set the foundation for a lifetime of active citizenship. Girls complete seven steps to earn the Gold Award, including the completion of a significant service project.

The project fulfills a need within a girl's community (whether local or global), creates change and is sustaining. The Gold Award recognizes the work of Girl Scouts who demonstrate leadership, culminating in 80 hours or more dedicated toward their service projects.

Girls complete a minimum of 40 hours in a leadership role before embarking on the final project.

As awareness of the Girl Scout Gold Award continues to grow, so does its prestige. An increasing number of colleges are offering financial incentives to those who earn Girl Scout Gold Awards, and admissions counselors view it as a sign of an individual girl's ability to lead.

For information, visit girlscoutsgcnwi.org or call (855) 456-8347.