Alexander teen earns top Girl Scout honor

Mikaela Monahan of Alexander, center, stands with her parents, Leslea and Keith Monahan, while holding her citation from the Arkansas House of Representatives listing her achievements as a Girl Scout.
Mikaela Monahan of Alexander, center, stands with her parents, Leslea and Keith Monahan, while holding her citation from the Arkansas House of Representatives listing her achievements as a Girl Scout.

BRYANT — The creation of a volunteer club at her high school earned 17-year-old Mikaela Monahan of Alexander the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award. Monahan received the award at a special ceremony June 10 at the Arkansas Arts Center.

Monahan created Volunteer Connection at Bryant High School, where she will be a senior in the fall. She is one of 10 girls throughout the state to earn the Gold Award this year.

“My Gold Award project was about inspiring teenagers at my high school to start volunteering at organizations that needed them,” she said. “I hosted two volunteer fairs at the school to share the volunteer information I gathered from each organization in my community. Doing this project, I’ve logged over 150 hours of work, and I plan on continuing it by hosting more volunteer fairs next year before I graduate.

“It is a wonderful feeling to be able to connect teens with organizations that need them and know that I helped them discover their love for volunteering, just like I did,” Monahan said.

Girl Scouts have been making “meaningful, sustainable change in their communities and around the world” since 1916, according to the Girl Scouts Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas website. “The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn, acknowledges the power behind each recipient’s dedication to not only empowering and bettering herself, but also making the world a better place for others.”

Monahan, the daughter of Keith and Leslea Monahan, joined the Girl Scouts about 10 years ago because of her interest in camping and making crafts, she said. She is part of Troop 6097, led by Bonnie Neal. Her project adviser was Deborah Bobo.

Bobo described Monahan as a determined young woman.

“She had many obstacles and deadlines against her, but she persevered through her fears of public speaking and leading a group of teenagers,” Bobo said. “She achieved all of her tasks with grace and kindness. Mikaela will be one of our community’s exceptional resources for our prosperous future. She is truly what Girl Scouts is all about, building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.”

Monahan is a member of the Bryant High School Choir and is a two-year member of the Advanced Mixed Choir. She’s also been a member of other clubs, such as the Art Club, and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America. Some of her favorite organizations to volunteer for include the Humane Society, rEcess and the Saline County Library. To stay active, she plays club volleyball.

Unabashedly, she said her favorite part of the Girl Scouts is the cookies.

“I also really love working with the younger girls in my troop,” Monahan said.

A challenge for her has been her involvement with a leadership group within the Girl Scouts. This year, she was selected to join a small team of adults from the region’s council and older Girl Scouts, called the Council Advisory Team.

“It’s a big responsibility to have because we discuss and decide what happens in our Girl Scout units,” she said.

Monahan’s best advice for younger girls who might consider quitting Girl Scouts is to not give up.

“When I started Girl Scouts, I never imagined that I could learn and accomplish so much,” she said. “I wouldn’t be who I am today without it.”

Because of the Girl Scouts and her Gold Award project, Monahan said she now has a better understanding of how important time management and organization are to finishing projects.

“Completing my Gold Award was challenging, but it was also incredibly rewarding for me,” she said.

In the future, Monahan said, she looks forward to college and branching out on her own.

“Although I haven’t decided on my study focus yet, I have learned to have confidence in my abilities. No matter what I study, I know I will continue to be involved in my community by volunteering and helping others as much as possible.”

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