Katherine McGurn, Advance, has earned her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting from the Girl Scout Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont.

McGurn, daughter of Scott and Faye McGurn and a member of Troop 41099, worked in partnership with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Davie County, the Davie High School dance program and Centenary United Methodist Church to decrease the sedentary lifestyle of children and teenagers.

McGurn created an awareness program to educate and collaborate with community groups about healthy eating and movement while incorporating her passion for dance.

By earning the Girl Scout Gold Award, McGurn has become a community leader. Her accomplishments reflect leadership and citizenship skills that set her apart.

“Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award designation is truly a remarkable achievement, and this young woman exemplifies leadership in all its forms,” said Lane Cook, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont. “She saw a need in her community and took action. Her extraordinary dedication, perseverance and leadership, is making the world a better place.”

The Gold Award represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouting; it recognizes girls in grades 9-12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through sustainable and measurable “Take Action” projects.

After the minimum requirements are completed, the Gold Award project is the culmination of a girl’s demonstration of self-discipline, leadership ability, time management, creativity, initiative and a significant mastery of skills. Each girl must dedicate a minimum of 80 hours to planning and implementing her project, which must benefit the community and have long lasting impact.

Since 1916, girls have successfully answered the call to go gold, an act that indelibly marks them as accomplished members of their communities and the world.

Some universities and colleges offer scholarships unique to Gold Award recipients, and girls who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements.

Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont, a United Way agency, is one of 112 councils nationwide chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA. The local council serves nearly 14,700 girls and 6,400 adult volunteers in 40 counties and maintains three camp properties and four service centers offering unique experiences for girls and adults.

For more information on how to join, volunteer, reconnect or donate to GSCP2P, call 800-672-2148 or visit www.girlscoutsp2p.org.