The
Kappa Delta Foundation provided $50,000 in scholarships for the 2014 Young
Women of Distinction to help award recipients achieve their college dreams. The
national Young Women of Distinction award is the highest honor in Girl
Scouting. These 10 inspirational Girl Scouts have received their Gold Award, an
honor bestowed on only five percent of Girl Scouts. The award recipients were selected
among 200 applicants for their dedicated efforts to better their communities
and activate change in the world by creating and facilitating "Take
Action" projects.
The Kappa Delta Foundation is the charitable arm
of the Kappa Delta sorority, an organization that has been a vital partner of
the Girl Scouts of the USA since 1998. Kappa Delta Sorority members serve as
volunteers, guiding Girl Scouts across the country through their leadership journeys
and mentor girls to help them realize their full potential. In addition to
providing critical volunteer support for our organization, the foundation has supported
the Girl Scouts Gold Award program at local councils. Since 2000, Kappa Delta
has made yearly donations to fund college scholarships for each of our Young
Women of Distinction award recipients. Each year, a representative from the
Kappa Delta Foundation also serves on an external committee to review and
select Gold Award recipients who receive this national recognition.
This
year, Girl Scouts of the USA received a record-breaking number of submissions
from Girl Scouts across the nation. Their Take Action projects tackle a broad
spectrum of important issues, from green energy to gender-balanced leadership to
sex trafficking. These young women had the courage to dream big and the
persistence to make their dreams a reality. Kappa Delta’s support of college
scholarships for these brilliant young women truly honors them for their
courageous leadership and extraordinary vision to make a difference in their
communities.
"Being
named a National Young Woman of Distinction is the highest honor a girl can
earn through Girl Scouts, and it is emblematic of her vision, resolve, and
commitment to putting her skills to work to make the world a better
place," said Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA.
"These girls have demonstrated remarkable leadership at just 16 or 17
years old, and what they have accomplished is extraordinary. The entire Girl
Scout Movement is so proud of them and everything they have achieved."
All
2014 Young Women of Distinction will be honored at Girl Scouts of the USA's
national convention in October in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information
about this year’s national convention, look here. This is the 53rd
national convention and will reunite alumnae and invigorate a global movement
of girls, women, and men around the theme, “Discover, Connect, Take Action:
Girls Change the World.”