Lexington, SC – On Monday July 27, 2020, the Girl Scouts of South Carolina-Mountains to Midlands took the time to congratulate Josie Thompson of Lexington for becoming a Gold Award Girl Scout. Josie worked very hard to earn this award. It was presented to her in a special ceremony on Sunday, July 26th. Several other Gold Award Girl Scouts were also presented with their awards at the ceremony.
Josie’s work included a required service project that she spent a great deal of time on to successfully bring it to fruition. She wanted to address the fatal issue of leaving children unsupervised in locked vehicles. She created and designed the “Project Precious Cargo” decals to go on both businesses and personal cars to remind people to check their backseat for kids. Her community not only gained knowledge on ways to prevent this incident, but they also have highly requested these decals.
Josie is a 2020 graduate of River Bluff High School. While attending school, she learned to create and edit videos and was a part-time contractor for The Lexington Ledger all digital news. Josie edited videos under a tight deadline through a business of her own creation she organized and operated in a very professional manner.
Paul Kirby, the owner and editor of The Ledger said this week, “Josie is a special young lady. She was recommended by the school district and when I first began using her, she was just remarkable for her age. She was either a sophomore or a junior and was exceptionally organized and very businesslike. We didn’t know each other; we had just talked over the phone. The first video she edited for me had a number of different scenes in it that had to be cut together. She followed my directions well and put it together just as I had asked. When she sent it to me as a draft, she had a watermark across it. I wasn’t offended, I was impressed. This is a 15 or 16-year-old and she’s letting me know that she trusted me, but this was just business. When we got the final video the way I wanted it and I paid her, she removed the watermark. I knew right then this young lady was special and would succeed at anything she ever did.”
The Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable Girl Scout. It is earned by a high school Girl Scout who works to address an issue she’s passionate about in a way that produces meaningful and lasting change. Whether it’s on a local, national, or global level, Gold Award Girl Scouts provide innovative solutions to significant challenges.
"Gold Award Girl Scouts don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good—these Girl Scouts embody everything this achievement stands for," said Lora Tucker, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of South Carolina-Mountains to Midlands. “They addressed issues important to them for their Gold Awards. They developed plans, worked 80 hours each to implement a self-sustaining solution, and have made a real difference in the community. We couldn’t be more proud and we congratulate them on this momentous accomplishment.”
Check out the full ceremony from Sunday, July 26, here: https://youtu.be/jrc_f15_Cjk
