What happens when young people are given the tools, confidence, and opportunity to lead?
You get Gold Award Girl Scouts who identify real challenges in their communities and create lasting solutions.
Recently, members of the Deschutes Investment Consulting team had the opportunity to attend and sponsor the Girl Scout Gold Award Celebration, an event honoring some of the most inspiring young leaders in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. Earning it requires much more than completing a project. Each recipient identifies an issue they care deeply about, develops a plan, builds a team, and leads an initiative that creates meaningful and lasting change within their community.
The projects recognized at the event addressed a wide range of needs, but they all shared something in common: a desire to make the world a little better than they found it.
As we listened to the stories behind these projects, we were reminded that leadership doesn't begin when someone enters the workforce or starts a business. Leadership begins when someone sees a problem, takes ownership, and chooses to act.
Those are qualities that serve people throughout their lives, whether they're leading a community project, pursuing higher education, building a career, or planning for their future.
At Deschutes, we believe strong communities are built by people who are willing to step forward, solve problems, and help others succeed. That's one of the reasons we're proud to support organizations like Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Through programs focused on leadership, life skills, STEM education, entrepreneurship, and outdoor experiences, Girl Scouts provides opportunities for more than 8,000 girls across the region to discover their strengths, build confidence, and develop skills that will serve them for years to come.
Supporting these efforts is about more than sponsoring an event. It's about investing in the future of our communities and encouraging the next generation of female leaders to dream bigger, think creatively, and take action.
Congratulations to all of this year's Gold Award recipients. Your dedication, initiative, and commitment to serving others are inspiring, and the impact of your work will continue long after the event has ended.
We are honored to support an organization that helps young people discover what's possible when they believe in their ability to make a difference.