Perryville Girl Scouts earn top award for their efforts, one secures scholarship

Perryville (Missouri) Girl Scouts Megan Buchheit and Kira Hagan found success with two projects earning the Girl Scout Gold Award, with Buchheit also earning a scholarship from her project.

The Scouts' projects focused on a specific issue and winning the awards could be considered as "proof" of making a "difference."

Buchheit's project was about the idea of making a difference in her middle school. She said the issue she chose revolved around "the mental and emotional well-being of students in middle school."

"I chose this because I believe that the pressure of being on social media and in school can be very overbearing because I have had some personal experience with this," Buchheit stated in a release. "Everyone can always use help and friends. I learned that I love to help people learn how to be self-sustaining, and that I love teaching people things and having a powerful voice."

The release stated through the success of Buchheit's project she earned the USA Gold Award Scholarship with the money going to her attending college.

According to the release, Hagan received her award for a project on "the dangers of the sun."

"They don't know all the things that could happen to their body by not properly protecting themselves from it. Some people think that it is cool to have a tan and that it causes no harm. A lot of these misconceptions come from not being educated at a young age about the dangers of sun exposure," Hagan stated.

According to the Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland release, "Megan and Kira have not only made a difference at Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland but in your community too. It was their courage, confidence, and character that allowed them to earn this prestigious award."