Westborough – Westborough Girl Scout Christina Buffo has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award.
When Christina was seven years old, she dreamed of being a paleontologist – of being able to pick up a bone, look at it, maybe do some tests, and say definitively that this was, indeed, the skull of an ultrasaurus. While she later followed the persistent lure of science to black holes, to terrestrial planets, and finally to the strange world of bacteriology, one thing remained constant. Her parents always encouraged her scientific dreams. Unfortunately, many people – especially girls – never found that same support.
With this in mind, Christina chose to center her Gold Award project around teaching children some fun and interesting concepts that may have been overlooked in the classrooms. Picking four broad themes – plants and patterns, astronomy and engineering, 3D visualization and map skills, and water – to appeal to third through fifth graders, she held sets of classes and wrote lesson plans.
The SMAK – Science and Math Academy for Kids – was a huge success.
In addition to Christina’s 12 years in Girl Scouts, she participated in Westborough High School’s Women in Science and Engineering Club, French Club, Speech and Debate Club, and Shakespeare Club. She has earned her black belt in Kenpo karate and taught math and science at a summer camp. Christina is attending Wellesley College studying microbiology.
The Gold Award is an honor bestowed on only five percent of Girl Scouts. Her accomplishments reflect leadership and citizenship skills that set her apart. In earning the Girl Scout Gold Award, Christina exemplifies leadership in all its forms.
The Girl Scout Gold Award represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouting; it recognizes girls in grades 9 through 12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through sustainable and measurable Take Action projects.
For more information on Girl Scouts, call 800-462-9100 or visit www.yourtimewellspent.org.
