Scout takes home the gold

Brittany Bushnell of Jersey Village recently received the Gold Award, the highest honor bestowed upon members of the Girl Scouts of America.

Bushnell, who attends Jersey Village High School, won the award in October after completing a large-scale project that required more than 100 service hours. She met her requirements by organizing and conducting dance and nutrition classes for young girls in the area.

“I’ve been dancing since I was 5 years old, so I wanted to do something dance-related,” Bushnell said. “I gave back to the community in a way that helped girls see that it’s fun to dance and fun to exercise, and being healthy isn’t just going out and running. You can do it while having fun as well.”

The project was a test of her planning and leadership abilities because in addition to actually teaching the classes, it was also her responsibility to plan the sessions and recruit participants.

“I had to get out fliers and sign people up that were interested in dancing for a day and learning about what dance is,” she said. “I had to come up with a dance to teach the girls and put together a presentation for the girls that taught them about healthy foods.”

Bushnell described the project as a rewarding experience, a way for her to share her love of dancing with another generation.

“I liked seeing the smiles on their faces,” Bushnell said. “I liked seeing that they enjoyed something I’ve enjoyed for 14 years of my life. Some will grow up and do it just for fun, while others will do it throughout their lives.”

The Gold Award is just the latest honor that Bushnell has received for her work in the Girl Scouts, an organization she has been a part of since joining as a Brownie in first grade. She won the Bronze Award by doing community service projects with her entire troop, and she followed that up with the Silver Award, which she earned by organizing a book drive for children who were in the hospital.

Outside of the Girl Scouts and her life-long involvement with dance, Bushnell is involved in several other activities and organizations, including drill team, National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society.

After graduation, she plans on attending Texas A&M University, where she will major in mechanical engineering.
Chris Marshall is a freelance writer. He can be reached at neighborhoods@chron.com.

ABOUT BRITTANY BUSHNELL
AGE: 17
Occupation: Student
Community Connection: Senior at Jersey Village High School
Fast Fact: Serves as head officer of Jersey Village drill team and has been a dancer since she was 5 years old