Jade Ingham earns Gold Award, highest honor in Girl Scouting

FALLBROOK – Girl Scout Jade Ingham, a 2020 Fallbrook High School graduate, has earned the prestigious Gold Award, the pinnacle of the Girl Scout leadership experience. To achieve the Gold Award, Girl Scouts create sustainable projects that impact local and global issues.

To earn her Gold Award, Ingham addressed an unmet need: she created a Life Skills Club at Fallbrook High School to prepare students for essential adulthood responsibilities such as budgeting and filing taxes.

Through her weekly club meetings, after-school workshops and presentations to high school seniors, she made a lasting impact on the young adults in her community.

Ingham used Girl Scout cookie earnings to fund materials for her Gold Award project. Her club and lesson plans will continue to benefit students for years to come.

A member of Troop 4369, led by Erika Phipps, Ingham joined Girl Scouts as a Daisy and spent 12 years in Girl Scouting. She earned the Bronze Award as a junior and the Silver Award as a cadette. She is currently attending Palomar College and plans to transfer to the University of California at Santa Cruz where she will major in electrical engineering with a minor in business.

Ingham was among 66 Girl Scouts from San Diego and Imperial counties who earned the Gold Award in 2020. They were honored by Girl Scouts San Diego during a virtual ceremony (available to view at sdgirlscouts.org/gold) this summer.

The keynote speaker was 2019 National Gold Award Girl Scout Ana de Almeida Amaral, who described her ongoing work in social justice and racial equity. She joined guest speakers Senator Tammy Duckworth, a Gold Award Girl Scout; Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Sylvia Acevedo; and Girl Scouts San Diego Board Chair Liza Crisafi and CEO Carol Dedrich.

Addressing the Gold Award Girl Scouts, Dedrich stated, "You worked hard to create lasting change in communities across San Diego and the world. Today, you join an elite group of women who have achieved this honor."

At the end of the virtual ceremony, each honoree received a surprise package that included a framed photograph of herself, letters of commendation from elected officials, and handwritten notes from Girl Scouts San Diego staff.

The Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable. Since 1916, Girl Scouts have answered the call to drive lasting, impactful change. Girls who earn the Gold Award go on to become change-makers and prominent leaders in their communities. Gold Award Girl Scouts distinguish themselves in the college admissions process, earn college scholarships and enlist in the military at a higher pay grade.

Girl Scouts is the world's best leadership development organization for girls (#BestPlace4Girls). Through programs focused on the outdoors, STEM, life skills, outdoor adventure and entrepreneurship, Girl Scouts prepares girls for a lifetime of leadership. All girls in grades K-12 and adult volunteers are welcome to join.

For more information, contact Girl Scouts San Diego Regional Recruitment Specialist Victoria Vazquez, 619-610-0708, or [email protected], or visit sdgirlscouts.org.

Submitted by Girl Scouts San Diego.