ConnectionsNews for Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council supporters

Fall

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Join us for the tenth anniversary of Success to Significance, Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council’s signature fundraiser on October 15 at 6:30 p.m. Success to Significance raises critical funds that support girls across our 26-county area.

We will welcome this year’s keynote speaker, Girl Scout Alumnae and dedicated healthcare professional Dr. Jennifer Arnold. Dr. Arnold is a neonatologist and medical director of the Simulation Center at John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She has received countless awards for her work in medical education and has appeared on multiple television programs, including the docudrama The Little Couple, Oprah and Doctor Oz. Dr. Arnold exemplifies what it means to be a Girl Scout and is a true change maker of tomorrow. As we celebrate this milestone, GSSJC will host the event virtually, making it safely accessible for those who wish to attend.

To join us at Success to Significance, visit gssjc.org/s2s or contact Princess Zambrano at pzambrano@sjgs.org or 713-292-0358.

You are invited to Success to Significance!You are invited to Success to Significance!Join us online for this unique virtual gala

Thank you, 2020 SponsorsSpeaker Brought to you by: Livestream SponsorLegacy Sponsor

JOHN P. McGOVERN FOUNDATION

Printing Sponsor

CourageConocoPhillips

Kathy Sanders - In Memory of My Sister Scouts: Margaret

and MaryVISION

W.D. Von Gonten & Co

ConfidenceCharlton and Diaz Families

Sandy JudsonMichele McNichol

TC Energy

Westwood TrustCathy Wining-Thomas

Women of Shell

CharacterThe Boeing Company

Julie BoushkaBoyarMiller

Callon PetroleumChallenger, Gray & ChristmasDavenport Law Firm/Helene &

Ronnie SheenaDeloitte

Ellen R. DeSanctis

Darcie DurhamJane Gasdaska

Mary L. GedelianDee Hinkle

Corrie Jenkins/Genevieve WallsBetsy and Danny Kamin

Sue Kean & Grady Walker Candice KoederitzBette B. LehmbergMichelle A. Lewis

Karen MatlockPESA

Melinda ReevesMary Ryder

Debbie and Pat ScanlonU.S. Capital Advisors/ Ann Deaton

Mary and Mike VitekWeingarten Realty Investors

Women Executives of Houston

Friends of Girl ScoutingAmegy Bank

Lisa A. DarlingDorothy Slator Paterson

Ms. Bahira Shami - BlowPro Hair

As of 8/26/2020

Join the Women’s Leadership Network Co-Chairs Sue Kean, senior vice president, general counsel, Rubicon Oilfield International and Michelle A. Lewis, principal, The CapStreet Group, invite you to join Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council’s newest initiative - the Women’s Leadership Network (WLN). This group is designed to bring together strong, connected women and men who are passionate about supporting our future female leaders through the best female leadership program available – Girl Scouts.

WLN offers its members opportunities to expand their own personal and professional networks through exclusive events (currently held virtually), as well as the opportunity to mentor future leaders. Membership in WLN starts with a personal gift of $1,000 ($300 for young professionals under the age of 30). Does your company offer a matching gift opportunity? Maximize your gift for an even greater impact.

We look forward to seeing you at our exclusive WLN events as we network, mentor our future leaders, support the Girl Scout leadership pipeline and more!

Bingo for Bubbly: Thursday, Sept. 10 at 5:30 p.m.Hear the latest Girl Scout update and have fun playing virtual bingo for your chance to win a bubbly-themed basket.

Lessons in Networking: Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 5:30 p.m.Share your knowledge and experience with an active Girl Scout or Young Alumnae in this interactive virtual mentoring session.

Success to Significance: Thursday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m.Join us for an evening of inspiration at our 10th annual Success to Significance fundraiser. This virtual event will feature Girl Scout Alum, Dr. Jennifer Arnold as keynote speaker.

State of Girl Scouting Update: Tuesday, Nov. 17 at noonJoin GSSJC CEO Mary Vitek and GSSJC Board Chair Marguerite Woung-Chapman as they discuss the state of Girl Scouting and future plans.

Join WLN today and receive:• Two tickets to Just Desserts • Access to virtual Success to Significance event featuring Dr. Jen Arnold• WLN member recognition at Girl Scout events• Exclusive volunteer opportunities• Recognition in publications including the Annual Report, The Golden Link member magazine and Connections

gssjc.org/wln

College isn’t the right path for everyone, and Gold Award Girl Scout Niara Pelton sought to prove that it doesn’t have to be the only path to earn the highest honor in Girl Scouting. For her project, she worked with high school seniors, college students, educators and scholarship committee members to conduct research on college admissions, finance and other post-secondary paths and teach her peers about all the options available to them.

Niara was drawn to this idea for her project after spending three years living in Brazil when she was younger and experiencing a different educational system. “Those years showed me how vital education is to advancement in life and how America’s unique and extensive education system is integral to the freedom, opportunities and social advancement we have here,” she said.

Her project focused on: educating high school sophomores and juniors, especially those from a lower socio-economic background, that a traditional four-year university experience is not the only path available to them; educating her peers on the realities of student debt and underemployment; and offering best practices and advice to those choosing to pursue education from a competitive college. The project didn’t just help her fellow students; Niara says it also opened her eyes to new possibilities.

“One thing that surprised me is how profitable vocational and trade skills are. Students can go to inexpensive vocational programs for six months to two years at approximately $2,000 a semester and enter careers with a starting salary of $60,000-$80,000. Vocational skills are so high in demand that many companies will even pay for the training.”

Researching and sharing information on higher education options via a small magazine and website allowed Niara to help her peers make better decisions about their future. “I want students to have the knowledge to be able to effectively pursue whatever path is best for them. I want them to understand that a four-year university is not the only option after graduating high school.”

Earning the Gold Award was important to Niara because it was a way to complete her Girl Scout experience before moving on to attend West Point. “I realized that the next stage in my life and the responsibilities I would take on would demand more than just service from me - they would demand the ability and proactiveness to elevate service to action. Earning my Gold Award was a chance to apply those and the principles I learned from more than a decade in Girl Scouts.”

Gold Award Spotlight

Thank You, Donors!$500,000-$999,999 - GoldDorothy M. Goodykoontz

$100,000-$499,999 - SilverThe Hamill Foundation

$25,000 – $49,999 –AmbassadorLynn L. ElsenhansThe Vivian L. Smith FoundationUnited Way of Beaumont and North Jefferson CountyUnited Way of Greater Baytown Area & Chambers County

$10,000-24,999 SeniorH-E-BK. Daniel and Delores James HinkleUnited Way Galveston County MainlandUnited Way of Greater HoustonUnited Way of Mid & South Jefferson County

$5,000-$9,999 - Cadette Leah BennettThe Community Foundation of Brazoria County Lowrey GrantThe Dow Chemical CompanyExxonMobilFertitta RealtyThe George FoundationAlbert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation

$1,000-$4,999 JuniorAlbemarle FoundationAshdon FarmsJulie and Richard BoushkaSue BurnettCallon PetroleumAnna B. CharltonChevron Phillips Chemical Company

Great care has been exercised to ensure the proper recognition of our donors. If an error or omission does occur, we apologize and hope you will bring it to our attention.

Contact Diane Likeness at dlikeness@sjgs.org. Contributions made May 1 – July 31, 2020.

Kirsten A. DavenportFrancisco DiazBrian and Mary GedelianGreater Houston Community FoundationSue Kean and Grady WalkerCandice E. KoederitzMichelle LewisThe Lubrizol CorporationMary B. McIntire, Ph.D.Dawn PembertonMichelle and Joseph RaabAlice Kleberg Reynolds Meyer FoundationMary K. RyderDebbie S. ScanlonEsther and Don SpencerJamie L. VazquezMary and Mike VitekWeingarten Realty InvestorsCathy Wining-Thomas and Jim Thomas

$250-$999 BrownieBank of AmericaAdriana and Tony CanalesCompetitive Health, IncJoshua CooperJennifer CunninghamCy-Fair Women’s ClubYvette DrummondEntergy Texas IncMark GoehringClaudia W. HayslipSusan W. HendersonValerie JalufkaAnna Lee JamesCorrie B. JenkinsElizabeth JensenElsa Kapitan-WhiteTerry E. KiteKroger CompanyAnnette KyleKim LafonCassandra McZeal

Judy MosesNorthrop GrummanLinda B. RosenbergDarleen M. SchauerMarianita Paddock SnodgrassKatherine M. TamerTexas Higher Education Coordinating BoardUnited Way SuncoastGenevieve and John M. WallsWalmart (2724)Claire WilliamsKaylee Yocum

MemorialsIn Memory of Frances BohlaeJoshua CooperDorcas HandLauren LindsayRochelle B. Salazar

In Memory of Dorothy GoodykoontzMaria BahenaMarianita Snodgrass

In Memory of Judy KunkelTerry E. Kite

In Memory of Josephine McGillSusan BankstonAngela ChengJill Underhill

In Memory of Margaret SheriffBetty BennettRosemarie CourtneyLee GarnettSharon Miller Karen P. SaenzGinger and Linda SauerBarbara S. StoryKatherine M. Tamer

In Memory of Palmea “Pam” Del SoapeScott BrownHeather CataldoDiane ClarkMark GoehringSusan GouryLisa KotzkerKim LafonLogan Quality TeamMichele McCraryFranchelle MillerChristine Walden-RigamontiKyle Worley

In Memory of Mary WelshEllen Elam

HonorariumsIn Honor of Staci Black Angelina C. Grindon

In Honor of Marjorie DonahueAllison Blevins

In Honor of Dolores Z. RichardsKelly Hickman

In Honor of Mary RyderMarguerite Woung-Chapman

In Honor of Liz StevensAngelina C. Grindon

In Honor of Angela VabulasCompetitive Health, Inc

In Honor of Mary VitekDelores J. Hinkle

Girl Scouting Never Stops!Help us continue to offer exceptional Girl Scout programming

Here are a couple quotes from parents of girls who participated in the virtual day camp. Look for more virtual activities and events throughout the fall on gssjc.org.

“ She loved it and begged to do more! She loved all the art projects, games and singing. Thank you so much for providing a fun and safe way for her to continue her Girl Scouting and to interact with others during this crazy time.

You guys are doing a great service to the community. I am so thankful you are offering virtual camp. I am thrilled that you added more weeks.

“

”

GSSJC served 703 girls through virtual day camps this summer. Topics include STEM, life skills and more. While GSSJC originally scheduled five weeks of virtual camp, we ended up hosting 12 weeks due to popular demand.

2020 has been a year of unprecedented challenges and uncertainty and we all share a common concern about the impact it will have on our children. Your gift to Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council will help provide girls with a sense of normalcy and a safe place to make friends, have fun and gain critical life skills.

Girl Scouts is well prepared to offer that sense of community today, virtually and in person as soon as it is safe to do so. Girl Scouts awarded nearly a million dollars in financial assistance to girls and adult volunteers last year, and we anticipate that need will be even greater this year. Every girl deserves the opportunity to be a Girl Scout and with your help we can make that happen. Visit gssjc.org/donate to make Girl Scouting a reality for girls who need us now.

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDHOUSTON, TX

PERMIT NO. 6743

3110 Southwest FreewayHouston, TX 77098-4508Visit us online at www.gssjc.org.

girlscoutssanjacintoGirlScoutsGSSJC Facebook.com/GSSJCGSSJC

Thank you, Dow!Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council

(GSSJC) would like to give a special

thanks to Dow for supporting our

financial aid program in Deer Park, La

Porte and Texas City. The organization

gave more than $7,500 this year, which

helped us provide financial aid for

underserved girls in the community.

GSSJC is able to provide more girls

with a safe and fun place to learn about our Girl Scout traditions

and programs. Our research-proven programs allow girls to learn

and grow in a safe, all-girl environment, discover who they are,

connect with others and take action to make the world a better

place. None of this would be possible if it were not for the integral

support of wonderful organizations like Dow. Without this support

and the support of grant funding, public and private donations,

and our dedicated volunteers, we would not have the resources

necessary to provide Girl Scouts to the girls who need us most.

Girl Scout Release 24 New Badges STEM, Entrepreneurship, Civics and Automotive EngineeringGSUSA announced 24 new badges designed to help girls practice ambitious leadership in the crucial areas of automotive engineering, STEM career exploration, entrepreneurship and civics, many of which remain male-dominated. In a year of unprecedented global change, our country's need for strong, broad-minded and decisive leadership has never been greater. Through new and existing programming, Girl Scouts equips the next generation of female change-makers with the breadth of knowledge, skills and experiences they need to take charge and do good for the world, both now and in the future. Support tomorrow’s female leaders by donating at gssjc.org/donate.

Entrepreneurship: Girls develop an entrepreneurial mindset as they engage in exercises that help them create and pitch a product or service that solves a problem. Three in four of today's girls are interested in becoming an entrepreneur, but more than half also say they need more support in this area. These badges are designed to fill the gap.

STEM Career Exploration: Girls explore their career interests and connect them to STEM fields—particularly computer science, nature/environmental science, engineering, design, health and agriculture—that can help them address the pressing issues. Girls are more interested in a STEM career when they learn how they can use it to help people.

Automotive Engineering: Girls design their own vehicles, test prototypes, learn about design thinking, create their own assembly line manufacturing process and more. Only 13 percent of engineers are women, underscoring the need for these badges which will introduce more girls to the field.

Civics: Girls gain an in-depth understanding of how government works, preparing them to be voters, activists and even political leaders. Just 24 percent of eighth-graders are proficient in civics, and only two in five American adults can name the three branches of U.S. government.