New Territory's Carolyn Ramirez earns Girl Scouts of the USA Gold Award

Carolyn Ramirez earned the Girl Scouts of the USA Gold Award for creating a recycling program.

New Territory resident Carolyn Ramirez has earned the Girl Scouts of the USA Gold Award, the organization's highest honor.

According to a press release from the Girl Scouts, Ramirez created a permanent sustainable program that benefits the environment at her school. Ramirez was able to secure free weekly recycling pickup from Waste Corporation of America. She continues to educate the students at Austin High School about recycling.

"The Girl Scout Gold Award has taught me to effectively network and make contacts. I gained leadership skills by pioneering the recycling movement at my school," Ramirez said in the release.

Ramirez received the honor Saturday, Dec. 1 from the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council.

Gold Award candidates must complete a series of requirements, including two to three years of award achievements and more than 100 community service hours, according to the release. The Gold Award project is one of the last hurdles, requiring candidates to plan and carry out their own significant community service project. Less than 5 percent of all Girl Scouts make it to Gold Award status.

Ramirez is a senior at Austin High School and is the daughter of Julie and Carlos Ramirez. She plans to attend either the University of Texas or Rice University in the fall and wants to study chemical engineering, continuing her efforts to find ways to protect the environment and natural resources.

The Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council was founded by Mrs. F.M. Law and Miss Corinne Fonde in 1922 in Houston. It serves 26 counties in Southeast Texas, including Angelina, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hardin, Harris, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Waller and Wharton. The council is governed by a board of directors made up of community leaders. Stacy Methvin is the chairperson of the board and president of the council. Mary Vitek is the chief executive officer.

For more information, call 713-292-0300 or visit www.gssjc.org.