Welcome to the GSCSA blog! We look forward to sharing how Girl Scouts are taking action in our council — for themselves, their communities, and the world.
If you’d like to share your Girl Scout story or photos with us, we’d love to share them on our social media and/or blog platforms.
Haley Farinato learned that many students in her community lacked basic school supplies because their families struggled to afford them. Partnering with her local elementary school, Haley worked with a nurse and social worker to create a resource room stocked with essentials like notebooks, pencils and hygiene items. She relocated and renovated the school’s nursing… Read more
Bella Mason of Knoxville often noticed people in need at a bus stop near her church. She found a way to help them by building a Blessing Box filled with food and other resources, then orchestrated ways to keep the box going by empowering other groups in her church community. Bella earned a prestigious Girl… Read more
Understanding the benefits of pet therapy, Ava McCollum-Beaves of Kingsport found a need to be filled. She worked with Isaiah 117 House, which serves children, and the Alliance of Therapy Dogs to create a program that serves Isaiah 117 House locations in Sullivan and Washington counties. She earned a prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award in… Read more
Casey Shanklin — camp name “Kix” — has been Camp Director at Camp Tanasi for our summer overnight camp since 2021. She played a major part in reviving camp after the pandemic and continues to bring the camp magic to all girls that attend summer programs there. A lot of fun changes have been implemented… Read more
Ella Brandon of Ooltewah had a difficult time finding information about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) career options for women while planning her future, which inspired her to create a STEM career resource blog. The blog features interviews with women in various fields, providing a resource for young women exploring career paths. The posts… Read more
Catherine Gergel worked to help victims of racially driven attacks. After experiencing anti-Asian racism, Catherine created a website to help people find help and learn self-defense basics and for potential bystanders to learn strategies to safely intervene. She created videos and classes using karate, one of her lifelong passions, to teach both de-escalation and self-defense.… Read more
