Saint Ursula Academy is proud to announce that senior Katherine Zimmerman ’21 of Cleves has earned Girl Scouts’ highest award, the Gold Award. The Girl Scout Gold Award is a top-tier credential for girls as they enter their post-high school lives, enabling them to distinguish themselves in the college admissions process and beyond.
Seniors and Ambassadors who earn the Gold Award tackle issues that are dear to them and drive lasting change in their communities and beyond. Katherine worked for years on her project. She focused on mental health after noticing many of her peers struggling with their mental health, feeling alone, and not having the resources to get the help they needed. Katherine decided to take action to break the stigma on mental health by educating her peers about mood disorders.
After working to develop her concept with her school counselor, Ms. Roman, Katherine created a video presentation discussing the causes of mood disorders, how to respond to someone in a mental health crisis, and how to find help if you are experiencing these symptoms. Katherine’s goal in sharing her message is to empower people to get help when they need it. Her video will be shown at the beginning of each school year at St. Ursula Academy, and continues to be available on the student intranet to provide ongoing support to students.
The Girl Scout organization shared, “Gold Award Girl Scouts are the dreamers and the doers who take “make the world a better place” to the next level. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable—proof that not only can she make a difference, but that she already has.”
Katherine will attend Purdue University in the fall where she will study Aero/Astro Engineering.
Katherine has made a positive impact in the Saint Ursula community and we are confident she will continue to shine her light at Purdue University,” said Dr. Mari Thomas, Saint Ursula Academy Principal. “We can’t wait to see what she accomplishes next!”
Katherine is a senior at Saint Ursula Academy. She is involved in karate, theatre, horse riding, and is a member of the National Honor Society. Katherine has been a Girl Scout for 13 years.
The Gold Award is awarded to fewer than 6% of Girl Scouts annually.
Photo courtesy The New Studio