Aubrey Schaeffer
Rising Sun High School | North East, MD | Class of 2026
In the fall, I plan to continue to take more classes to eventually earn an early education degree. I strive to positively impact the younger students and athletes who look up to me. Whether through athletics, volunteering, or mentoring, I try to be the kind of role model I once needed.
Throughout high school, I have been a varsity athlete in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse, and I had the honor of serving as captain of the soccer team my senior season. Leadership in sports has given me the opportunity to encourage younger teammates, build their confidence, and help them grow not only as athletes but as individuals. I make a difference by being an example of teamwork, accountability, and positivity.
Beyond athletics, I have volunteered with Upward Basketball as a scorekeeper, assistant
coach, and concessions worker. I also helped coach my younger brother’s basketball team
alongside my dad and grandfather. These experiences allowed me to mentor elementary-aged children, teaching them skills while encouraging effort, sportsmanship, and self-confidence.
Volunteering at the FCA All-Abilities Camp further strengthened my passion for working with children. Supporting these children with different needs and abilities taught me patience, encouragement, and understanding.
Making a difference is important to me because I hope to have an impact on future generations like my role models, especially teachers, have impacted me. For many students, school, sports, or community programs are their safest and most encouraging environments. I want to be someone who contributes to creating those spaces. I have always looked up to my teachers, especially Mrs. Dolan at Rising Sun Elementary School, who inspired me to pursue a career in education. When I recently visited her classroom, I could genuinely see myself in her role: guiding students, building relationships, and making learning exciting.
Ultimately, making a difference in my community is preparation for the lifelong impact I hope
to have as an educator. I want to be the teacher who makes students feel valued, supported, and capable. I want my classroom to be a place where children feel safe to learn, grow, and believe in themselves. And I want to be someone that children look up to and remember.
Sasha Finley
Rising Sun High School | North East, MD | Class of 2026
Since I was a young girl, my parents instilled in me a strong value to give back to our community. We would volunteer at local animal shelters, donate to our church’s food drives, and help maintain public gardens in our town. Fast forward to now, community service is still a large influence in my daily life.
I serve our community through performing at nursing homes, as well as at elementary schools, free of cost each year. Witnessing the joy that my passion for dancing can bring elderly residents who may not be able to get out to see performances, or out of the house in general, is the ultimate satisfaction a person can obtain. On one particular occasion, we moved a member of the Autumn Lake Nursing Home to tears. He told all of us that our dancing reminded him of when he used to dance with his late wife as a teenager. I will forever hold this story close to my heart to remind me of the importance of community service.
Similarly, at first glance, performing shows at local elementary schools may not seem to be providing any beneficial services to my community. However, at a much deeper level, when performing for the younger generation, I have the influence to inspire crowds of children to grow a life-long passion for the dancing craft. Capturing the attention of hundreds of kids and hearing them cheer for you is what makes the dedication, long hours, and sore muscles worth it. In that moment, you feel as if you are the most important ballerina in the world, no matter what your role is. (The kids typically like the funny side-characters the most anyway!) This unique form of volunteering has always been one of my favorite ways to give back to my community.
In addition, throughout the last five years, I have volunteered my time at Rising Sun Elementary’s Emily’s Way. Emily's Way is a memorial garden dedicated to the beautiful life of Emily Heath, a twelve-year-old who passed away from leukemia in 2019. Emily was an inspiring young girl who lived her life to the fullest and was the definition of fearless when facing her battle with cancer. She fought tirelessly for two years before the cancer had spread to the point of no return. She was a close family friend of mine, and I was devastated to see her pass. My mom and I knew her courageous personality must always be remembered by her loved ones. So, we then worked on building the elementary school’s first memorial garden for the students to visit and to honor Emily. Once the school had signed off, we began to work in creating a garden Emily would be proud of. Emily’s Way was finished in 2020, but our work is never done. The garden must be nicely maintained through weeding, watering, and mulching. As well as always being on the lookout for new additions to the garden, such as pink flowers (Emily’s favorite color). However, the time put in is always worthwhile when the children also want to give back to the community in Emily’s way. My mother and I run a gardening club at the elementary school for the school’s fourth- and fifth-grade students. This club volunteers their time by helping maintain and garden in Emily’s Way. We love to see the school’s youth remembering Emily in such a special way by sacrificing their free time to honor her memory and preserve her memorial garden. I know Emily watches over and smiles ear to ear to see the children value the importance of community service as well as pay a tribute to her life.
Allyson Jones
Severna Park High School | Severna Park, MD | Class of 2025
I've been surrounded by many positive female role models through my youth and into my teen years. Women like my mother, my girl scout leader, teachers, and my youth pastor, all women who have made a difference in my life and had a positive impact on the community I live in. This past year, I embarked on my journey towards becoming a female role model myself, one focused on advocating for increased awareness of scoliosis. This journey was on my bucket list to do as I knew our community needed this to happen. In 7th grade I was diagnosed with Severe Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis and my curve was significant and surgery was my only option. I had surgery and underwent minimal complications, but the whole process was extremely hard on me, as everything went so fast. By advocating, I knew I could make a difference in Anne Arundel County and serve as a step in the right direction to prevent the repetition of my story.
If I had to go through the journey again, the one thing I would change would be how naive I was to the situation. This prompted my desire to do a Girl Scout Gold Award project focusing on raising awareness of scoliosis, and the need for increased scoliosis screening options for adolescents. My story would be completely different if I had been screened at an earlier time, lived in a different state where screening was mandated in schools, and the symptoms of scoliosis were brought to my attention sooner.
At this point in my life, I have learned the importance of facing my obstacles head-on and receiving the tools and support to do so. Having this experience has given me the privilege of sharing my story and the passion to speak on this issue.
Through my Gold Award, I worked towards spreading awareness amongst the youth through social media. During Scoliosis Awareness Month, I posted a fact each day on Instagram. Locally, I sent letters and an informative poster to various offices and officials associated with the Maryland State Department of Education, Anne Arundel County Health Department, and Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Although the responses were staggered, there was one that made it all worthwhile; my informative posters would be printed and posted in all thirty-five Anne Arundel County middle and high schools.
Girl Scouts has taught me about empowerment by trying new things and exploring different opportunities, preparing me to work towards change beyond myself. The abundant leadership opportunities I have gained from this experience have reinforced the purpose of Girl Scouts to make the world a better place and do it with courage. I’ve learned to persevere through challenges and rise beyond circumstances. Choosing this path has allowed me to serve as a mentor to girls in my troop starting their Gold Award and being a role model for activism in the younger generation. It has taught me the importance of making a difference inside and outside of my community. While my Girl Scout membership will eventually end, it will live with me in all the new experiences I have in the future.
As I enter my future career as a teacher, I plan to support all my students by advocating for them and teaching them to advocate for themselves. My previous work will help prepare me to do this and instill me with the courage to as well. I feel as we step into the future, we need to educate youth on what it takes to be leaders and make a difference. Not only is it important to educate students how to be leaders, but it is also important to encourage leadership as well by helping students grow confidence and courage to make the step toward change. It would be an honor to be considered to receive this scholarship as it would support me while earning my B.S. in Elementary Education and allow me to honor Grace Erline through my work.