Congratulations to Haley Whitmore, a 2018 Gold Award Girl Scout and GSSEM’s Young Woman of Distinction (YWOD)!

The Young Woman of Distinction Award is a special honor bestowed upon a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient whose final project demonstrates extraordinary leadership and addresses a global issue with measurable and sustainable impact.

For Haley’s Girl Scout Gold Award project, she worked to educate students and members of the community about mental health and suicide prevention. Haley created a multi-level comprehensive program that impacted 11 schools and 9,000 students in the Huron Valley School District. High school students addressed depression and suicide prevention, while in middle school students focused on learning what mental health really is and stress management skills. Elementary school students focused on learning how their words impact other students.

With the help of the Huron Valley School District and the Huron Valley Community Coalition, We Stand Together will continue on for years to come, not only in the Huron Valley School district but surrounding communities as well.

Haley learned with the help of others anything is possible. Change is a long road, but getting the conversation of mental health started is half the battle. After all, change starts with one person. She hopes to continue this rewarding work in college.

Haley is a graduating senior at Lakeland High School and is a member of Troop 20146.