Curtis Park Girl Scout troop moves on to college after six
years together
By Christine Rodrigues
Viewpoint Staff Writer
Graduation time is approaching once again at McClatchy High School,
but there's something different about this year's class. Among the graduates
is a very special group of young women, most of whom live in Curtis Park
and have known each other since elementary school.
Sisters Kristin and Sarah Hansel, Annabelle Ostrander, Rose Levenson-Palmer,
Sondra Morishima, and Emily Robinson are among the very few who have continued
their membership in Girl Scouts through high school, even when others
thought it wasn't fashionable.
"In middle school, some girls didn't think it was 'cool' to be in
Girl Scouts," said Kristin, so the six became a troop. Five of the
six graduates have been in the same troop together since seventh grade.
Their leader, Kate Williams, mother of Kristin and Sarah Hansel, is understandably
proud of the girls, who have all been involved in community service in
a variety of ways. Many of them have completed Gold Projects, the highest
Girl Scout award. Such projects take two to three years to complete.
Their work as Girl Scouts includes teaching young children, acting as
a resource to fellow students, conducting supply drives for those in need,
and various forms of community service. Their focus includes the arts,
environmental science, organ donation, model United Nations, and teaching
tolerance.
The troop members are preparing to go college in various parts of the
country and are interested in widely varying subjects. Despite the distance,
they plan to stay connected via e-mail.
Some of the troop members have finalized their college selection while
others are still considering their options. Rose will attend Columbia
University in New York and will focus on biology and genetics. Annabelle
is attending U.C. Santa Cruz. Emily will attend Willamette, her mother's
alma mater, and is interested in pursuing psychology, literature, and
the humanities. Sarah plans to major in English and is considering Willamette
or Louis and Clark in Oregon. Kristin will attend U.C. Santa Barbara while
Sondra is considering New York University and U.C. Berkeley.
Some of the girls' fondest memories are their snow camping experience,
river rafting, surfing, and kyaking under the Bay Bridge.
"This is a great group of girls," said troop leader Kate.
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