avannah stays busy as a member of Troop 32 in the Girl
Scouts. Although she first joined in kindergarten, Savannah
re-entered in the 6th grade, drawn by the social aspects and
skills learned in Scouts. “The biggest lesson I have learned is
how to work with other people to accomplish a task. I enjoy
spending time with the other Girl Scouts as we learn how to work together.”
Troop Leader Robin Edens has watched Savannah grow during her time as
a Scout and is constantly in awe of her drive and determination. She shares,
“When I first met Savannah, I had a very different impression of her. She was a
very reserved and quiet girl. She smiled a lot and always had a positive presence.
I was completely unaware of her disability. Over the last four years, I have found
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out on the inside of that sweet, humble girl is also a girl with a sense of humor
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and lots of determination, who does not let many things stand in her way. She
does not give up [easily] and has never used her disability to her advantage. If
some of the younger girls in the troop need help with something or we need an
extra person to help us leaders, Savannah jumps right in with confidence.”
Samantha, an older Scout who was in her troop, has served as an inspiration
to Savannah through the accolades she has gained. While she has earned a volunteer pin, Savannah is currently working towards obtaining the highest award
achieved by a Scout - the Gold Award. In order to earn this, Savannah had to
complete a special project. “ I researched and identified a need that was important to me, then I met with a teacher who had a new self-contained classroom
for students with autism. I discovered that she needed some equipment for her
classroom, and I developed a plan to provide the equipment and presented it to
the Gold Award Committee. I had to make some changes to my plan, but after
doing so, my project was approved. I went to work and raised money, and I got
other types of assistance for my project. I have carried out most of the steps
to achieve the Gold Award. What I have left to do is raise awareness about my
project and complete a final report.”
For the classroom, Savannah provided five desktop easels (to assist with
fine motor development, writing, and visual attention), and three T-stools
(one-legged stools to assist with gross motor development). She also raised
money for therapy balls, “fidget” toys, and additional activities. “This project
is special to me because I, too, was once in a self-contained class and have
benefitted from specialized equipment.” While she was unsure at first if she
could take on such a huge project, Savannah pushed forward, thanks in part
to Robin. “I love to take all of my girls out of their comfort zone. The older Girl
Scouts and I have lots of discussions about life as a female teenager. Topics we
have covered have been from media in today’s world to bullying and making
friends. I have pushed Savannah to do things she is not comfortable doing, such
as making a fake commercial like an infomercial, hammering nails, drawing
comics, and talking about her feelings. She has left a lasting impression on me
that it is OK to have imperfections but to take pride in what you do and do it the
best you can. Savannah is a very sincere, hardworking, fun- loving girl who will
be very successful in her adult life. Over the last four years that I have had her
under my wing, I have seen a girl who does not let her autism define her.”
April is Autism Awareness month, and Savannah has plans to raise aware-
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ness for the cause that is closest to her heart. “I plan to go to Myrtle Beach to
participate in the Advantage Games hosted by the Reggie Sanders Foundation.
I also plan to attend All4Autism’s fundraiser at Chik-Fil-A.” Whether Savannah
is raising awareness this month or working hard in Scouts, Beth is grateful to
have such an upstanding young lady as her daughter. “Life is different if you
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have a child on the autism spectrum. Their days are often full of therapies, social
stories, and other interventions. But, you put forth the extra effort in the hopes
that they will become the best they can be. In our case, hard work has paid off.”
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SHEMAGAZINE.COM
APRIL 2016
129