She Magazine APRIL 2016 | Page 129

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 GET TWO MONTHS out on the inside of that sweet, humble girl is also a girl with a sense of humor FREE 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- Sign up for FTC Vision Digital TV and get any of these services FREE for the first two months! • Cinemax PICK Y OUR FAVOR ITES • Showtime OR GE T ALL SIX • Starz • HD Programming • Whole-Home DVR • Vision Xtra (57 additional channels) Plus, your FTC Vision subscription includes access to the latest Video-On-Demand movies, Pay-Per-View events and WatchTVEverywhere, which allows you to watch live TV programming on your mobile devices. CONTACT FTC TODAY! 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 ftcvision.com | 888-218-5050 Whole-Home DVR not available in all areas. Certain restrictions may apply. WatchTVEverywhere requires an Internet connection. Current rates apply after promotional period. 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.” Your Digital Playground Awaits SHEMAGAZINE.COM APRIL 2016 129