Heather Haynes used her talent with chocolate to receive the highest honor from the Girl Scouts.
Last month, she was presented the Girl Scout Gold Award from the Fair Winds Girl Scout Council and was the sole recipient in the Clarkston area.
Haynes had to plan a project to fulfill a need in the community, create a change, and be ongoing in the community.
She chose to teach a candy making class to senior citizens at Springfield Township Senior Citizens Center for her project.
‘My family, my mom and her friends have done chocolate making a lot,? said Haynes. ‘I decided to share it with the community.?
She put her project into action last July.
She taught the class for three weeks and focused on something different each week.
During the first week, she showed the class how to fill chocolates with peanut butter, cherries, and other flavors.
The next week she taught her class how to put designs and colors on the chocolate.
She taught the class how to dip different foods like pretzels and fruit in chocolate for the last week.
Haynes put in 65 hours of service for the award. The hours included planning, making pamphlets and power points and teaching the class.
She will not teach the class this year, but it will continue at part of Springfield Township Senior Citizens Center’s Young at Heart program.
Before she could start the Gold Award project she had to earn three badges. She chose creative cooking, from fashion to fitness, and desktop publishing.
Another requirement was work 30 leadership hours and work 40 career hours.
Haynes worked at Pleasant Ridge Day Camp to fulfill her leadership hours.
Her career hours had to be related to a career she wanted to explore. She worked for Clarkston’s SCAMP.
Haynes joined the girl scouts when she was in second grade because her friends were in a troop.
Her mom, Catharine, became the troop leader while Heather was in fourth grade when the prior leader quit the position.
‘I have made a lot of good friends,? said Heather. ‘I have seen a lot of ways to help the community I wouldn’t have seen if I hadn’t been a part of girl scouts.?
Heather has been a longtime volunteer and seasonal worker with Oakland County programs, assisting special education students.
She filled bags with toiletries and took them to Friendship House of Detroit and participated in SCAMP.
She volunteers her time at her church, Bethany Baptist Church in Waterford. She spends her time teaching Sunday school, singing, going on mission trips, and helping with the rummage sales.
‘Church is important to me,? said Heather. ‘I do a lot with that.?
She graduated from Clarkston High School with high honors. She is an avid musician and played clarinet in band.
During the summer, Haynes will volunteer at Independence Township library, continue to work at the church, and make time for horseback riding, one of her hobbies.
She plans to work at the church when she is home from college.
Her major focus will be in special education at Grand Valley State University where she will be attending in the fall.
She is thinking about working in an autism program after she finishes college.
Her advice is to go out into the community and help out.
‘Try something new,? she said. ‘Even if you don’t like it, just try it.?
The gold award is the highest award in Girl Scouts and is equivalent to the Eagle Scout award in the Boy Scouts.
The award focuses on a 14-18 year-old girl scout’s interests and personal journey through leadership skills, career explorations, self-improvement, and service.
Fewer than five percent of eligible Girl Scouts receive the award. Last year, more than 5,000 girls earned the Gold Award.