fbpx

Civic Minded

Scout Lessons

When Madeleine Gonzalez sold the Girl Scouts’ famous cookies, she wasn’t just satisfying customer cravings for Thin Mints. She also was tapping into a passion for business and marketing. The lessons she learned from selling cookies—never giving up and letting her voice be heard—were put into action when the Miami Beach resident made a surprising discovery:

“I was given the opportunity to preregister to vote [at 17]. At that time, I never knew you could pre-register at the age of 16 [in Florida]. Then, when I turned 18, I received my voter card in the mail. When I talked about it with my friends at school, nobody knew that they could preregister.”

 

Raising Her Voice

When Gonzalez found out that young people vote in lower numbers than other demographics, she was inspired to help others understand “why their vote matters and why they should vote.” She decided that educating her peers on voter pre-registration and civic education would be the perfect project with which to earn a Gold Award, the highest honor a Scout can achieve.

Starting the summer before her senior year, Gonzalez ran voter registration drives at Girl Scout events and her school, Monsignor Edward Pace High School. She also organized a women’s leadership event at Miami Beach City Hall, where Scouts spoke to female leaders in local and municipal government—an event set to recur regularly in the future.

“I told [students] that it’s important to have your voice be heard, have an opinion in government and vote for the person you feel represents you and is the best person to represent all of us,” says Gonzalez, a member of Miami Beach Youth Commission, who has voted in local elections.

 

Well Earned

Thanks to the project, about 50 students pre-registered to vote, and her school’s American government classes will encourage students to pre-register to vote.

In July, the 19-year-old was given the Gold Award during a drive-by pinning ceremony, along with other members of the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida. Now, she’s studying business management and marketing at Florida State University with plans to one day be a CEO—though she’s yet to decide where and when. What she does know is that she wants to continue to mentor and encourage young Scouts.

“I want to stay involved in Girl Scouts and continue to inspire people and young girls and show them that they can do whatever they want, that they always have an opportunity—and that they can do whatever they set their mind to.”

 

Photo by Lauren Rodriguez

You May Also Like

Hoop Dreams
November 21, 2023
City of Dreams
October 30, 2023
Nikki Spoelstra Shares Inspiring and Impactful Journey

A candid journey of reflection, healing and change leads the podcast star to an empowering chapter in life.

The Art of Coworking Spaces

Laura Kozelouzek, CEO of Quest Workspaces, is giving her clients residential-style choices.

Editor’s Letter: Inside the September Issue

Lifestyle honors Women of Influence throughout South Florida.

Brickell Welcomes RosaNegra for its U.S. Debut

Robert Rivani, president of Black Lion and a prominent figure in the real estate industry, will bring the highly acclaimed RosaNegra, a popular establishment from Mexico, to the U.S. by opening a Miami location. Rivani has secured a 10-year lease with the owners of RosaNegra, Grupo RosaNegra, to occupy the ground floor space at SLS Brickell, which will

Other Posts

South Florida Owner Takes Over Port d’Hiver Bed and Breakfast

The Port d’Hiver Bed and Breakfast, one of Melbourne Beach’s most historic properties, has a new owner in Frank Talerico. Talerico is an accomplished businessman in South Florida and is well-versed in the hotel industry. He has a reputation for transforming properties and elevating them to award-winning, must-stay-at places. His successful track record includes the Ocean

From Local TV Reporter to Legal Crusader: Willard Shepard’s Career Has Had Many Rewarding Moments

He wears his heart on his sleeve while sharing episodes from a Hollywood-like journey.

AKA West Palm Hotel Introduces New Features Following Recent Upgrades

The hotel residence now offers short-stay availability.  

Health Heroes: Joanna Perdomo

The pediatrician at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital targets food insecurity in an effort to provide kids with a stronger health foundation.