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Gold Award Spotlight: Ginger S
Girl Spotlight: Ginger Seabrook
Gold Award Girl Scout
Age 17 | Ambassador Girl Scout | Miami, FL
Bronze Award Girl Scout
In a word, what does it mean to say, "I am a Girl Scout"?
Capable.
As a senior, what are some of your future plans?
I'm planning to attend the University of Florida on a pre-Physical Therapy track. I've received the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, the PEO Star Scholarship, the Benacquisto Scholarship, and the National Merit Scholarship.
What is the title of your project?
Keeping History Alive in Coconut Grove
Tell us more about your project and how you completed it.
My Gold Award project focused on preserving the heritage of Miami's oldest neighborhood by creating a comprehensive tour guide training manual for a historical walking tour of Coconut Grove. The manual features extensive research, historical context, instructions, and photographs for 14 distinct historical sites throughout the area.
To ensure the project's long-term impact, I personally trained docents to lead the walking tour and established a partnership with the Friends of the Commodore Trail, who have agreed to sustain and continue running the program. I also distributed the training guide to local schools to be used as an educational curriculum tool for students.
Why is this project important to you? What gave you the inspiration to approach this topic the way that you did?
This project is incredibly close to my heart because I grew up in Coconut Grove, and my family has lived here for generations. Because my own family history is so deeply tied to the history of the Grove, I've watched the neighborhood change over time. This unique connection inspired me to step up, preserve our local history, and find a meaningful way to educate others about it.
What was the biggest challenge you faced and how did you overcome it?
The main obstacle I encountered was sourcing high-quality, copyright-free historical images of the locations. I overcame this challenge by collaborating directly with historical archivists at the University of Miami library, who helped me locate and access the perfect photographs for the manual.
How does this project contribute to your future goals?
Although I'm pursuing a pre-Physical Therapy track rather than history in college, this project is a vital part of my personal growth. I'll always consider myself a resident of Coconut Grove, and I'm proud to leave behind a lasting legacy that protects the roots of my community.
What did you learn about yourself in the process of completing your project?
Throughout this process, I discovered my own resilience and developed strong leadership and organizational skills. On top of that, researching the project allowed me to uncover a wealth of new information about both my community's history and my own family's heritage.
What did you learn about your community in the process of completing your project?
I learned just how incredibly rich, diverse, and deep the history of my community truly is, reinforcing how vital it is to keep these stories alive for future generations.
