Hometown Hero: Talyah Schmidt
Girl Scout Gold Award Recipient
May 2014
Brushing our teeth is something we take for granted. The toothbrush is always there in the bathroom, waiting for us when we get up in the morning and go to bed in the evening. We buy toothpaste and dental floss when we run out and even get those tiny little ones from our dentists at our regular check-ups. It is a normal part of our lives to have dental supplies always available. But this isn’t the case for some people.
I first heard about Talyah Schmidt and her project from the article about her in the Courier-Life. She is the daughter of Julie and John Schmidt of Onalaska and a senior at Central High School. She is a Senior Girl Scout, a member of Troop 4009 and been in the Scouts for 11 years. And unlike the majority of Girl Scouts, she was determined to complete a Girl Scout Gold Award project, the highest honor in all of Girl Scouting.
For her project, Talyah collected dental-health products to donate to the WAFER food bank. She got the idea after volunteering at WAFER one day when a guest asked her if they had any toothbrushes available. It turns out that dental hygiene products, like toothpaste, toothbrushes and dental floss, are often in very short demand at shelters and pantries.
Many food pantry patrons are often in situations that force them to prioritize their own needs and those of their loved ones. Something as simple as a toothbrush might get pushed to the bottom of the list when you need to focus on food and clothing. But as our dentists so often remind us, a healthy mouth is the key to a healthy body and brushing our teeth regularly is as important as taking a shower or washing your hands.
But should a person really have to choose between a toothbrush and their next meal?
That is why Talyah choose to donate more than 200 gift pages of toothpaste, toothbrushes and dental floss to WAFER. As she told the Courier-Life, “It was one less expense if they can get their dental care items there instead of buying their own.”
Together with her younger sister, friends and fellow troop members, she reached out to our local dental offices and dental insurance providers for donations. She then had to coordinate pick-up times for the donation and then put one of each item into a gift bag.
Talyah says her favorite part of the project was passing out the dental hygiene bags. “I felt the smiles I received from the people I handed bags to. It made the time and effort put into the project worth it tenfold. I especially was happy with the excited expressions the children had when I handed them their goody bag.” Her parents were also very excited when Talyah decided to go for this award. “They anticipated that the lessons I would learn would be invaluable to me in my future and support me throughout.” Even her little sister was excited by the project and plans to complete her own in the future.
According to the Courier-Life article, less than 5% of Girl Scouts achieve this award which is the equivalent of an Eagle Scout award for Boy Scouts. The project is designed to recognize dedication to the community, hard work, leadership qualities and other skills that not only make these young women stand out in their own troops but in our society. The lessons they learn in coordinating and completing these projects are also intended to help them as they transition to the adult world.
One of the critical components of any Gold Award project is its sustainability, that is the ability of the project to continue to serve the community even after the girl scout has gone on to do other things. For Talyah, this meant working with dentist’ offices in our area to let them know about the need for supplies at food pantries and setting up procedures for how to donate.
Something else that set Talyah’s project apart was her special personal connection to it. As Eliza Zimmerman, leadership program specialist for the Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Badgerland Council, told the Courier-Life, “Talyah’s project is a great example of how the Gold Award is designed to work. She built a project around something that was meaningful to her. Through her volunteer work, she identified a need in the community and turned it into this great project. She saw a need for dental hygiene supply products there and made it her goal to get the community interested in donating the supplies.”
One of the things that stood out to me as a state legislator was the emphasis that Girl Scout leaders place on encouraging the girls to avoid Band-Aid solutions. Instead, these projects are meant to be long-term and sustainable so that the wheel does not have to be reinvented. This is an important lesson for all of my colleagues down in Madison as well.
On March 15th, Talyah joined 11 other Girl Scouts at an award ceremony in Prairie Du Sac. Marci Henderson, the CEO of the Badgerland Council, said at the ceremony, “I am honored to congratulate these remarkable Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts who earn the Gold Award are young women of extraordinary achievement. They are well-prepared to become leaders in our community.”
Talyah plans to attend the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and is considered a double major in Computer Science and Computer Engineering.
So congratulations to you, Talyah! Thank you for your dedication to improving our community and continue to be a Hometown Hero. I know that you will go on to do great things after graduation.
Hometown Hero is a regular feature put together by Rep. Steve Doyle (D-Onalaska). If you have any suggestions of a Hometown Hero, send a short description of why you think this person should be a Hometown Hero and contact information of both you and the nominee to rep.doyle@legis.wisconsin.gov.