The Girl Scouts of Suffolk County today announced that Morgan Bissell, 19, of Sayville, has been awarded a $5,000 Gold Award scholarship from the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) for her project helping Long Island teens struggling with mental health issues find local counseling resources. The GSUSA Gold Award Scholarship recognizes one outstanding Gold Award Girl Scout per council whose project exemplifies leadership and sustainable impact and addresses an issue of national or global significance.
As part of the project, Morgan created a website that includes links to local organizations and services, definitions of a crisis, good habits for mental health and her personal reflections on her own journey with diagnosed depression. She also created a printed brochure that has been placed in schools and libraries in her Sayville community. The project, which took two years to complete, was created in coordination with a mental health professional.
“I struggled with my own mental health issues a lot, because when I needed it, I didn’t know where to look for help. There was a lack of resources available to me. Nobody knew about them, and I created this hoping I could help people who were looking for it,” said Morgan. “These resources are also meant to help families and loved ones of the people who are struggling. My family, especially my mom, a social worker, has always been super supportive.”
The Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting. Close to 3,000 Girl Scouts – including 42 on Long Island – in the 2024 Gold Award Class found meaningful ways to address some of the most pressing issues facing their communities, acted on issues they are passionate about, and discovered they have the power to create the future they want.
Morgan, who will be a sophomore at the University of Albany this fall, hopes her resources will serve as a guide for others to develop their own local directory of mental health resources.
“We’re so proud of Morgan not just for her work but for how well she represents everyone who is part of the Girl Scouts of Suffolk County,” said Tammy Severino, CEO of GSSC. “Girls who earn this recognition set themselves apart from their peers through their perseverance and grit.”
The Gold Award class of 2024 contributed more than a quarter of a million hours and invested over $1.6M toward creating long-term solutions to community issues they’re passionate about. Gold Award Girl Scouts across the world completed Gold Award projects focused on education, children’s issues, health, environment and sustainability, life skills, and more.
About Girl Scouts of Suffolk County
Since 1968, Girl Scouts of Suffolk County has been committed to building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. With over 15,000 members, they are one of the largest youth-serving agencies in Suffolk County. Girl Scouts helps girls develop their full individual potential; relate to others with increasing understanding, skill, and respect; develop values to guide their actions and provide the foundation for sound decision making; and contribute to the improvement of society through their abilities, leadership skills, and cooperation with others. For more information about the Girl Scouts of Suffolk County, please call (631) 543-6622 or visit www.gssc.us.
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