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From Little Girl to Remarkable Young Lady!

From Little Girl to Remarkable Young Lady,
a Girl Scout Grows Up and Hopes to Help Many at ucpn

By: Adriana Ramirez

Like the staff and supporters of the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County, Inc. (ucpn), the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. have consistently been ambassadors for empowerment and independence. Internationally and locally, they have continuously given back to the community-at-large, volunteering their precious time while bringing smiles to others. Recently, one local Girl Scout has graced ucpn, bringing some special for agency participants.

Jacqueline Cosgrove, age 16, is an ambitious student at Garden City High School and a committed member of Troop 1443.  As she has grown from child to teenager, Jacqueline continues to have a caring and good-natured spirit. Now, on a quest to obtain her Gold Award, the most prestigious of Girl Scout honors, Jacqueline has decided to collect ambulatory equipment for ucpn, St. Anne’s Church, and the Met Council of The Bronx.

With high hopes to recycle a variety of devices, Jacqueline states: “My project will help alleviate the burden of purchasing these costly items for people in need.” With the desire to gather wheelchairs, canes, walkers, and crutches, Jacqueline spread the word of her pursuit with a published letter to the editor of Garden City News, a community newspaper. Her donation request was well-received and resulted in received two large deliveries of ambulatory devices to ucpn to date.

Having been familiar with ucpn since childhood, Jacqueline chose this agency to benefit from her project. Raised in Garden City with parents, Maryanne and John, Jacqueline annually attended The Sugar Plum Ball with her father. This annual ucpn event, designed for fathers and daughters, set the stage for the Cosgroves to dance and dine while helping raise funds for the agency.

Jacqueline hopes the donated equipment will assist individuals who may not have had access to them due to their high cost.  In addition, she states: “My project will also exemplify the need to recycle and keep our environment free from objects that can be reused.” This Gold Award project not only proves Jacqueline’s compassion, but it also showcases her pledge to better the world as a whole.

The Girl Scout mission strives to “build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place” (Girl Scouts of the U.S.A). Jacqueline’s story epitomizes this mission, reminding us in moments of concern or fear that empathy continues to blossom in our society. And it is such empathy that will keep us moving forward to the bright and hopeful future.