Gold Award Girl Scout renovates historic schoolhouse in Epsom
Gold Award Girl Scout renovates historic schoolhouse in Epsom
Megan Katsirebas earns Girl Scouting’s highest honor with her work
October 03, 2024
EPSOM, NH – The town of Epsom has long valued its historic buildings and tries to preserve them, but time takes a toll and there is not always money and muscle to keep such properties in good condition. Girl Scout Megan Katsirebas saw the need to renovate the old one-room schoolhouse owned by New Rye Church and organized a team to do just that, earning the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award with her work.
Katsirebas, 17, of Epsom, spent 80 hours and $6,480 to complete her project, which she called “Preserving History.” The Gold Award is the pinnacle of a high school Girl Scout’s work to make the world a better place.
According to Epsomhistory.com, the District No. 9 New Rye School closed in June 1942 and later sold to the New Rye Congregational Church. The original building burned in 1998 and was rebuilt identical to the original. Katsirebas said damage to the building was putting not just the physical space in danger of being lost, but that many in the community were unaware of its existence and significance.
“It was pretty rough,” she said. “It was leaking through the roof, through the attic, and there were wet spots on the ceiling. It definitely wasn't going to last another winter.”
“The roof was going to be recovered with asphalt,” said Deborah Katsirebas, Megan’s mother and troop leader. “The roofer recommended a metal roof for the longevity of the product. This increased the cost four-fold. In addition, she committed to updating the decking on the building.”
Megan was able to put together a team of men that had done earlier repairs to the building to help with her project. She directed and organized the work and was able to be hands-on with construction of a new entry ramp. She had to overcome a series of setbacks due to weather and equipment issues.
“The most successful part of my project would have to be the team that I built,” she wrote in her final report on her project. “The team that I built was a group of men who once used that building when they were young boys. These men helped to rebuild the building when it first burnt down several years ago so not only did they have valuable knowledge about how the building was built and what the best methods would be for repairing the roof, but they also had a close connection to the building and a deep desire to fix it.”
To educate the public, she hosted a large fundraiser dinner and put up a poster explaining her project at the polls during voting and other public venues. The building is now used primarily by a Scouts USA troop.
Katsirebas learned valuable lessons from this work, including perseverance, leadership, construction skills, and dedication. As a longtime Girl Scout who began her experience in second grade, she said she has learned a lot about her capabilities as an individual and her passion for helping her community.
Over the years, she has enjoyed camping, the Girl Scout Cookie program, field trips, and making enduring friendships.
Now a freshman at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, Katsirebas is majoring in biology with an eye toward veterinary surgery. She graduated fifth in her class from Pembroke Academy with high honors and was a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and Music Honor Society, along with playing clarinet in the school band.
● ● ●
Gold Award Girl Scouts don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good. The Gold Award is earned by girls in grades 9–12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership in developing sustainable solutions to local, national, and global challenges. Since 1912, Girl Scouts have answered the call to drive lasting, impactful change. They earn college scholarships, demonstrate high educational and career outcomes, and are active in their communities.
Megan Katsirebas has answered the call to drive lasting, impactful change, and her Gold Award is a testament to her remarkable dedication to improving her community and the world.
About the Girl Scout Gold Award
- Gold Award Girl Scouts on average spend one to two years on their project.
- A Gold Award project must be sustainable after the girl’s involvement ends.
- The average age of Gold Award Girl Scouts is 17.
- Since 1916, more than 1 million girls have earned the Gold Award or its equivalent.
- Gold Award Girl Scouts are entitled to enlist at a higher pay grade when they join the military.
- University research indicates that noting you are a Gold Award Girl Scout on a college application is influential in the admissions decision-making process.
- Eighteen young women from New Hampshire and Vermont earned their Gold Award in the 2022-2023 membership year as part of Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains.
- The Girl Scout Gold Award is the mark of the truly remarkable
We Are Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.
Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains serves girls throughout New Hampshire and Vermont through volunteer-run troops, events, and virtual programs. Visit www.girlscoutsgwm.org to learn more.
