The male of the species (Highachievus boyscoutus) gets all of the recognition for being prepared, but University of Hawaii freshman Cori Sutton makes a compelling case for the long-view value and approach of today’s Girl Scouts.
The ‘Iolani graduate is one of seven recently arrived UH freshmen who have been awarded a four-year tuition scholarship and a reserved spot at UH’s John A. Burns School of Medicine.
The honor not only assures Sutton a clear path to the medical training she needs to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor (provided she graduates on time and meets other program requirements), it also, in a sense, recognizes and rewards Sutton for the years she and her parents devoted to preparing for academic and professional success.
And as Sutton attests, Scouting played a key role in those preparations.
“Scouting taught me leadership, helped to develop friendships and taught me how to be compassionate,” Sutton said. “It also gave me opportunities to serve the community.”
Sutton joined the Girl Scouts of Hawaii at age 5. She enjoyed the planned activities and the opportunities to make new friends. She treasured, in particular, the annual camping trips during which she got to interact with older girls who served as leaders and mentors.
The culmination of Sutton’s Scouting achievements came this past year when she was awarded the prestigious Gold Award, the Girl Scout equivalent of the Boy Scouts’ Eagle Award. Only 6 percent of Girl Scouts complete the requirements for the honor.
To earn the award, Sutton completed a challenging project aimed at saving orangutans in Southeast Asia.
Sutton spent much of her requisite 85 project hours researching the ways in which global demand for palm oil (an ingredient used in products ranging from Oreo cookies to toothpaste) has led to indiscriminate pillaging of orangutan habitats. She presented her findings in a video, “Save the Orangutans: If the Girl Scouts Can Do It, So Can You,” which was prepared as an educational outreach tool for the Honolulu Zoo.
Sutton said her interest in medicine and social services can be traced to her parents. Her father is a nurse at the Queen’s Medical Center; her mother is a director at WorkLife Hawaii.
At her father’s suggestion, Sutton spent summers volunteering at Queen’s. This semester, she is serving as an intern in a urology office, gaining valuable experience taking electronic notes and learning medical terminology.
“I’ve been able to see how grateful some patients are,” Sutton said. “It’s amazing that something you do could make someone feel so grateful. I’d like to do that for someone.”
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Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@staradvertiser.com.
