MANALAPAN – Jacqueline Fezza of Manalapan was recently awarded the Girl Scouts’ highest national honor, the Gold Award. This award represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouting and recognizes young women who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through Take Action projects that have sustainable impact in their communities and beyond, according to a press release.
Jacqueline is a rising senior at the Academy of Allied Health and Science in Neptune. She works with children and adults who have special needs in the Manalapan special recreation program, in addition to volunteering at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune.
According to the press release, Jacqueline aspires to become a physician. She has created Science in Motion, a project that brings guest speakers to different venues in New Jersey to speak about science and social science topics in an effort to spread the word that science can be the answer to many problems.
In addition, Jacqueline brought Science in Motion to younger children by visiting local after-school care programs and encouraging them to pursue the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields.
At a round table with fellow award recipients, her project was praised by U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), who encouraged her to expand the project, according to the press release. This summer, Jacqueline is bringing Science in Motion to communities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Related to her work with children and adults who have special needs, Jacqueline has started a nonprofit organization called Friends for Action that raises money for special needs causes in Manalapan and surrounding areas, according to the press release. Additional information is available at www.friendsforaction.org