By Karren Jay G. Asgar
Centralian Gabriella Franciesca A. Peñalosa has been honored with the prestigious title of 2024 National Outstanding Girl Scout.
Gabriella Franciesca A. Peñalosa, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Marketing Management student at the College of Business and Accountancy, has been named the National Outstanding Girl Scout 2024. The announcement was made on the official Facebook page of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines on September 27, 2024.
This serves as a fruit for her consistent hard work and sheer commitment to providing service, which has had a positive influence on her community. Thus, she was an example for others because of her persistent work and dedication to serve. She is an example of a true leader with the heart and soul of the people, who has shown herself to be dedicated, responsible and compassionate.
When asked about what inspired her to join the Girl Scouts and how her involvement has shaped her perspective on community service and leadership, she shared, “Girl Scouting became my branding to a lot of people. I have been in the movement since I was 5 or 6 years old. It all started with the sole purpose of being able to stay up all night with my friends during camps until I went to high school when things started to get serious in my scouting journey… Being exposed to different communities opened my eye into diverse cultures. It deepened my understanding of how our communities are in dire need of good people and governance,” she said. “Every community I had the opportunity to serve gave me the direction to lead with an open heart. It helped me discover my purpose – and that is to help people and bring the gospel to whoever I meet along the way.”
In Girl Scouts, instead of earning badges, Gabriella received much more than that; a purpose, determination and desire to lead. She focused on the fact of discussion of the importance of teamwork, goal setting, and management of contingencies. Most importantly, she found out that leadership is a pivotal act of serving people.
“The path to this moment hasn’t always been easy… I learned that perseverance and determination are key to achieving anything meaningful. Through this, I discovered the joy of making a difference in my community and the strength that comes from seeing a project through to completion,” she added.
In her journey, Gabriella has encountered some having to do with time management, family commitment, church ministry, activities in other organizations, and personal life. Owning these responsibilities has been a challenge. But this has given her a chance to concentrate on things that matter and really has strengthened her self-discipline. She not only gained an understanding on her own but also leaned completely on God for faith in what He is doing in her life at any given time. It has thus equipped her with the ability to handle her obligations with more responsibility with greater purpose and faith.
She described an initiative she led that had a significant impact on the Centralian community, saying, “One of the projects that I initiated that I am very proud of is the Regional Gathering of Girl Representatives of Visayas Region under the Girl Scout Movement where I had the opportunity to steer the event from scratch and was able to bring it to a successful completion. This opened my heart to share my knowledge and organizational skills to the organization that I was involved inside the Central Philippine University. And although it was a struggle for me to juggle my time with my academic organization and my Girl Scouting career, I truly do believe that with my micro-efforts I had shared insights that sparked the love of community engagement to my organization.”
Ricardo Alcaraz, the late primate of the International Episcopal Charismatic Church, once said during his homily, “Do your best even in the worst situations.” From the moment Gabriella heard those words, they empowered her to give her all in every circumstance, regardless of how challenging it might be. This statement has continued to define her personality up to this point in life and affirm the values she holds. It has inspired her to always strive to do her best for the community and the people she works with that she cares for even during times when she struggles to find her worth.
She concluded the online interview with an inspiring message to the Centralian community: “Love God and bring His character wherever you go. The character of Jesus is to always help and love His people. If we are to go out and be a blessing to every community we serve, every person we help, every organization we share our skills [with], and every endeavor we face, have His character. Bring His love to every table you are seated [at] and in these micro-efforts of us will bear fruit and impact on the community. And to all the Girl Scouts, and even non-Girl Scouts who were inspired by this recognition, may this be a reminder that If I can, you can also. This is just a reminder for us that we serve a God of possibles, and our faith can move mountains!”
With her strong determination and commitment that lead her to receive the title as National Outstanding Girl Scout 2024, she stands as a testament to what can be accomplished with hard work and commitment – qualities that define a Centralian.