Jana Mlodzianowski became a Girl Scout because most of her friends were in a troop.

But 10 years later, Mlodzianowski will receive an award that Girl Scouts, including those friends, are given. Her years of commitment and effort have earned her the Gold Award - the highest achievement a Girl Scout can attain.

To win the award, Mlodzianowski completed a 65-hour community project with the Weedsport Public Library to log online the summer reading of elementary school students in the area last year.

She also obtained grants from Nucor Steel and the Kiwanis Club to help buy books on the students' summer reading lists.

The result of her efforts was two-fold: Weedsport children had more books to read and teachers could track their summer reading with more ease. In a large posterboard Mlodzianowski prepared for her Girl Scout leaders, one could track the number of books read by each grade at Weedsport Elementary School.

Former school principal Gregory Hunter received several letters from area parents expressing their appreciation for the program and their children's enjoyment of it.

“She's very easy to work with and a very intelligent young woman who's going to go far in this world,” Hunter said.

Even though the project has already earned Mlodzianowski the Gold Award, she continues to receive student reading data and compile it into graphs for Hunter. The project allows Mlodzianowski to experience the same gratification that has kept her with the Girl Scouts for 10 years.

“I like working to make a difference in my community,” she said.

The award also recognizes a Girl Scout for meeting requirements in career exploration. Mlodzianowski, who will be a senior at Weedsport High School this fall, has her eye on Vassar College to major in psychology. She currently hopes to pursue a career as a child psychologist or guidance counselor.

Mlodzianowski's mother, Anne, feels the Girl Scouts have given Jana the tools that will generate success for her as she continues her education.

“It helps girls develop confidence, and it exposes them to new situations,” she said. By touching people's lives professionally, Mlodzianowski will continue a personal tradition she started as a Girl Scout.

She cherishes the connections she made with underprivileged children in Mexico when she went to Cuernavaca for two weeks. As part of the Girl Scout Destinations program, Mlodzianowski was selected to join a dozen fellow Girl Scouts from across the United State for the journey.

“It was amazing and eye-opening,” Mlodzianowski said.

When Mlodzianowski wins the Gold Award later this week, she will open the door to the next eye-opening experience on her journey as a Girl Scout.