Her love of music has helped Noblesville High School junior Katelyn Wolf earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a girl can earn in Girl Scouting. Wolf’s project addressed the issues of a lack of visitors to nursing homes and teens’ negative attitudes toward nursing homes and the elderly.
“It was very exciting to see the project that I came up with playing out before me. It felt great to see the difference that I have made, especially getting all the thanks from the nursing home residents,” she said.
“It is a very fulfilling project and I feel it has made me much more confident and a better leader. It was a lot of work that I truly have enjoyed doing.”
Last year, Wolf started an orchestra club at her high school that meets for practice once a week after school and performs once a month for their local nursing home’s dementia patients.
“Throughout the process the residents all seemed to light up when we were there. Some patients seemed much more animated while we were playing than they ever are and calling for more music or for us to come back,” she said.
The students became more willing to interact with the residents and seemed more comfortable with the topic. According to Wolf this project was fun for all those involved, and has continued on by the club sponsor and director, David Hartman.
“The members, especially Mr. Hartman, were ecstatic to continue this year and I have no fear it won’t continue past me. We have seen continued proof of our impact on the residents. They continue to want us to come back and are very enthusiastic about us playing. In our last visit they even applauded when we came in, which has never happened before,” Wolf said.
Wolf began Girl Scouts in kindergarten and is in her 11th year. Her parents are Anna and David Wolf and Paula Mayfield and David Hartman are her advisors. Wolf wants to study speech and language pathology in college.
“I am not for sure where I will attend college, but I will defiantly stay in state,” she said.