Girl Scout has a story to tell

Camarillo teen records audiobooks for disabled students in Thailand



 

 

Each summer during her annual visit to Bangkok, Angela Shiflett, 16, of Camarillo was struck by the plight of homeless, disabled people who would line the streets begging for money because they didn’t have the skills to support themselves.

When it came time for the Girl Scout to select a project to fulfill the requirements for a Gold Award, Shiflett knew immediately that she wanted to help the poor who live in the distant city that her mother, Tammy Shiflett, is from.

“My family goes to Thailand every summer to visit my mother’s family. I would always see the homeless in the streets, and most of them were disabled. I thought I’d help build an audio library so those young people who have disabilities and are going through school can get jobs when they get older,” said Angela, who is entering her senior year at Adolfo Camarillo High School.

The Shiflett family includes father, Robert Shiflett, and sister, Jessica Shiflett, 15, a sophomore this fall at Camarillo High.

Tammy Shiflett said it’s been very important to her to raise her daughters with a full immersion into her native Thai culture. In addition to the annual trek to Thailand, the girls travel to Los Angeles each weekend to the Wat Thai Temple, where they learn traditional dances and other customs.

“My family has a house in Bangkok. All of my family lives in Thailand. So every summer I bring my girls back to learn the language and the culture,” Shiflett said.

To prepare for her project of recording various books in English, which young people in Thailand will need to know for future employment, Angela visited one of the schools run by the Christian Foundation for the Blind in Thailand. She spent time in the information technology center, where she learned about the process of recording CDs, which students are able to listen to in a special audio library. The CDs will also be transcribed into braille so students can read them with their fingertips.

Angela was able to earn enough money for the CDs through fundraising. She recorded a variety of books, including children’s books, using an app on her cellphone or equipment at the Camarillo Public Library. She then delivered 94 audiobooks to the Christian Foundation for the Blind. She was able to donate another 50 audiobooks to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees-Thailand.

Angela earned her Gold Award in March and was named one of three nominees from the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast for the National Young Women of Distinction award.

According to Kathryn Jordahl, director of marketing for the Central Coast Girl Scout council, Angela is in the running to be one of 10 young women nationwide to receive $15,000 in scholarship money, public speaking training and other recognitions. Angela will learn in early July whether she received the national award.

Karen Fraser, Angela’s troop leader, said the Gold Award program brings out the best in the young women she has helped guide through the years.

“The Gold Award project is a culmination of their Girl Scout careers,” Fraser said. “I’ve known Angela for many, many years. When I first met her, she was just a little child, shy and reserved. Over the years, she’s grown in leadership, and she is a wonderful contribution to the community.”

The Gold Award is given for a project that accomplishes a number of goals, Fraser said.

“They must reach out to the community. The parents and scout leaders really can’t help. . . . Not only must their project be of service to the community, but it should have a long-lasting effect. The gold stars are such an inspiration to the younger girls. The Brownies through the Junior level see they can realize their potential,” Fraser said.

Angela said she has loved her Girl Scout experience, which she started relatively late.

“I started Girl Scouts in sixth grade. I did one year in kindergarten, and after I stopped for some reason. But my little sister started in fourth grade, and I decided I wanted to join too. I actually love outdoor activities. We had a weeklong trip to Yosemite and camped throughout the weekend and did outdoor things. It was really, really fun,” Angela said.