On Friday, February 24, 2023, NASH, NAI, and all three middle schools combined from 3:00 to 11:00 pm to form one influential and transformative event, GOLD. The Girls Only Leadership Development teaches the 8th grade girls of North Allegheny all about leadership skills beneficial for high school. 

After taking the Leadership 1 and 2 courses during freshman and/or sophomore year, upperclassmen are able to become facilitators of GOLD. The club is sponsored by Mrs. Gwaltney and Mrs. Miele as they run the organization and the event. NASH senior Maddy Kasunich is the lead student facilitator this year. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors attend weekly meetings to prepare for the big day. It is clear that many of the high schoolers are passionate about this club.

The facilitators design shirts for the color that their group chose, which everyone wears on the day of. Various classrooms of NAI are decorated for each group to excite the girls for the exciting events of the night. The shirts build anticipation for the excitement for the event.

While each group is on a different schedule, every group partakes in the same events. There were two speakers to speak to the GOLD groups this year, Michelle and Nicole Dalichau. Michelle shared her story of losing her daughter due to addiction. This story is meant to advise the 8th grade girls to make smart choices in high school and to always make sure to check on their friends.

Nicole iswasthe keynote speaker who met Miele during their time spent at the University of Dayton. Dalichau is a former NA student, GOLD participant, and recent inductee into the North Allegheny Athletic Hall of Fame for soccer. She inspired the girls through her story of perseverance, being a team player, and creating your own success. 

There is also a craft every year that the high schoolers vote on prior to the event. The winning craft this year was mason jars. The 8th grade girls decorated the jars and wrote encouraging words and positive notes in the others’ jars to commemorate the night. The jars brought the girls out of the world of social media and toxicity to appreciate what is right in front of them.  The girls also became closer during the scavenger hunt, which taught them teamwork and creative thinking. The girls were given clues that led them to the counseling office, nurses office, cafeteria, and more.

Just Dance and a dance party are usually two of the most popular parts of the night, and this year was no different. The Just Dance part was done in separate groups, but the dance party involved everyone in the event.

GOLD 2023 was another success, with a record-breaking number of 8th graders in attendance. The night truly proved how important this club is to North Allegheny. Teaching girls about high school, encouraging them to form friendships, promoting female leadership, and more all come together to make a club that will always be known as one of the best that NA has to offer.

As a senior, I am saddened that this was my last GOLD event. However, I cannot wait to hear how the legacy of the club carries on.