Cate Hutson is a 17-year-old senior at Towson High School. She runs track and cross country and also participates in the school’s Model Congress. She’s taking the virtual start to her senior year in stride and is focused on college application essays to mid-Atlantic schools with programs in biology and public health.
Marian House has been lucky to have worked with Cate over the past two years on a final service project as she finishes 11 years in the Girl Scouts. As an active member of her troop, Cate is following in the footsteps of her mother, a former Girl Scout, and her brother, who was once active in Cub Scouts.
After winning the Girl Scout Silver Award for a project focused on animal welfare, and before transitioning to what is sure to be a bright future, Cate decided to strive for the prestigious Gold Award, a feat achieved by only 5% of eligible senior and ambassador scouts, by devoting her time and talents to a capstone project which would build on the skills she’s acquired through her years in the Girl Scouts.
Cate heard about Marian House through her mother and a partner organization as she was exploring opportunities to work with people. After two years of thorough planning, Cate brought 23 volunteers out over 4 days in late July to clean and beautify the small, private playground behind the Notre Dame Residence at our Independence Place Campus in Pen Lucy, and spruced up some adjacent plant beds at the Independence Place campus. She acquired the tools and materials, as well as the people power, to remove trash and weeds, clean playground equipment, trim back vines and trees, replace gravel and rotted landscape timbers, install a drainage system and spread new mulch.
She coordinated with and procured resources from Hollins Market and Home Depot, gleaned input from experts at Mahan Rykiel Associates and those within her personal network, but it was the implementation phase of the project where she felt that she thrived and had the most fun. Despite having to wrap up the project in the midst of a pandemic, she was still able to mobilize friends, family, classmates and members of her faith community at Central Presbyterian Church to make her vision and the needs of our Marian House families come to fruition.
With a focus on sustainability, Cate has also provided Marian House with the details needed to maintain the refurbished space for our children and families to use long into the future. During a summer in which Marian House families have been more homebound than ever, this has been an extra special gift to us! We share our appreciation for Cate’s time and hard work. Congratulations on earning the Girl Scout Gold Award!
Cate Hutson is a 17-year-old senior at Towson High School. She runs track and cross country and also participates in the school’s Model Congress. She’s taking the virtual start to her senior year in stride and is focused on college application essays to mid-Atlantic schools with programs in biology and public health.
Cate heard about Marian House through her mother and a partner organization as she was exploring opportunities to work with people. After two years of thorough planning, Cate brought 23 volunteers out over 4 days in late July to clean and beautify the small, private playground behind the Notre Dame Residence at our Independence Place Campus in Pen Lucy, and spruced up some adjacent plant beds at the Independence Place campus. She acquired the tools and materials, as well as the people power, to remove trash and weeds, clean playground equipment, trim back vines and trees, replace gravel and rotted landscape timbers, install a drainage system and spread new mulch.