Upstate Girl Scout receives prestigious Medal of Honor

March 12, 2020

Girl Scouts of South Carolina – Mountains to Midlands will recognize Maggie Majors, Pendleton, during its annual Women of Distinction Awards dinner on Thursday, March 19, 2020 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center beginning at 6:00 p.m.

On Saturday, September 7, 2019, Maggie Majors, Girl Scout Troop 591, was attending a Pendleton High School cross-country meet.  Maggie and her friends were cheering on some of her teammates participating in the boys’ varsity race.  While standing on a remote part of the course, a competitor from Liberty High School suddenly dropped to his knees and then fell to the ground.  Maggie and her friends encouraged him to get up and keep going, but then noticed he stayed on the ground.  Maggie and her friends ran to him.  He did not respond to their voices. He was unconscious.  Maggie and others poured water on him to cool him off and flipped him on his back.  He woke up and the girls helped move him off the course and into the shade.  At that point Maggie made the decision to run for help.  She ran out of the remote area of the course and reached a coach, who helped contact the Liberty High School Cross Country Coach and trainer.  Maggie led them to the collapsed runner.  Maggie acknowledges that her Girl Scout First Aid Trainings helped her serve another person, when he needed her most, while staying calm.

The Girl Scout Medal of Honor is given to a girl who has shown presence of mind and true Girl Scout spirit in saving a life or attempting to save a life under circumstances that indicate heroism.

While the Women of Distinction event pays tribute to women who exemplify excellence in service, leadership, community visibility, and professionalism, it seems fitting that Maggie Majors is honored during this evening of recognition.

As a reminder, here are the Women of Distinction being honored March 19.

Dr. Roslyn Artis, President of Benedict College; Rep. Beth Bernstein, Democratic member of the South Carolina House of Representatives; Meghan Hickman, Executive Director of EngenuitySC and Partner and Chief Operating Officer of Sagacious Partners; Nikole Mergo, Member and Office Managing Partner of Nexsen Pruet; Dr. Aubrey Sejuit, Social Work Preceptor I for Limestone College; and A’ja Wilson, Team Captain for the WNBA Las Vegas Aces.

Dr. Roslyn Artis is the first-female President in the history of Benedict College.  She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where she earned a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Policy. She also holds a Juris doctorate from West Virginia University College of Law, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from sister HBCU, West Virginia State University.

A prolific speaker, critical thinker and fierce advocate for educational access, Dr. Artis has been recognized for her work locally and nationally and is frequently engaged as a mentor, lecturer, and catalyst for strategic transformation. Her passion for education, youth development, and service to the community is manifested through her work with numerous organizations including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Links, Inc. and Jack & Jill of America. She also serves as a MentorLinks

Rep. Beth Bernstein is a Democratic member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing House District 78, Richland County, Columbia, SC. Beth Bernstein is licensed to practice in South Carolina state courts, United States District Court for South Carolina, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. She practices law at Bernstein and Bernstein, Attorney at Law, the firm her father founded in 1943.

Beth has always been driven by a passion for hard work and has a lifelong volunteer in her community. Beth currently serves on the USC College Nursing Advisory Board and is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Columbia.

Beth is married to Rip Sanders and they are the proud parents of two daughters, Caroline, 15, and Isabel “Issy”, 11.

Meghan Hickman is the Executive Director of EngenuitySC and the Partner and Chief Operating Officer of Sagacious Partners. In partnership with Richland One, and under Meghan’s leadership, EngenuitySC developed Dress to Impress, EngenuitySC’s signature program, in 2014 for students at Lower Richland High School. Now operating across nine high schools, centers, and programs, in 2019 alone this effort reached 115 students directly, more than 1500 additional students through culminating assemblies/fashion shows, and engaged more than 110 community volunteers as shopping mentors.

Meghan also finds time to volunteer at places such as St. Lawrence Place (now Homeless No More), a Midlands based organization focused on solving homelessness; as a leader at her church (Downtown Church); participating in forums and conversations at USC and Richland Library; serving as an individual Alumni mentor for USC; and as a mentor for Teach for America South Carolina.

Nikole Mergo is a member and the Office Managing Partner of Nexsen Pruet. In this role, Nikole is responsible for overseeing day to day operations and leadership for the 65 attorneys and 115 staff members based in Columbia. She helps direct the firm’s outreach and involvement in the community, and represents some of the world’s largest manufacturers, health care providers, and financial institutions.

Nikole embodies the Girl Scout values of courage, confidence and character, and showcases those leadership skills within the firm and the community. She is constantly giving back to the community in which she lives and works. Nikole has an open door for young women starting out in their careers and demonstrates that you can be a strong woman, achieve your goals, and raise a family.

Dr. Aubrey Sejuit is the Social Work Preceptor I for Limestone College’s Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program for the Evening & Online Program in Columbia, SC. She serves as one of only two campus Counselors for the entire Limestone College community. Providing psychoeducation and life skills training, she currently serves as a Counselor for Palmetto Place Children & Youth Services—an emergency shelter.

As a member of the South Carolina Counseling Association (SCCA), she received the “Distinguished Professional Service Award” in 2019 for her commitment to the field of counseling. In addition to her professional accomplishments and long list of academic credentials and degrees, Aubrey is passionate about issues affecting the Midlands community, specifically veterans’ affairs and children and family services.

A’ja Wilson is a player and team Captain for the WNBA Las Vegas Aces. She was WNBA 2018 Rookie of the Year and a WNBA 2x All Star. A’ja played basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks in college and helped lead the team to its first NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship in 2017.  She won the NCAA Basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player Award.  A’ja serves as a volunteer in many youth based initiatives in South Carolina and Las Vegas, from feeding the homeless, toy drives for disadvantaged youth, school based programs for anti-bullying campaigns, just to name a few.

A’ja participated in the Girl Scouts as a Daisy, Brownie, Junior and Cadette.

For ticket and/or sponsorship information on this annual fundraising event, please contact Lara Winburn, Chief Development Officer at [email protected], call 1-800-849-GIRL (4475), or visit gssc-mm.org.