Cover of ‘Being Human: A Down Syndrome Story’, written & illustrated by Emily McLaughlin. Courtesy photo
COMMUNITY News:
Emily McLaughlin, an incoming senior at Los Alamos High School, has just completed her Girl Scout Gold Award Project, which includes the writing, illustrating and publishing of her children’s book “Being Human: A Down Syndrome Story”.
The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve with only 5.4 percent of eligible Girl Scouts fully achieving their award. To be eligible for the Gold Award, scouts must be of the senior or ambassador level (11th-12th grade) and complete either two senior or ambassador journeys or one journey and have completed their Girl Scout Silver Award.
The Gold Award consists of a minimum of 80 hours of volunteer work related to a project that helps address an issue in which the Girl Scout is passionate about wanting to make a change in.
In McLaughlin’s case, she says that her inspiration for her book being about Down Syndrome was her “cousin Matthew (a child with Down Syndrome) and his friendship with his preschool friend, Maddie.” Her main goal for the project was to “introduce a concept of Down Syndrome to children in a way that avoids common misconceptions surrounding the condition.”
McLaughlin now seeks for her book to become more well known within and beyond the Los Alamos community. “Being Human: A Down Syndrome Story” is now available on Amazon in both Kindle eBook and paperback options.
Emily McLaughlin, center, and her inspirations for the book ‘Being Human: A Down Syndrome Story’ cousin Matthew and his friend Maddie. Courtesy/Emily McLaughlin