Latest / Hearts Of Gold - Reflections from Gold Award Girl Scouts / Ep 172 Hands-Only CPR: Akshara Arvind’s Gold Award Mission to Save Lives

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Ep 172 Hands-Only CPR: Akshara Arvind’s Gold Award Mission to Save Lives · Hearts Of Gold - Reflections from Gold Award Girl Scouts

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  Ep172 Akshara Arvind Audio
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  Thrille Media: The Hearts of Gold podcast is brought to you by the Grow and Share Network, produced by Thrille Media.
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  Sheryl Robinson: Welcome to Hearts of Gold. Today, we have Akshara with us. Hi, Akshara.
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  Akshara Arvind: Hi.
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  Sheryl Robinson: Can you tell us about your Girl Scout Gold Award project?
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  Akshara Arvind: A little bit about me before I talk about my project. I am a cadet at the Summerville Rescue Squad.
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  I've now just become an EMT, but at the time when I was starting to figure out what I wanted to do for my Gold Award, I was talking to the EMTs on my rescue squad. A lot of them expressed how bystanders don't really know how to do CPR. They don't really jump in when someone goes into cardiac arrest, and a lot of the times people do go into cardiac arrest in public.
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  It's not like they're in a hospital with trained professionals. So a lot of them, they just expressed, "Oh, if we had someone there who could just get it started, the outcome would be way better. These people are more likely to survive if a bystander just hops in." So that's what I based my Gold Award project on.
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  I then looked into, the root cause of what was going on, like why are people so hesitant to jump in, and a lot of people said that they were either, like, they didn't have time to go to the CPR classes, 'cause it is a long process. You have to go to multiple classes. You have to pay a lot of money that a lot of people just don't wanna do that.
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  You want to, but, things happen. You're busy with life. And a lot of other people said that, "Oh, I know how to do this, but it's just like what if I mess up? And I'm scared to, hop in, 'cause I don't wanna make the situation worse." And a lot of people also said that, they didn't wanna put their mouth on someone, 'cause I know CPR requires you do the mouth-to-mouth transmission.
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  So after I figure out the root cause, I did some research. The main root cause was that lack of confidence was preventing people from jumping in. So what I did was I researched into what are some alternatives to CPR, and then I learned about hands-only CPR. And I talked about this with some of the people on my rescue squad, and they said that, yeah, hands-only CPR is actually preferred to, traditional CPR because it doesn't require you to put your mouth on another person, so that fear of disease transmission is completely eliminated.
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  And it's really easy compared to traditional CPR. It's just the compressions. So you just have to remember, okay, just count one, two, three, four, that sort of thing. I found my sort of solution to the issue, so then what I did was I taught people hands-only CPR in my rescue squad building so people could come whenever they wanted, and I made it so that it was like an open session.
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  So people didn't really have to sign up. I just gave them this timeframe, "Hey, come to the building between 1:00 to 4:00. Just learn it. It'll take like at most 20 minutes. You'll be fine." So that happened, and in addition to that, to make it more accessible, I taught people over Zoom.
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  So I just took a mannequin. I had a presentation, and I just ran through everything. I ran through How to do it, when you shouldn't do it, 'cause there are certain times with like infants and overdoses you shouldn't really do it. And I also talked about the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest, 'cause they are two different things, and one of them does not require CPR.
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  After that, I made a website with all my materials, and I also posted my presentation on YouTube for people to access. That was my project. I know it was a lot.
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  Sheryl Robinson: What did you learn from your project?
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  Akshara Arvind: One thing I learned was definitely how to Teach people stuff. I'm a very awkward speaker, so it was just really strange to me how I had to go up to this person and be like, "Here, do this."
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  That was so not me before this. And I know at first, like the first time I did it with someone, I asked her like, "Hey, can you give me feedback on what I've done?" And she just said "You need to be less awkward and like it's okay." Leading a team, I hate to admit it, but before this I was such a follower.
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  I didn't really know how to tell people who are definitely more qualified than me to do things, 'cause I was just ordering like EMTs and nurses, and I feel like I really should not have been doing that. But over time, the awkwardness went away, and I'm really lucky that my team was very supportive, 'cause there were certain times when I'd be like, "Oh, is this okay?
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  Is this okay?" And they'd be like, "No, this is your project. You have to take control of this." So yeah.
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  Sheryl Robinson: What was your biggest challenge during your project, and how did you overcome it?
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  Akshara Arvind: I think my biggest challenge was advertising my classes. So originally what I thought was that, I could utilize my school's daily announcements and put flyers across school to just do more outreach and let more people know that this is happening rather than just my friends or people in my classes.
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  What happened was I asked the school administrator, and he said that because this isn't a school-sponsored activity, you can't really advertise in school. So I was very stressed, 'cause that's like a big portion of the people my project was directed towards, like teenagers and adults, and I can't out fundraise in my school.
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  So that was a bit frustrating, but what I did to overcome that was that I talked to some of my teachers, my science teachers, my math teacher, my English teachers, and I told them, "Hey, can you just post this flyer in all your Google Classrooms so even people who weren't in my class could see that this was happening and come to it?"
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  Sheryl Robinson: Do you have a special memory from your project?
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  Akshara Arvind: You know like how there can be like a member of your troop who's like a leader in your project? I don't remember what it's called, she came and it was very like, it was just so heartwarming, 'cause she's been with me since I was in first grade.
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  She's always been my troop leader. And then I was one of the only girls in my troop who did my Gold Award, so then she was just saying that, "Oh, it's so nice to see how you've grown in Girl Scouts," 'cause I was just a Daisy and now I'm here doing this. So yeah.
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  Sheryl Robinson: Who else was on your team? And how did they help you?
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  You talked about EMTs. Like in a broader perspective, how did they actually help you and who was it?
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  Akshara Arvind: Another one of my, I think it's called an advisor, right? He's a trauma nurse, and he's also like one of the higher-ups on my rescue squad. He really helped. He was very supportive, 'cause I didn't wanna impose by asking the rescue squad, "Hey, can you do this project, with me?"
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  'Cause I used a great amount of resources. I used their mannequins, I used their printing, all that stuff. So I thought it would be a big burden to take on when I was first thinking about what I wanted to do. I talked to him, and he was very open to the idea. He was also just giving me extra feedback.
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  He was like, "You can add this, you can add this." And I was like, "Oh, is this all okay?" And they were like, "Yeah, it's fine. It's totally fine. This is a good cause." And then also, one big part of my project was filming the video on how to do hands-only CPR, and the first time I filmed the video he wasn't there.
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  It was just, my other team members, but he wasn't there. So we filmed the video, and I thought it was fine, and then I sent it to him and he sent me all this feedback. He was like, "You can't do this, can't do this, can't do this." And I was just very stressed 'cause I was like, "Oh, my God, I put so much time into editing this.
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  I didn't know that all these things were wrong." And it wasn't like they were wrong, it's just, there was a better way to go about things. So then I talked to him and he said, "It's okay. We'll just re-film it, and I'll be there this time." And we went through and he was like, "I didn't mean to scare you away with that."
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  I was like, "No, this is good." And then I filmed the video and I could see way better quality, and it got the message across way more. And after that he said, "Yeah, this is perfect." And I think that was really important, having someone so experienced in the field, not just in being an EMT, but also as a nurse.
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  And I remember he actually told me a few months ago that, "I was teaching a class on CPR and I showed them your video." That was nice to see that my project was making more of an impact. And I think also just the other EMTs being there, they were there during my classes, and they always added on things to what I was saying, and it was nice to have more people helping me and being there to support me.
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  I was so not confident doing that. And then also I had some of the other cadets come to my classes. They also helped out with teaching.
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  Sheryl Robinson: What did you learn about the Gold Award project itself that you didn't know and might be helpful for other Gold Award candidates?
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  Akshara Arvind: It's definitely not as easy as the Silver and Bronze Award.
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  A lot of it is you, 'cause I remember with my Gold, with my Bronze and Silver Award, a lot of the adults were telling us, "Hey, do this. Hey, do that." But with the Gold Award, it's just you. No parents can be involved. That was definitely something different for me. I had to go about researching my issue.
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  I remember I had to reach out to my committee and be like, "Hey, is this idea good? Is this idea good?" And I remember a lot of times they would come back to me with a million questions that I hadn't even thought of, and I'd be so intimidated. But I would say don't be intimidated by that. Just keep trying.
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  Keep reaching out to different organizations, and once you find an organization that's, really supportive, they won't take it as a burden. They'd be willing to help you, that sort of thing. Just finding the right people and the right team to help you is a big thing. And also just don't get discouraged by what's going on, because a lot of the times, even when I submitted my proposal at first, the committee sent it back to me and they were like, "You need to change this."
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  And at times it was disheartening, 'cause I've never gotten feedback like that before. But definitely don't be discouraged by that, and that's a big thing about the Gold Award in general, and I feel like I take that as a lesson as I go on to, job interviews and applying to other things, Your first attempt most likely won't be your best.
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  That's a big thing I learned, and I hope other girls just remember when they're going through this process, and that they don't get discouraged by maybe a first rejection or a first return.
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  Sheryl Robinson: What were your Bronze and Silver projects?
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  Akshara Arvind: My Bronze Award, that was during COVID. My whole troop earned, so what we did was we made these felt puppets for the library, 'cause they had, a story time program every week, and they didn't have puppets, so it was hard for the kids to understand what was going on.
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  They just, the person would just read the book and maybe show them the pictures. But with a lot of kids, I don't think that's really effective, especially the younger ones. So these puppets helped, because they helped more kids see what was going on and be more engaged in the story or whatever the person was reading.
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  And my Silver Award project was, what we did was, this was when I was in eighth grade. We made tips for incoming middle schoolers. We made this brochure, and it was like things you should know before middle school. 'Cause it is a very difficult, the whole transition, and especially with COVID having happened a few years ago, everyone was just in a weird timeframe.
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  So that's what we did, yeah.
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  Sheryl Robinson: What other Girl Scout experiences have you had?
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  Akshara Arvind: So in addition to my awards, this is more recent. In February, I did the Sparks talk A program. So what they did was they had this annual day for Girl Scouts in my state, and then a bunch of girls were invited to talk. You had to apply, but you could talk about whatever you wanted, like, an issue, what your award was, and that sort of thing. Just anything as long as you had something to say. And I talked about my Gold Award project, and it was a very scary experience because this was the first time I was talking without a script.
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  It was a big public speaking thing. I was in a lecture hall, and I remember talking to the lady who was running it, and she said, "Oh, you're old enough. You don't need a script there. You can just go off memory." I was petrified. I was just like, "Oh, God." It taught me a lot about public speaking and just being able to communicate through my expressions and pausing at the right moment to get the point across, adjusting my speaking volume, that sort of thing.
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  So that was a big developmental opportunity for me. In addition, I'm, like, the service unit delegate for one of the service units, so I've just been exposed to Girl Scouts so much this year, more than I have the last 10 years. I've just been going to more events. And I didn't know that they had this whole voting day where they voted on issues.
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  So I had the opportunity to call for a motion, like telling them, "Hey, let's move on to the next thing." It wasn't a controversial motion, though, which was good. But it was just interesting to see how all the inner workings go on, voting for different issues, seeing how that goes on to the national level as more people vote on it.
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  Sheryl Robinson: Will you be going to convention in July?
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  Akshara Arvind: No, I'm not. But I'm excited to see what happens and what they decide for all the issues.
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  Sheryl Robinson: You've also done some traveling with Girl Scouts. Can you tell us about that?
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  Akshara Arvind: I went to Costa Rica with the Girl Scouts, and that was with my mom, so I had someone there.
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  I made a lot of new friends. That was my first traveling experience without my parents, and it was definitely different because we were in the middle of the rainforest, which was definitely not something I was used to, even though I've done camp and stuff with the cabins.
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  That's totally different from what we were doing. And we were there during rainy season, so it was raining. It was humid. I didn't really bring the proper clothes for all the hiking we were doing. But it was just nice to see a different part of the world because, here in New Jersey, I'm used to suburban life, not a lot of nature.
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  I've gone on trails and stuff, but I've never really hiked. And it was just nice to see all the different landmarks and all the natural features, 'cause they're very nature oriented in Costa Rica. They're more about Being calm, that sort of thing. They say pura vida, which is like full of life, and that's their motto.
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  They're not very work-driven like we are here in the United States. But you can see that there's a good balance between work and play, and just being less stressed. And that was a definitely a great experience. But I think the biggest, like most developmental experience for me was going to Iceland last year.
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  That one was not with my mom. I was by myself. I didn't know anyone, and I was very nervous, 'cause I didn't know anyone there. I was in a completely different country. I just felt like this impending doom. I just felt it setting in my stomach. But it was the complete opposite. I made so many friends.
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  I still keep in touch with them, and I sometimes see them at Girl Scout events now. And it was also like the same thing, just seeing a different part of the world. Going to the Blue Lagoon, which was definitely nice, but we also went to a lot of waterfalls, a lot of hiking. And I actually climbed a glacier, which was definitely a new experience.
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  So I do recommend that Girl Scouts who have the opportunity to do it, even if they're scared, just do it. Because you meet so many new people, and even the chaperones, like I connected with. It's like you become this big family over the next week, and it's just an amazing experience just to see the world.
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  Sheryl Robinson: How did you overcome that fear that you had to go to Iceland in order to still have the strength and the confidence to engage in that trip?
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  Akshara Arvind: The fear thing, I think it was more driven by the fact that like I'm going somewhere completely unknown. It's Europe. It's a completely different continent.
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  At least with Costa Rica I had my mom there, so it was like, okay, I'm not like far from home. I have someone I know here. But Iceland, everything was just completely unknown. I didn't know anyone, and I was scared like I wouldn't enjoy the trip. So I think a big thing was that I was thrown into talking with these girls and just being like, "Hey, I'm Akshara. I'm from here."
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  And it was awkward at first, but then we all really locked in as friends. We were very close throughout the trip, and that was definitely one thing that kind of made me less homesick. It was just having people who I could have fun with. In addition, it was just, like, all the scenery there just took my breath away the whole time.
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  It was very beautiful. I was forced to be more present, 'cause I didn't wanna be on my phone. Just looking out my bus window I could see something beautiful. So that sort of thing, just being more present and just being in awe of everything that was around me, it took away the time for me to be sad about not being at home or missing my family.
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  So that sort of thing. And also just trying new things. Like climbing the glacier, that was so new to me. I didn't even wanna do it. I was just scared of being left out, so I went on that glacier and, I climbed that five-hour, hike or whatever. And just trying new things and being proud of yourself, that kind of takes over, and those feelings of being sad or impending doom are just out the window at that point.
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  So I would just say just be present and don't be afraid to try new things. Even though it's really uncomfortable at first and you're gonna feel very scared, it's so worth it.
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  Sheryl Robinson: How did you fundraise for those trips?
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  Akshara Arvind: I was lucky in my parents paid for it. I didn't have to fundraise. And especially 'cause none of the other people in my troop were going, 'cause my troop is disbanded at this point.
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  As people go to high school, things happen, that sort of thing. So it was mainly my parents, they wanted me to just explore, have more things, learn more things about the world and not be so close to home and just travel the world getting experiences they never did.
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  Sheryl Robinson: Yeah, I know a lot of Girl Scouts, maybe some of the ones that you went on the trips with, had these experiences.
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  Some councils have funds that they can use to support the trips, and often troops will fundraise together, especially using cookie proceeds, to support those trips. So if there is a Girl Scout that is interested in doing a destination trip like that, doesn't feel like they have the funds, there are lots of opportunities for Girl Scouts to get that money.
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  A lot of times communities will support the Girl Scouts for those experiences too. Any other Girl Scout experiences that you've thought of that we haven't chatted about?
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  Akshara Arvind: I would say the cliche cookie sales. Those were fun. And I remember we would sell them once a year. We would sell them at the mall, and we had a lot of people coming and just talking to us.
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  And I remember a bunch of times my teachers would come too. and buy from us, so that was nice. Getting more involved in Girl Scouts that's always a pleasant memory. I think one year ago, one of the ladies who chaperoned my trip emailed me, and she was like, "Hey, do you wanna make this trifold?"
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  I think they had a science day at the leadership center. They had this new center in Newark. Make a trifold talking about what we did on our trip, 'cause it was also somewhat of a service project And what we did was we planted mangrove trees on the shore to prevent erosion, which was a big issue on one of the islands in Costa Rica.
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  So just present about what we did and that sort of thing. I did that. That was a fun experience because I just got to meet other Girl Scouts, and a lot of people were interested. And I remember talking to a lot of parents, and they were like, "Yeah, in a few years I wanna send my girls on these trips." So yeah, that was nice.
• 2:54
  Sheryl Robinson: What are you looking towards in your future?
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  Akshara Arvind: I'm a rising senior, so now I have to start applying to college, the dreadful process. So I wanna major in neuroscience, and I wanna go to medical school and then become a doctor, so I know I have a lot of years of schooling left. I'm excited to see where I go over these next few years.
• 2:58
  It's definitely gonna be a lot of work, but I'm excited, and I'm really passionate about this field.
• 3:00
  Sheryl Robinson: Have you thought about how you're gonna use your experiences, either your Gold Award or your travel trips or other Girl Scout experiences, for your scholarship applications and your college applications?
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  Akshara Arvind: I know a lot of people I've talked to have said, "Definitely put the Gold Award on that resume," because it does show a lot. I definitely wanna apply for the Gold Award scholarship. I know each committee offers that. Also, local scholarships. I think it will make a difference, but I hope that does.
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  And also just with applying to college, I think that's a big part of my story, so I definitely wanna include that in my essays and my applications. And also just the skills I've learned, not just putting it on a resume, but now going about interviews, applying to programs over the summer, like research programs and all that stuff.
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  I'm used to the whole interview process, 'cause I've done it two times. It was very stressful, but now I'm a bit more at ease. Like, when I'm applying to a job, "Oh, can you come to my center? Let's have a talk." I'm not as nervous as I was before, because I feel like that experience just showed me here's what you have to say.
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  Here's how you get your point across, that sort of thing. And also, I think just being a leader and making a change, that sort of thing, I think will be very important as I progress through schooling and do research and stuff. And just trying to not be scared of going for things I'm passionate about, even if I think, oh, I'm being a burden.
• 3:10
  I think the Gold Award really helps with that. It just changes your mindset on certain things, and I think that's very important, and I really encourage everyone to do it, even though it's a very long process, and it is sometimes stressful. It's so useful.
• 3:12
  Sheryl Robinson: What else would you like to share with the audience?
• 3:14
  Akshara Arvind: Again, just do your Gold Award. I so recommend it. It's genuinely a life-changing experience, Even in general through Girl Scouts, I think just make the most of it because now that I'm graduating, I'm talking to my mom and she's like, "Oh, do you wanna renew it?" And I want to carry on with this as I go into college and stuff, 'cause it's just nice to have a community who supports you all the time.
• 3:16
  There's always someone who's willing to help you in Girl Scouts, and that really goes a long way, especially with college and that sort of thing. I remember I was talking to one of the service unit delegates, the lady who kind of leads us. She said, "Anything you need, I'm here to talk about for college and that sort of thing.
• 3:18
  If you need letters, anything, I'm here and I will help you." So it's just nice to have people supporting you. Even if you aren't really close to them or you've just met, in the last few days, that's so important because I'm the first one in my family to go to college in America.
• 3:20
  My parents are more used to the system in India. You never know how anyone can support you from Girl Scouts, but just know that, they're there, and you should really take advantage of that.
• 3:22
  Sheryl Robinson: And take advantage of that lifetime membership because it's really discounted when you're graduating, it's worth it. How do you make your s'mores?
• 3:24
  Akshara Arvind: I heard this is kinda controversial, but what I do is I completely burn the marshmallow. I was talking to this one guy and he said that, it was at a camp, and he said that, "Oh, yeah, like I like to get that golden brown marshmallow." No, I like mine completely charred, and then I put the chocolate and then the graham crackers.
• 3:26
  But I think the charred marshmallows are the best ones. I don't think you need to aim for that perfect golden brown.
• 3:28
  Sheryl Robinson: Everybody has their own process.
• 3:30
  Akshara Arvind: Yeah.
• 3:32
  Sheryl Robinson: Thanks for joining us today.
• 3:34
  Akshara Arvind: Thank you for having me.
• 3:36
  Sheryl Robinson: Make sure to click follow or subscribe so you always know when new episodes are released.
• 3:38
  Power your passion and conquer your challenges.
• 3:40
  Thrille Media: Thank you for listening. If you'd like to be on the show to share your story with how you earned your Gold Award, reach out and send an email to growandshare@outlook.com. Be sure to catch up on our previous shows on any of your favorite podcasting platforms, as well as view the full video versions @youtube.com/SherylMRobinson.
• 3:42
  Thanks again for listening, and we'll see you next time.