The Emerald Circle
The Emerald Circle's mission is to provide scholarship and support, inspiring girls to aim for excellence while becoming the leaders of tomorrow.

About the Scholarships

Emerald Circle Scholarship: Funding comes from Emerald Circle fees, the Emerald Circle Gold Award Scholarship Endowment earnings, and individuals and corporations who contribute to the scholarship fund. (Amount of scholarship: typically, $1,000 or $1,500, at the discretion of the selection committee.)

Goodykoontz Scholar Award: Dorothy Goodykoontz was a lifetime Girl Scout, historian, and philanthropist. Dorothy helped to found The Emerald Circle in 1992 and was its first president. The Emerald Circle Executive Committee established the Goodykoontz Scholar Award to represent Dorothy’s legacy to Girl Scouts and to The Emerald Circle. (No monetary award; recipients have a special embossed golden seal on their certificates.)

Ervan Chew Memorial Scholarship: Ervan Chew was a volunteer with GSSJC for three years, until his death in 1999. He served on the board of directors and in numerous volunteer roles. The GSSJC Board of Directors established this scholarship funded by the board and administered by The Emerald Circle.(Amount of scholarship: $1,000.)

Mary E. Robinson Memorial Scholarship: Mary Robinson was severely dyslexic and became an advocate for children with learning disabilities. Mary’s family chose to honor her memory by awarding this scholarship each year to someone who either self-identifies as a special needs student or who plans to pursue education towards helping others with special needs. The Gold Award Scholarship committee may exercise their discretion in awarding this scholarship. (Amount of scholarship: $2,000.)

Williams Family Scholarship: This scholarship was established in 2002 by a GSSJC family of volunteers with three daughters who earned The Gold Award, two of whom also received Emerald Circle scholarships. The family decided to give back to Girl Scouts and to support Gold Award recipients in continuing their education. (Amount of scholarship: $2,000.)

Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation Scholarship: The Alkeks were lifelong philanthropists whose generosity of spirit set the tone for charitable giving in Houston and across the state. The majority of the Foundation’s grants reflect the Alkek family’s strong community involvement and deep regard for education. (Amount of scholarship: $2,500.)

Judy Kunkel Memorial Scholarship: Judy Kunkel was a longtime dedicated Girl Scout volunteer and leader whose two daughters earned the Gold Award. Her family and friends honored her memory with this scholarship. (Amount of scholarship: $3,000.)

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Ervan Chew was a volunteer with Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council for three short years, until his death on January 19, 1999, yet his contributions and impact on girls and adults would make it seem that he had been with us forever. In Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, Ervan served on the board of directors, Pluralism Committee, Fund Development Committee, Council Nominating Committee, Urban Campout Committee and many more committees and task groups. 

Beyond this Council, Ervan was a volunteer with numerous non-profit organizations, including United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast, Leadership Houston, the American Leadership Forum, Boy Scouts of America, and many more. No job was ever too big or too small for him. He embraced each task with the same enthusiasm and determination.

When Ervan became the Council Program Specialist in 1997, his goal was to see that girls got the best program possible. He very often took no credit for what he did, and allowed the accomplishment of others to be his reward. Whether he was washing dishes at Camp Arnold or making a presentation to the board of directors, the bottom line was that girls would positively benefit from his efforts. As permanently recorded in the congressional record of the 106th session of the United States House of Representatives,

Along with compassion and benevolence, Ervan Chew exuded a quiet patience and determination, that all by itself could drive any worthwhile project to completion.” Ervan was willing to give of himself for causes he believed in, and he was sought after by many people in the community as one willing to make the community a better place for everyone.

In his memory, the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council Board of Directors established The Ervan Chew Memorial Scholarship, a merit-based scholarship funded by the board and administered by The Emerald Circle. The Council’s Pluralism Committee established the Ervan Chew Pluralism Award in order to recognize individuals whose service to young people, to pluralism, and to the community closely mirrors that of Ervan Chew.

Also in his memory, the City of Houston established Ervan Chew Park. Located at 4502 Dunlavy, Ervan Chew Park was the first neighborhood park in Houston to allow dogs to legally run free, off-leash in a designated dog zone. The dog zone is located adjacent to the picnic area and swimming pool. It is a fenced-in space, approximately 9,000 square feet in size and is designed to allow dogs to exercise freely. The Ervan Chew Park dog zone was the first step in providing an area for off-leash dogs. The Friends of Ervan Chew Park, a neighborhood organization, provided funding for the dog zone. Ervan Chew Park was dedicated in May of 2004.

Mary Robinson was an advocate for children with learning disabilities. Through her efforts, the laws of the state of California were changed to ensure an equal opportunity to instructional methodologies for all students regardless of ability to pay. 

Mary was severely dyslexic - she did not graduate from high school and was not able to read or write beyond a basic level. When her son was also diagnosed with dyslexia, she knew she had to fight for change. New teaching methods were being developed that were successful for kids with dyslexia, but they were not reaching the public schools. 

Mary knew that an education meant that a child had a real chance for a better life. While she knew that college would only be a dream for her, she never doubted that college would be an option for her son. She knew that kids come in all different packages, that a learning disability should not define them as individuals, and that education was the key. 

It is her family's hope that recipients of this scholarship will carry the light of Mary's torch in their heart. Mary lost her life in 2010 and Mary's family has chosen to honor her by awarding this scholarship each year.

Judy Marie Kunkel, a beloved wife, sister, mother, teacher, Girl Scout leader, and friend, passed away onJanuary 14, 2010 after a courageous battle with breast cancer.

Judy was born on December 18, 1951 in Houston. She graduated from Mount Carmel High School and attended the University of Texas where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with Honors. After moving to Houston with husband, David Kunkel, Judy started teaching at Meadow Wood Elementary, and continued for 33 years. Judy earned her Master’s Degree in Education and was the School Bell Award Nominee in 2004. During her career, she also earned the Teacher of the Year Award and a Lifetime Member Award from the Meadow Wood PTA. Judy was an active member of the Delta Kappa Gamma teaching sorority from 2005 to 2009.

Following retirement from teaching, Judy became an accomplished quilter and completed a variety of projects for family and charity. While raising two daughters, Anna and Katie, Judy became active with Girl Scouts. Wanting to share her own scouting experience, she was the troop leader for both of her daughters, assisting them in earning their Gold Awards. Judy became increasingly active at the Service Unit and Council levels in GSSJC. Among numerous activities, she organized service unit weekends and cookie sales, assisted with the Destinations program, and was the adult volunteer for the Senior Senate. During her 30 years with Girl Scouts, Judy was a member of the Emerald Circle, received many awards and recognitions, including Outstanding District Volunteer and the Thanks Badge, and encouraged hundreds of young women to be their best.

The Kunkel family endowed the Judy Kunkel Memorial Scholarship and encouraged friends to donate to the scholarship fund to support young women associated with San Jacinto Council who earn the Gold Award.

                Copied in part from obituary published in The Houston Chronicle, Jan. 17-21, 2010 and posted on Legacy.com.



Contact: Katie Gordon

                Assistant Development Director

                kgordon@sjgs.org

                Direct: 713-292-0315 or Main: 713-292-0300