In order to be awarded this great honor, Anna had to complete nine substantial service-oriented projects covering a variety of topics within specific categories. These categories highlight the foundational values of Plast and all projects are prepared, written, and conducted in the Ukrainian language. If Treta Proba, the equivalent to the Boy Scout Eagle Scout or Girl Scout Gold Award, is attained, one receives the prestigious rank of “plastun skob” (пластун скоб) for males or “plastunka virlytsia” (пластунка вирлиця) for females.

Anna has been a member of Plast since she was four years old, which totals almost fourteen years of her life. Treta Proba projects must be completed between the ages of 15-18 years old; it took Anna about eight months to execute all nine of her projects:

1. Anna led Hahilky (traditional Ukrainian Easter Dances) after the first basket blessing at St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church on Holy Saturday 2019. She taught the children the dances and songs prior throughout four rehearsals.
2. She organized and ran a Masquerade celebration with six Halloween-themed stations following an original story and a Trunk or Treat at the end.
3. Anna organized and ran an Iconography Workshop. She taught children about icons and helped them make one of their own.
4. She has been volunteering as a troop leader at her Whippany Junior Service Unit for the past five years. In July 2019, she also volunteered as a sleep away camp counselor for six and seven year olds at Plast Camp Vovcha Tropa in East Chatham, New York.
5. Anna interviewed Mr. George Huk, the head of Plast for all of America. With the help of Mrs. Lorraine Mongelli and Ms. Jessi Shaheen at IHA, she recorded her interview in IHA’s own heartTV Studio.
6. In August 2019, Anna and four of her fellow Whippany Service Unit troop members attended Krayovyi Vyshkilnyi (KVT), a one-week specialized camp for experienced Plast scouts working to complete Treta Proba. It gave them an opportunity to complete at least two of their projects. Anna created a chronicle documenting their experiences, hoping to inspire others to embark on their own Treta Proba journey.
7. During her time at KVT, she held a memorial and planted a tree to commemorate all those who have contributed to the upkeep of the beautiful Plast Camp Vovcha Tropa.
8. Anna ran the singing portion of the 2019 Novatske Svyato Vesny. After teaching the children seven classic Plast songs, she helped them make cards for boys and girls in Ukraine, which she mailed out later in the week.
9. Anna attended Novatskiy Vyshkil in June 2019. After passing the counselor training camp as salutatorian, Anna used her newfound knowledge to teach her peers at KVT how to properly run a campfire for little children and then actually executed one.

Anna will be physically receiving the Treta Proba award at her Whippany Service Unit’s End of Year Closing Ceremony in the summer of 2020.

“When I found out that I achieved Treta Proba, I felt a sense of accomplishment and honor to be recognized for my service efforts,” Anna said. “Throughout my journey, I found so much personal satisfaction in the intimate connections I made with others, leadership skills I cultivated, and service I did for my Ukrainian community. It was truly such a rewarding and humbling experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.”