Girl Scout from Suffolk County Receives National Medal of Honor for Heroism
September 05, 2025
Commack, NY (September 5, 2025) – Girl Scouts of Suffolk County presented Ambassador Girl Scout Diana Hubschman, 17, a high school junior from Mastic Beach, with the Medal of Honor, for her act of bravery that saved her mother’s life, during a special award ceremony. She is the only Suffolk County Girl Scout in recent memory to receive this prestigious national award.
Diana was recognized for her extraordinary actions during a family medical emergency, when her mother, Dawn, suffered a sudden and severe cluster of seizures at home on January 27, 2025.
“She wasn’t responsive to me at all,” said Diana. “In between every seizure, instead of there being a break, it was continuous with muscle spasms in between. I knew something was very wrong.”
Diana immediately took control of the crisis: ensuring her grandfather, who was recovering from open-heart surgery, was safe; moving her mother away from danger; crating the family dog to avoid accidents; timing and monitoring her mother’s seizures; rolling her to her side to maintain an open airway; and calling 911 to report that her mother was on her 14th seizure and struggling to breathe. Diana coordinated with dispatchers, secured care for her grandfather, and insisted on riding in the ambulance so she could speak on her mother’s behalf when she was unable to do so.
In total, her mother suffered 16 seizures and a stroke within 20 minutes. If not for Diana’s quick and calm actions, it is likely her mother would have died.
“Saying I am proud of her is not enough,” said her mother, Dawn Hubschman. “I’ve always told her she’s my guardian angel.”
“I think it took until just now for me to realize it was happening,” said Diana about receiving the national award. “This is one of the biggest honors I have ever had. It’s so unreal.”
“We are really thrilled to be able to bestow this,” said Tammy Severino, President and CEO of Girl Scouts of Suffolk County. “Diana is a future leader and a person who is lighting the torch for future girls to say, ‘that’s who I want to be like.’”
The Medal of Honor is reserved for Girl Scouts who have demonstrated extraordinary heroism, saving or attempting to save a life while exemplifying the values of the Girl Scout Promise and Law.
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About Girl Scouts of Suffolk County
Since 1968, Girl Scouts of Suffolk County has been committed to building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. With over 15,000 members, they are one of the largest youth-serving agencies in Suffolk County. Girl Scouts helps girls develop their full individual potential; relate to others with increasing understanding, skill, and respect; develop values to guide their actions and provide the foundation for sound decision making; and contribute to the improvement of society through their abilities, leadership skills, and cooperation with others. For more information about the Girl Scouts of Suffolk County, please call (631) 543-6622 or visit www.gssc.us.
