2025 Gold Award Yearbook

Dear Gold Award Girl Scouts, Families, and Friends,

This year, we proudly celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of 184 extraordinary young women—leaders who’ve earned the most prestigious and highest honor in Girl Scouting—The Gold Award. These bold and visionary leaders dared to dream big and take action to create lasting, meaningful change in their communities and beyond.

Each act of service, every moment of compassion, every courageous decision, and each effort to support others has a ripple effect, building bonds that make us all more resilient, more united, and more hopeful for the future. When we lift up others, we all rise. Together, we are golden.

Collectively, you contributed more than 14,720 hours of service. In doing so, each of you embraced your potential to lead with purpose and I’m so proud of each of you. You acted with courage, confidence, and character to embrace new challenges, address areas of critical need, and utilize innovative problem-solving—all of which have prepared you for even more great triumphs in your bright futures.

Earning your Gold Award is not the end of your journey—it’s a powerful beginning. You are forever part of the Girl Scout sisterhood, and we can’t wait to see how you continue to lead, advocate, and inspire. As you step forward into the next chapters of your lives, we invite you to carry the spirit of Girl Scouts with you always—and consider becoming a lifetime member, championing the next generation of girls just like you.

On behalf of Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles members, volunteers, board members, and staff, congratulations on this extraordinary achievement. Thank you for being the leaders and changemakers our world needs more now than ever.

Yours in Girl Scouting,

Theresa Edy Kiene Chief Executive Officer

THE GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD

What is the Gold Award?

Gold Award Girl Scouts are rock stars, role models, and real-life heroes. How do they do it? By using everything they’ve learned as a Girl Scout to help fix a problem in their community or make a lasting change in their world. And you don’t have to be a seasoned activist or star student to get there. Girl Scouts who want to get involved and go for the Gold Award get a team of trusted adults and leaders in their community to guide them through challenges and lead them to success, step-by-step. There’s no other program like it.

Earning the Gold Award requires spending at least 80 hours planning and implementing a challenging, largescale project that is innovative, engages others, and has a lasting impact on its targeted community.

The prestigious award recognizes Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors— girls in grades 9-12—for outstanding accomplishments in leadership, community service, career planning, and personal development.

Starting in 1916, the best and brightest undertook projects that improved their communities—and the world. The Golden Eaglet, the highest award in Girl Scouting from 1916-39, sparked the beginning of a long tradition of recognizing the extraordinary efforts of extraordinary girls. From 1940-63, the Curved Bar Award was the highest honor in Girl Scouting. From 1963-80, the highest award was called First Class. And since 1980, the Gold Award has inspired girls to find the greatness inside themselves and share their ideas and passions with their communities.

Nationwide, only 6 percent of all eligible Girl Scouts achieve the Gold Award. And out of 112 Girl Scout councils, Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles (GSGLA) continuously boasts the highest number of girls reaching Gold each year.

Girls who earn their Girl Scout Gold Award automatically enter the military one rank higher, qualify for college scholarships, and are eligible for additional national service awards.

2025 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARDEES

Olivia Abramian

Library Renovation and Book Donation Project for Global Equity of Educational Materials

Olivia’s Gold Award project, titled “Library Renovation and Book Donation Event for Global Equity of Educational Materials,” addressed the issue of local public school budget cuts leading to various interruptions in learning for young children, including the lack of accessibility to educational materials such as books. She was inspired to renovate a local public school library, started a school-wide campaign on the importance of reading and the power of books, and implemented a month-long book donation event on campus. The collected gently used children’s books were donated to impoverished villages in Africa with help from the Knowledge Seed Foundation and Books for Africa.

Natalie Alonzo

Interactive Mural and Mental Health

Natalie’s Gold Award project, titled “Interactive Mural and Mental Health,” made an impact on their community by providing mental health support for pediatric patients and their families in an uplifting environment at Shriners Hospital for Children. This project’s goal is to inspire other hospitals to use art for healing and inspiration for patients undergoing medical care. The colors and themes of interactive art in hospital waiting areas provide a welcoming environment for patients and families who are often scared and anxious.

Vivanne Alquicira

Celebrate Mental Health!

Vivianne’s Gold Award project, titled “Celebrate Mental Health!,” made an impact on their high school community by creating a space to educate and celebrate mental wellness through a yearly Wellness Festival, supported by the mental health club on campus, Timberwolves Changing Stigma. With the assistance of over ten clubs on campus, Vivianne put together four events leading up to the festival, organized logistics and promotion, and designed new pamphlets about the mental health resources available through her high school’s mental health department.

Michaela Aston

Rugby 101

Michaela’s Gold Award project, titled “Rugby 101,” addressed the issue of stigma and lack of knowledge surrounding youth sports by using her love for rugby. She hosted clinics in partnership with Pasadena Youth Rugby to create a safe and supportive environment for girls to try rugby. She also created a series of videos explaining the sport to help clear up confusion about rugby itself.

Pitzil Avila-Castellanos

Bridging Communities Through Bithiah’s House

Pitzil’s Gold Award project, titled “Bridging Communities Through Bithiah’s House,” addressed the issue of lack of access to resources for Spanish-speaking families by implementing a state-mandated course in Spanish for families seeking reunification. She also raised over $500 to create kits for the community, which contained information on local resources and helped start conversations about mental health within Latino households. She educated local student and parent organizations about the importance of access to education for Latino families in the foster-adopt-kinship community.

Brooke Bague

Notably Native

Brooke’s Gold Award project, titled “Notably Native,” addressed the issue of native bee biodiversity loss by creating a native garden at The Gentle Barn and leading educational workshops for younger Girl Scouts. She planted native plants to support local bee populations, collaborated with College of the Canyons to sample bees, and increased public awareness of the importance of native bees as endangered and highly effective pollinators.

Avanti Bal-Prasad

Closing the Gap

Avanti’s Gold Award project, titled “Closing the Gap,” made an impact on her community by enabling sixthgrade students to improve their reading comprehension. She hosted reading groups over the course of a semester, focusing on meeting each student’s individual needs. Avanti introduced the sixth graders to a book titled Refugee by Alan Gratz and held discussion-based reading groups.

Courtney Begerow

Creating a Calming Outdoor Space

Courtney’s Gold Award project, titled “Creating a Calming Outdoor Space,” made an impact on the community by teaching relaxation and yoga techniques to tweens and kids at the Boys and Girls Club. Courtney provided them with yoga videos that displayed poses to release tension and stress, further calming them. Breathing techniques were also taught to help them slow down and relax. Courtney also created a small outdoor area and decorated it with benches and rocks where they can take a breather or sit outside to reconnect with nature.

Taylor Beljon-Regen

The Little Citizens Project

Taylor’s Gold Award project, titled “The Little Citizens Project,” addressed the issue of lackluster civic engagement and education by creating a civic and government education curriculum. The curriculum was used to host civics workshops for over 150 Girl Scouts and students aged 7–13. Participants learned about local, state, and national government, how to engage with their community, and the importance of nonpartisanship. They also wrote letters to local government officials about a problem they saw in their community, which were mailed to 100 different community leaders to spark change.

Michelle Bergdahl

Libraries for Literacy

Michelle’s Gold Award project, titled “Libraries for Literacy,” made an impact on her community by building seven little libraries to gift to underserved preschools. She held two book drives that yielded over 1,000 book donations and provided community partnerships to help the preschools keep the libraries stocked for years to come.

Bethany Bergey

Outdoor Adventure Guides

Bethany’s Gold Award project, titled “Outdoor Adventure Guides,” made an impact on her community by creating a fun and educational way to learn about the great outdoors. Bethany’s guides have provided a valuable resource for community members to learn more about local state parks, wildlife, and the natural world. Girl Scouts visiting California State Parks can now earn badges in a fun and engaging way while learning about their local environment—leading to a greater care for nature.

Katherine Bertisch

Reading For All

Kate’s Gold Award project, titled “Reading For All,” made an impact on her community by creating a YouTube channel where she provided free, specialized reading lessons for kids of all ages who have learning differences. She also donated over 500 books to a nonprofit dedicated to improving literacy in underserved communities. The tutoring lessons and resources her project provided help bridge the economic learning gap that so frequently impacts children with learning disabilities.

2025 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARDEES

Jessica Biller

Bringing Hope to Guatemala’s Less

Fortunate

Jessica’s Gold Award project, titled “Bringing Hope to Guatemala’s Less Fortunate,” addressed the issue of poor mental health and lack of access to education in the rural areas surrounding Antigua, Guatemala, by collaborating with The God’s Child Project to support children and families affected by extreme poverty. The project aimed to help improve mental health and educational outcomes impacted by Guatemala’s history of political instability, malnutrition, and limited access to basic needs by providing workshops on mental health and selfregulation. To ensure lasting impact, Jessica created a video with two licensed therapists to teach self-regulation skills, which will be used by The God’s Child Project to educate children, families, and future staff on the importance of mental health and coping techniques.

Ella Bilu

Teaching to You(th): Politics, Voting, and Advocacy

Ella’s Gold Award project, titled “Teaching to You(th): Politics, Voting, and Advocacy,” addressed the issue of minimal youth civic engagement by creating educational resources about ongoing news and the American political system. Visiting local public and private schools, Ella helped connect 100 teens with voter registration resources while teaching 300 others about voting, elections, and representatives. She also ran a newsletter with 200 subscribers that broke down recent events and hosted letter-writing workshops to teach students how to advocate for themselves.

Katherine Blue

Teens Supporting Teens

Katherine’s Gold Award project, titled “Teens Supporting Teens,” addressed the issue of the lack of education around lifesaving tactics in communities of color by teaching CPR and AED skills to teenagers. She coordinated her team of certified instructors to teach and certify over 50 teenagers in her area. These students left with a certificate and the knowledge needed to help save a life.

Ayla Blumberg

Say Know

Ayla’s Gold Award project, “Say Know,” addressed the major national issue of opioid overdose by giving multiple presentations on opioid overdose awareness and Naloxone administration in schools, nonprofits, and businesses. She also constructed a website for those who could not attend presentations but were still interested in learning more. Additionally, she distributed free Naloxone to adult participants so they, too, could save lives.

Lilianne Bohannon

Adopt. Save. Love.

Lilianne’s Gold Award project, titled “Adopt. Save. Love.,” made an impact on her community by spreading awareness about overcrowded shelters.

Suriya Bowen

Stroke for Change

Suriya’s Gold Award project, titled “Stroke for Change - Raising the Awareness of Pediatric Stroke,” made an impact on her community by educating parents, caregivers, and teachers about pediatric strokes, which occur more frequently than Sudden Infant Death Syndrome but remain widely unknown.

Samantha Briones

Care for Fresh Air

Samantha’s Gold Award project, titled “Care for Fresh Air,” addressed the issue of the negative effects of air pollution in the residential area of Van Nuys by partnering with Fume Fighters United. For her project, she created a team to interview residents, air pollution experts, and council officials, and uploaded the interviews to the new Fume Fighters United YouTube page to further raise awareness of the harmful effects of jet emissions in neighborhoods. She also created workshops to teach both younger and older generations about air pollution and how they can advocate for their communities.

Kendall Buss

Blaze Away Fire Safety

Kendall’s Gold Award project, titled “Blaze Away Fire Safety,” made an impact on her community by educating students and teachers about fire prevention and safety. Kendall created and implemented a curriculum that addressed climate change and wildfires, home fire safety, burns and first aid, and pets and fireworks. She taught the classes at various child development centers and provided the centers with educational materials to continue teaching the classes going forward.

Sara Caldera

Growing Up Green

Sara’s Gold Award project, titled “Growing Up Green,” made an impact on her community by creating a learning garden for students to engage in STEM education outside the classroom. This included building seven garden beds and hosting multiple workshops for the students. The garden space provides students with the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities such as learning how to garden and thinking creatively to solve problems.

Gwen Carpenter

Get Out and Read Out

Gwen’s Gold Award project, titled “Get Out and Read Out,” addressed the issue of early childhood literacy by creating a nonjudgmental and comfortable reading environment for kids to practice their skills at a local animal shelter. Gwen designed bingo cards to create a more engaging way for kids to read, motivating them to practice their skills over the summer while still having fun. Additionally, Gwen partnered with the City of Agoura Hills to distribute the bingo cards, ensuring that children in various communities had access to the resources needed to continue developing their reading skills.

Alexis Chang

Education 4 All

Alexis’s Gold Award project, titled “Education 4 All,” addressed the issue of women’s lack of access to education in developing countries. She created a website and social media accounts to raise awareness about the problem and provide actionable ways for others to help. Additionally, Alexis hosted interactive workshops for younger Girl Scout troops, using activities to explain the challenges faced in less developed countries and inspire them to advocate for change.

Megan Cheng

Echoes of Imagination: Empowering Children with Sickle Cell Disease through Art

Megan’s Gold Award project, titled “Echoes of Imagination: Empowering Children with Sickle Cell Disease

Through Art,” made an impact on her community by teaching the importance of art and creative release—a tool that can provide support during periods of boredom or pain. Partnering with the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation, she developed a therapeutic art program for their annual summer camp, Camp Crescent Moon. After her camp experience, she created a website and YouTube page dedicated to her project, as well as a binder of craft tutorials for the foundation’s future art programs.

2025 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARDEES

Pryce Chrisman

Helping California Wildlife: Wildlife Rescue Has a Place in Our Neighborhood Too

Pryce’s Gold Award project, titled “Helping California Wildlife: Wildlife Rescue Has a Place in Our Neighborhood Too,” addressed the issue of education gaps surrounding wildlife conservation. Pryce designed and built 30 squirrel homes for the California Wildlife Center and engaged fellow Girl Scouts in squirrel rehabilitation. With support from local businesses, she secured materials for the boxes and delivered presentations to local troops, emphasizing the importance of wildlife conservation and encouraging collaboration with the wildlife center. Several young Girl Scouts joined efforts to rehabilitate squirrels using the homes she built, creating long-lasting ties between the California Wildlife Center and local Girl Scout troops.

Haley Chuang

The Pawsitive Pantry: Feeding Happiness, One Paw at a Time Haley’s Gold Award project, titled “The Pawsitive Pantry: Feeding Happiness, One Paw at a Time,” addressed the issue of limited access to pet resources—like pet food—due to financial hardships. She established a pet food pantry for the Chino Valley and partnered with numerous local businesses and organizations. Through several pet food drives, she collected over 400 pounds of pet food and treats, all of which were distributed to the community on designated distribution days. So far, she has been able to assist 70+ families/pet parents and feed 150+ cats and dogs.

Addison Chun

VeriPaws

Addison’s Gold Award project, titled “VeriPaws,” addressed the issue of animal rights and animal overpopulation in shelters by creating a student-run club at her high school, Flintridge Sacred Heart, called VeriPaws. The title is inspired by FSHA’s commitment to Veritas, meaning “truth.” Addison’s truth meant properly educating people on issues surrounding animal rights and strays, and fundraising for local shelters.

Katie Chung

Mathletics

Katie’s Gold Award project, titled “Mathletics,” addressed the issue of limited access to tutoring for high school athletes. The project provided a series of math tutorial videos covering key concepts to help students strengthen their understanding. Katie made these resources available for free online so they could be watched at any time or place. The project widened accessibility for student-athletes at her school and supported students in achieving academic success.

Jacquline Connell

Autism Awareness

Jacquline’s Gold Award project, titled “Autism Awareness,” made an impact on her community by delivering an informative presentation to approximately 450 third-throughfifth-grade students during LBC Hero Squad’s Neurodiversity Week. She also designed and printed a 20-page educational activity book that was given to all of the students along with the presentation. The activity books were also donated to Harbor Regional Center and Ability First to hand out as resources to their clients.

Josephine Contreras

Blooming Knowledge

Josie’s Gold Award project, titled “Blooming Knowledge,” addressed the issue of health and community garden spaces by educating children about nature and their local habitat. Through the support of several community groups, Josie created green space for students to learn and explore topics such as native plants, endangered species, and healthy eating. The project helped to create a pathway of continued learning and growth in the community, focusing on students from diverse backgrounds.

Katherine Coppersmith

Adaptive Adventures

Katherine’s Gold Award project, titled “Adaptive Adventures,” made an impact on her community by making adapted literature materials accessible for students who receive special education. She designed and created 17 book kits that aligned with nine class curriculums for a special education-focused school in her school district. Each kit included enlarged books with adapted fonts and pictures, tactile accessories, communication symbols, easier-to-handle pages, and other adaptive features. Her project ensured that all students, regardless of their ability, could have access to reading materials.

Abigail Corona

We Are S.A.F.E. (Standing Against Fentanyl Everywhere)

Abigail’s Gold Award project, titled “We Are S.A.F.E. (Standing Against Fentanyl Everywhere),” addressed the issue of the growing fentanyl poisoning crisis in our country. She created active social media pages that reached thousands of people, informing them of how to identify a false pill and how to administer a temporary antidote called Narcan in the case of a poisoning or overdose. She also gave a presentation to an audience of her peers with the same information. This project was inspired by a tragic family loss, which highlighted the importance of speaking up and helping people stay informed.

Adalyne Cowgill

Empowering Girls in STEM

Adalyne’s Gold Award project, titled “Empowering Girls in STEM,” addressed the issue of stereotypes surrounding girls entering the field of STEM by educating young girls on what it means to be a woman in STEM. Adalyne held a series of workshops where attendees built science projects and conducted a series of interviews with successful women in STEM, which were published on a website also created for the project.

Makayla Cox

A Thru G Is For Me

Makayla’s Gold Award project, titled “A Thru G Is For Me,” made an impact on her community by informing and encouraging 8th grade students at Cesar Chavez Middle School in Lynwood Unified School District to take A-G courses while attending high school. Makayla provided 10 thirty-minute workshops with details of A-G college requirements, taught the importance of “required vs. recommended” courses, and guided students to connect with school and online resources to ensure that they were prepared to successfully complete college preparatory classes prior to starting their high school journey.

Gwendolyn Creamer

Mental Health Matters

Gwendolyn’s Gold Award project, titled “Mental Health Matters,” made an impact on their/her community by providing information on mental health access and assistance for teachers and students through a dedicated mental health school assembly and activities.

Charlotte Cross

You Can Never Just Walk Away

Charlotte’s Gold Award project, titled “You Can Never Just Walk Away,” addressed bullying and the lack of mental health resources by creating a website featuring an informational PowerPoint, video interviews, book recommendations, and links to additional support resources.

2025 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARDEES

Sophia Culver

TEAMS

Project

(Temple Enhancement and Maintenance Support)

Sophia’s Gold Award project, titled “TEAMS Project (Temple Enhancement and Maintenance Support),” made an impact on her community by creating a useful space at the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center that will help the community thrive and continue their traditions. Sophia led a team that restored a dilapidated room, managing volunteers to help remove unused equipment, clean, patch walls, paint, and furnish the room.

Veronica Dawson

Thalassemia Picture Book

Veronica’s Gold Award project, titled “Thalassemia Picture Book,” made an impact on her community by encouraging young children to have a positive outlook on their Thalassemia diagnosis. Through a 28-page picture book, young children feel empowered to take treatment medication for Thalassemia. The book also provides numerous examples of how to relieve treatment-related anxiety.

Margaret De Sevilla

Crayon Recycling Projects

Margaret’s Gold Award project, titled “Crayon Recycling Project,” made an impact on their community by setting up collection bins in elementary school classrooms to collect used crayons to be recycled. At the end of each school year, the crayons collected in each classroom are sent to The Crayon Initiative, a nonprofit organization that recycles old crayons into new ones to give to children’s hospitals. The 17 elementary schools in Margaret’s school district now save and recycle hundreds of pounds of crayons each year.

Katherine Decker

Period Poverty Campaign

Katherine’s Gold Award project, titled “Period Poverty Campaign,” addressed the issue of period poverty and the lack of awareness surrounding it by creating an educational campaign and hosting a donation drive. She created and distributed 100 brochures, wrote to her city requesting menstrual products in park bathrooms, and collected roughly 2,000 pads and tampons. She assembled 150 hygiene kits with younger Girl Scout troops and donated the supplies to Ascencia, an organization that supports LA County’s homeless population.

Francesca Derrig-Palumbo

Building Literacy and A New Library for

at Risk Children

Francesca’s Gold Award project, titled “Building Literacy and a New Library for At-Risk Children,” made an impact by addressing the effects of trauma on literacy in children. By building a library for the children at Haven Hills, Francesca provided resources that helped improve the youths’ literacy skills and build their confidence in reading and learning. This initiative addressed the lack of access to educational materials, empowering children to advance in their learning process and rebuild their selfconfidence despite the challenges they have faced.

Lindsay Diaz

A.B.C (Alzheimer’s, Brain Health, and Caregiving,) Awareness

Lindsay’s Gold Award project, titled “A.B.C (Alzheimer’s, Brain Health, and Caregiving) Awareness,” made an impact on her community by engaging young adults to learn about Alzheimer’s, brain health, and caregiving. Her project included “Care for Caregiver” baskets, a “Representation of National Alzheimer’s Awareness Day,” and multiple certified Brain Health Training Certification courses. Lindsay’s project was driven to help people understand the need for awareness surrounding Alzheimer’s disease.

Sam Diem

Celebrate Japan with the City of Santa Clarita

Sam’s Gold Award project, titled “Celebrate Japan with the City of Santa Clarita,” made an impact by bringing together over 1,000 people for a Japanese Tanabata Festival. The community learned about Japanese culture through traditional crafts, food, and experiences. Sam led workshops to create three Tanabata sculptures with iLEAD Agua Dulce, Girl Scouts of SCV, and local residents—one of which won 3rd place in Little Tokyo’s LA Tanabata Festival.

Sally Diethelm

Remodel of Parras Middle School Teacher’s Lounge

Sally’s Gold Award project, titled “Remodel of Parras Middle School Teacher’s Lounge,” made an impact on their community by improving the teacher lounge at Parras Middle School. Sally repainted the room, drew a mural, and added new furniture and lounge chairs. By elevating this space, Sally created a more comfortable area for teachers to relax and socialize—supporting their mental health in a safe and uplifting environment.

Camryn Do

The Wonderful Writing World

Camryn’s Gold Award project, titled “The Wonderful Writing World,” addressed the issue of declining interest in creative writing and reading for fun among youth. She held creative writing workshops and a book drive to provide a space where kids could explore their imaginations and strengthen their storytelling skills.

Emmaline Enright

Reducing Screen Time for Healthier Free Time

Emmaline’s Gold Award project, titled “Reducing Screen Time for a Healthier Free Time,” made an impact on her community by educating elementary school students on the importance of having balanced screen time. She shared presentations with students that included activities and resources they can use to create a healthy relationship between their lives inside and outside of electronics.

Walela Enriquez

Missing and Murdered Indigenous

Women

Walela’s Gold Award project, titled “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women,” addressed the growing number of missing Indigenous women in the U.S. and the challenges faced when searching for them. She hosted workshops and distributed informational flyers in Native communities, and created educational videos shared on social media to raise awareness about this critical issue.

Sofia Estrada

Baking Beyond Borders

Sofia’s Gold Award project, titled “Baking Beyond Borders,” made an impact on her community by teaching kids and teens at the Dream Center—a transitional housing facility in Downtown Los Angeles—how to bake. She hosted a cookie-baking workshop that incorporated mental health techniques and basic kitchen skills. She also provided a sustainable cookbook so the center could continue hosting workshops beyond her involvement.

2025 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARDEES

Tara Ezhari

Advocating Women In STEM

Tara’s Gold Award project, titled “Advocating Women in STEM,” made an impact on her community by empowering women and young students to pursue their dreams in STEM. She created a website filled with resources and embedded video interviews with professionals, and conducted workshops to spark students’ interest in science and technology.

Kate Ferrier

Internet Safety and Mental Health Awareness

Kate’s Gold Award project, titled “Internet Safety and Mental Health Awareness,” addressed the issue of lack of education in schools on how to protect our bodies and minds online. She partnered with her former elementary school to design workshops that taught internet safety and emotional well-being to students. Through engaging presentations, daily progress checks, and interactive activities like role-playing responses to different scenarios, she taught students how to protect sensitive information, recognize online red flags, and understand the importance of mental health. Her workshops are now part of the 3rd-grade curriculum, ensuring future students receive this vital education.

Jenna Franklin

STEAM for English Language Learners

Jenna’s Gold Award project, titled “STEAM for English Language Learners,” made an impact on her community by exposing students to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math activities in a fun and hands-on manner. She planned engaging lessons for each subject, interactively demonstrated the activities to the students, and had the students try them on their own. The students worked on these fun activities and viewed these subjects with a growth mindset, which helped improve their communication skills and self-esteem.

Kate Fukushima

Skills for a Better Tomorrow

Kate’s Gold Award project, titled “Skills for a Better Tomorrow,” made an impact on her community by improving the well-being of the students at the Willenberg Special Education Career and Transition Center. Through creating workshops, hands-on demonstrations, fun activities, and videos on basic life skills, the students were able to take the skills and knowledge they learned and apply them to their future needs to live independently.

Evan Galvan

Royal Runway

Evan’s Gold Award project, titled “Royal Runway,” made an impact on her community by providing lightly used dresses for high school girls attending special events like homecoming, winter formal, and prom. This is an efficient way to repurpose gowns and create an affordable boutique shopping experience for underprivileged girls. It is a great way to promote recycling clothing and giving back to the community.

Amber Garcia

Spreading Awareness for Children

Experiencing the

Effects of Domestic Violence

Amber’s Gold Award project, titled “Spreading Awareness for Children Experiencing the Effects of Domestic Violence,” addressed the obstacles children face when healing from trauma. The project helped inform the community about the trauma children are healing from. Amber advertised the nonprofit organization Warrior for Children by creating brochures, flyers, and holding assemblies to spread awareness. She also fundraised hygiene items and pillows, which were arranged into “go bags” and delivered to Warrior for Children—making this the second-largest hygiene drive ever recorded for the agency.

Maya Garcia Hernandez

Capture Your Heart

Maya’s Gold Award project, titled “Capture Your Heart,” made an impact on her community by teaching young girls to build confidence and inspiring them to develop self-love. She also taught the girls important life skills to help them discover what they’re passionate about.

Ella Gardner

Pass It On

Ella’s Gold Award project, titled “Pass It On,” made an impact on her community by collecting recycled sports equipment and donating it to under-resourced communities. She specifically helped young athletes in the greater Los Angeles area pursue their sports dreams. She also incorporated mental health awareness and its importance alongside physical health.

Sirilla Gonzales

Safe Rooms for Women Veterans and Families

Sirilla’s Gold Award project, titled “Safe Rooms for Women Veterans and Families,” made an impact on her community by creating a familyfriendly and educational environment for children of women veterans while they waited for their Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic appointments. Many women bring their children to appointments due to a lack of babysitting resources. Hospitals and clinics should design the care and healing environment around a positive, patient-centered experience for women veterans.

Rachel Green

The Kindest Red: Sickle Cell Disease Awareness and Blood Drives

Rachel’s Gold Award project, titled “The Kindest Red: Sickle Cell Disease Awareness and Blood Drives,” addressed the lack of awareness about sickle cell disease (the most commonly inherited blood disorder in the United States), the shortage of African American blood donors, and the overall need for blood in blood banks. Rachel created an educational presentation and brochure that raised awareness among 665 individuals and garnered 1,913 social media views, highlighting the urgent need for blood donations. Additionally, working with the Red Cross, Rachel organized five monthly blood drives with the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation, collecting 85 blood units and establishing a new donor base.

Isabella Griffith

Fur Baby Fast Facts

Isabella’s Gold Award project, titled “Fur Baby Fast Facts,” addressed the issue of unhoused dogs in shelters and on the streets by helping new adoptive pet parents access simple and helpful caregiving information. The project had two parts: one created workshops and brochures for easy reference, and the other included posting videos on social media filled with facts and tips for newly adoptive pet parents. Helping dog parents be successful lowers the number of unhoused dogs.

Claire Guillory

Suicide Prevention and Teen Mental Health

Claire’s Gold Award project, titled “Suicide Prevention and Teen Mental Health,” addressed rising rates of teen depression and suicide by creating sustainable mental health resources and increasing community awareness. Claire produced a live, hour-long YouTube Town Hall featuring a panel of suicide prevention experts. She also partnered with the City of Agoura and its Community Services Department to host local outreach events focused on suicide prevention and support.

2025 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARDEES

Alisha Hassanali

Project SpeakOut

Alisha’s Gold Award project, titled “Project SpeakOut,” made an impact on her community by collaborating with Los Angeles Public Libraries to host a series of free workshops on public speaking. Alisha was inspired by traveling across the country for national debate tournaments and witnessing how opportunities for public speaking are often concentrated among wealthy and middle-class students. These fun workshops sought to make oratory curriculum equitable for all students.

Elissa Henry

The SheShelter Patio Project Elissa’s Gold Award project, titled “The SheShelter Patio Project,” addressed the issue of homelessness in her community by renovating a safe space for unhoused women. She worked alongside the Women’s Room—a daytime refuge for unhoused women— to assemble a bulletin board, build a table, and decorate the table with hand-painted tiles. Elissa researched and gave a presentation about the issue of women’s homelessness to a group of girls involved in female-led and focused clubs at her school. She then created a website for women featuring instructional videos she made to guide them through art projects, using art as a means of relaxation and mindfulness.

Agnes Herman

Healthy Living Club

Agnes’s Gold Award project, titled “Healthy Living Club,” made an impact on her community by developing a gardening club for youth at the Burbank Boys & Girls Club. Through this club, members learned about urban gardening, healthy eating habits, and how to care for fruits and vegetables. To enhance sustainability, Agnes fundraised for a water system to ensure continued care and development of the garden.

Sarah Hom

Empowering Girls through Sports Sarah’s Gold Award project, titled “Empowering Girls through Sports,” addressed the issue of girls dropping out of sports much sooner and at higher rates than boys. Sarah organized a panel at Riviera Elementary School with accomplished high school and collegiate athletes to inspire young girls to continue to play sports and to better understand the benefits of sports. Sarah also hosted volleyball, soccer, and basketball clinics where multiple female athlete volunteers mentored and taught the elementary school attendees. Lastly, Sarah created a website highlighting local sports programs and featuring videos showcasing the personal journeys of additional female athletes.

Tallinn Horn

The Wisdom of Creativity

Tallinn’s Gold Award project, titled “The Wisdom of Creativity,” made an impact on her community by emphasizing the role of public art in education. Inspired by groundbreaking muralists who used art to teach history, Tallinn created a mural for her school based on its core philosophies and curriculum. She also explored existing student-created murals and developed website content about their significance. Her art and writing will remain with the school and continue inspiring students for years to come.

Andrea Hsu

Arcadia Film

Andrea’s Gold Award project, titled “Arcadia Film,” made an impact on her community by creating an environment where creative freedom is accessible and welcoming to all. She provided opportunities for those with similar interests to learn and join a team without the pressure of cost or limited collaboration.

Aubrey Hubbard

Castaic High School Mental Health Improvement

Aubrey’s Gold Award project, titled “Castaic High School Mental Health Improvement,” addressed the issue of mental health stigma and limited resource availability. She approached this in two ways—hosting a mental health fair with local vendors at her high school to raise awareness and provide resources to teenage students, and hosting workshops for younger Girl Scouts with fun and informative activities to help them feel comfortable with themselves and the concept of positive body image. This two-part approach helps teenagers now and helps younger girls, so when they become teenagers, they are already more comfortable with the concept of mental health and are aware of available resources.

Emily Hughes

Teddy Bear Sleepover

Emily’s Gold Award project, titled “Teddy Bear Sleepover,” made an impact on her community by hosting a teddy bear sleepover to encourage more kids to attend their city’s public library events.

Madison Hunt

Advanced Directives

Madison’s Gold Award project, titled “Advanced Directives,” made an impact on her community by informing senior citizens about how to complete an advance directive and better understand the concept. She held workshops to introduce advance directives and distributed the forms to ensure access.

Madison James

BeautyWise: Crucial Choices in Cosmetics

Madison’s Gold Award project, titled “BeautyWise: Crucial Choices in Cosmetics,” addressed the lack of knowledge around skincare and cosmetic ingredients by promoting mindfulness in product selection. She created an educational website with information on both beneficial and harmful ingredients, as well as product recommendations. Madison presented to high school and middle school audiences, incorporating practical applications in skincare and makeup. She also distributed educational business cards and shared her knowledge with groups ranging from children with illnesses to healthcare workers.

Kelsie Kato

Promoting Positivity

Kelsie’s Gold Award project, titled “Promoting Positivity,” made an impact on her community by creating a welcoming environment in the waiting room of Asian Pacific Counseling and Treatment Center’s West Covina, CA office. She added positive affirmations, coloring books, and new cabinets around the rooms to create a friendly place for kids to use during therapy.

Caroline Kelly

Love and Literacy

Caroline’s Gold Award project, titled “Love and Literacy,” made an impact on her community by donating over 3,400 books to underfunded school libraries in downtown Los Angeles. She also helped refurbish a middle school library by reorganizing bookshelves, sorting books, and painting murals. Her project supported children without access to books, encouraging a love of reading and improving literacy.

2025 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARDEES

Katie Kelly

The Money Talk

Kate’s Gold Award project, titled “The Money Talk,” addressed the issue of the lack of financial literacy education for children by developing her own financial literacy curriculum. She created a workbook and a series of games to make the class interactive and fun. She taught over 120 children the importance of budgeting, insurance, investing, and more at local elementary schools and homeless shelters.

Elizabeth Hope Kim

Let’s Take This Outside Hope’s Gold Award project, titled “Let’s Take This Outside!,” addressed the issue of worsening youth mental health and the lack of interest in nature by organizing an art project for local students to express why they love the outdoors. Their artwork was later displayed at an exhibit and event held at a local nature reserve.

Fiona Kinigstein

Connections for Students

Fiona’s Gold Award project, titled “Connections for Students,” addressed the issue of growing mental health concerns in high schools by establishing a mentorship program for incoming students. Older students were trained to support freshmen with school stress, academic anxiety, and social transitions. Freshmen benefited from having a peer mentor they could rely on.

Carissa Klaus

Community Speech and Hearing Screenings

Carissa’s Gold Award project, titled “Community Speech and Hearing Screenings,” addressed the issue of unidentified speech and hearing delays in children by offering free screenings and providing parents with resources for early intervention.

Claire Koukeyan

Finding a Healthier You

Claire’s Gold Award project, titled “Finding a Healthier You,” made an impact on her community by creating and distributing easy, healthy recipes for clients at the First United Methodist Church’s pantry program in Pasadena. She made four simple recipes that she sampled with the clients, including yogurt parfait, spaghetti a la Vienna, tuna salad, and chili quesadilla. She also provided pamphlets along with video demonstrations for each recipe, showcasing how to make each dish using ingredients that can be obtained at the food pantry—encouraging clients to better their nutrition with accessible and budget-friendly options.

Ashley Krosevic

How to Navigate Your Vehicle

Ashley’s Gold Award project, titled “How to Navigate Your Vehicle,” addressed the issue of drivers not understanding the basics of car maintenance by hosting two-hour in-person courses that covered 11 different car-related subjects—like changing a tire—and releasing videos for each of these subjects to make the project accessible. Additionally, a pamphlet with step-by-step directions and a list of items needed for each course is available for download.

Kiley Ku

A Children’s Adventure Guide

Kiley’s Gold Award project, titled “A Children’s Adventure Guide for the La Cañada Flintridge Trails,” made an impact on her community by helping kids discover local trails. Kiley wrote and illustrated a booklet with pages teaching trail etiquette and safety, along with scavenger hunts and coloring pages. She led three nature hikes, educating children about plants and animals native to California and helping parents find resources to continue hiking in the future.

Jolee Kuo

Birds and

Butterflies

for Better Lives

Jolee’s Gold Award project, titled “Birds and Butterflies for Better Lives,” made an impact on her community by connecting community members to the nature that surrounds them. She created a website and informational brochures that are now shared at her local public library and town’s heritage museum. She also hosted two presentations for children and created an interpretive sign for the public library.

Hannah La Porte

FoodChain LA

Hannah’s Gold Award project, titled “FoodChain LA,” made an impact on her community by increasing access to fresh produce in impoverished communities across Los Angeles. By working with organizations like Friends in Deed, Foothill Unity, and Los Angeles farmers markets, FoodChain LA was able to acquire over 60,000 lbs. of non-sellable produce from farmers markets and donate it to families in need.

Mia Lai

Creativity Center

Mia’s Gold Award project, titled “Creativity Center,” addressed the issue of mental health in Asian American communities by collaborating with the Asian Pacific Counseling and Treatment Center’s Alhambra Center—an organization that provides mental health and wellness services to the AAPI community—to create a creative space for their clients and counselors to use during their sessions. She designed and built an arrangement of cabinets and shelves filled with arts and crafts supplies that were collected and donated. By providing the means for creative pursuits, Mia helps encourage more open expression of self and feelings.

Kelsie Lammens-Ross

Helping the Mind and Body Through

Tennis

Kelsie’s Gold Award project, titled “Helping the Mind and Body Through Tennis,” addressed the need for kids to be more physically active. Knowing girls often have fewer opportunities in sports, Kelsie led four days of free tennis workshops for girls of all ages and experience levels. The program encouraged fun, teamwork, and connection while promoting physical and mental wellness. Each day included a healthy snack and a talk from varsity tennis players about the benefits of the sport. Kelsie also created a YouTube channel, Tennis Tips With Kelsie, featuring instructional videos and interviews.

2025 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARDEES

Alexis Lee

AAPI Showcase

Alexis’s Gold Award Project, titled “AAPI SHOWCASE,” made an impact on their/ her community by generating media representation for AAPI athletes, unifying the community, and educating young athletes of their capabilities.

Olivia Lee

Nutrition for Swimmers

Olivia’s Gold Award project, titled “Nutrition for Swimmers,” made an impact on her community by educating swimmers at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center about the importance of proper nutrition. If swimmers aren’t fueled properly, it can negatively impact their performance in training, competition, school, and growth. She held workshops where she presented a slideshow and handed out booklets and bag tags with the information.

Rachel Lee

Inter-generational Connection Through Art

Rachel’s Gold Award project, titled “Inter-generational Connection Through Art,” made an impact on her community by using art to encourage senior citizens to step out of their comfort zones and connect more with younger generations. Rachel taught four art classes to senior citizens and filmed step-by-step art tutorials for Pre-K students. She also created a Free Art Museum display shelf at the Arcadia Gilb Museum, allowing anyone to showcase and exchange their art pieces.

Roanne Lee Hats Bring Joy

Roanne’s Gold Award project, titled “Hats Bring Joy,” made an impact on her community by helping young hospitalized children in need of hats. Hats are needed for children with cancer and infants who need to stay warm, and they bring psychological comfort to patients who may be feeling scared. Roanne created a sustainable program that continuously provides hats—and joy—to pediatric patients in hospitals.

Sarah Lee guiDANCE

Sarah’s Gold Award project, titled “guiDANCE,” addressed the issue of mental health in performance athletes by creating informational pamphlets about four common challenges—body image, eating disorders, performance anxiety, and relationship anxiety. She distributed them through presentations at local dance studios and cheerleading gyms. She also collaborated with fellow dancers and cheerleaders to raise awareness, share personal experiences, and provide support for those struggling with mental health challenges in the performance community.

Brooke Lewis

Hearts & Crafts

Brooke’s Gold Award project, titled “Hearts & Crafts,” made an impact on her community by promoting educational equity for students in underserved communities. She partnered with the Foothill Family Shelter to create a supply cabinet filled with materials to help students complete school projects. By surveying educators and working with local businesses, she ensured the cabinet would meet students’ needs. She also developed a website to help schools continue updating supply requests, allowing the project’s impact to last for years to come.

Jade Lietsch

Plastic Pollution

Jade’s Gold Award project, titled “Plastic Pollution,” made an impact on her community by educating her peers about the effects of ocean pollution and taking steps to reduce waste going forward. She formed a recycling club at her high school and worked with Heal the Bay and 4Ocean to clean up plastic pollution damaging local beaches and the ocean.

Keidyn Liu

Educating Future Generations of Japanese Holidays

Keidyn’s Gold Award project, titled “Educating Future Generations of Japanese Holidays,” addressed the issue of lack of cultural awareness in her community by writing and illustrating a children’s picture book that highlighted 12 important Japanese holidays, each paired with a corresponding craft. She presented her book to multiple educational facilities to inspire others and spread awareness of her culture. By hosting workshops at summer camps, her community library, elementary schools, and a local Girl Scout troop, Keidyn gave back to the community that helped shape her.

Meera Malik

Pitch To Plate

Meera’s Gold Award project, titled “Pitch to Plate,” addressed the issue of improper stretching techniques and snacking habits of young female softball athletes by teaching them softball-specific stretches and snack recipes that keep their bodies healthy and help them maintain energy.

Kalena Martin

Lending A Paw

Kalena’s Gold Award project, titled “Lending a Paw,” made an impact on her community by bringing awareness to her local animal shelter. Kalena shared presentations and brochures about the shelter and how people can help through volunteering, donating, and adopting. She also donated handmade animal toys and blankets.

Isabella Martinez

Enhancing Sustainability through the White Mountain Apache Toy and Jacket Drive

Isabella’s Gold Award project, titled “Enhancing Sustainability through the White Mountain Apache Toy and Jacket Drive,” made an impact on her community by supporting and improving an already established initiative. Her goal was to bring greater organization to the drive and expand its community involvement. By leveraging both school and local resources, she created stronger connections and helped increase the drive’s impact—ultimately fostering a deeper partnership with the White Mountain Apache Tribe.

Madeline McClure

The World and Me

Madeline’s Gold Award project, titled “The World and Me,” made an impact on her community by educating children on lives that both mirrored their own and provided a window into others. Madeline did this by reading and teaching accompanying lessons on books that reflected the students’ lives while also introducing different backgrounds and experiences. This helped students see themselves in the stories while learning about and relating to the diverse cultures in their school.

Mikayla McKenzie

Growing Up Glendoran

Mikayla’s Gold Award project, titled “Growing Up Glendoran,” made an impact on her community by encouraging and organizing a writing environment that allowed for personal history exploration. Partnering with the Glendora Historical Society, she hosted a writing workshop and coordinated tours of the society. She then edited the submitted stories into a book that was distributed to local libraries, including school and public libraries, for everyone to enjoy.

2025 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARDEES

Noelle McMorris

Fostering Futures

Noelle’s Gold Award project, titled “Fostering Futures,” made an impact on her community by spreading awareness about foster care and supporting teens aging out. To increase awareness of the challenges these youth face, she hosted an informational event, gave a presentation to her school staff, and started a club on campus. She also filmed, edited, and published a short educational documentary, launched a website, and created a social media page. Finally, she hosted a gift card drive— collecting over $1,000 in gift cards to donate to youth in the system—which will now continue as an annual tradition through her school club.

Morgan Medina

Back on Track

Morgan’s Gold Award project, titled “Back on Track,” made an impact on her community by offering handson workshops to elementary and junior high students to teach basic Color Guard skills. The workshops encouraged students to try something new, improving their self-esteem, creativity, and physical health as they performed a choreographed routine with confidence for their parents. “Back on Track” also boosted morale within the Ruben S. Ayala High School Band and Color Guard program by enhancing their practice spaces.

Erin Melendrez

Food Bank Revamp

Erin’s Gold Award project, titled “Food Bank Revamp,” made an impact on her community by creating a safe and sanitary environment. The newly renovated flooring offers improved accessibility for individuals with mobility challenges. The pantry’s visibility has also increased thanks to Councilman Cantos, who informed the community about its presence and the growing need for food donations.

Emery Menter

Depression within Skilled Nursing Facilities

Emery’s Gold Award project, titled “Depression Within Skilled Nursing Facilities,” addressed the issue of depression among residents in these facilities by creating engaging and collaborative events to bring them together. She raised awareness about the challenges faced in skilled nursing homes at her school and with younger Girl Scout troops. Emery provided support and companionship to residents most in need of connection.

Larkin Metts

Sibling Learning Library

Larkin’s Gold Award project, titled “Sibling Learning Library,” made an impact on her community by creating a safe space for children whose siblings are patients in the NICU. She provided books on a variety of different topics to help give some clarity and peace about their little sibling. In addition, the sibling learning bags give children the opportunity to bond with their siblings while also providing educational tools and comfort.

Esabella Mikhail

Launch to Life Club

Esabella’s Gold Award project, titled “Launch to Life Club,” made an impact on her school community by reintroducing a life skills class in the form of a club that assists students with the essentials for living a successful, independent life. With a new topic each month, Launch to Life has invited guest speakers to provide advice and guidance—whether it’s learning how to manage money, exploring education opportunities beyond college, or understanding different financial aid systems. Students at WESM HS are eager to take advantage of the resources this club provides.

Nevaeh Milburn

Embrace Your Mind

Nevaeh’s Gold Award project, titled “Embrace Your Mind,” addressed the lack of mental health awareness and support among teens and young adults by providing a website with videos and resources focused on mental health. Nevaeh also presented slideshows at nursing conferences to audiences of 50–70 people.

Renee Modina

Swab to Save a Life!

Renee’s Gold Award project, titled “Swab to Save a Life,” addressed the issue of racial inequity across the national stem cell registry by creating a video documentary educating the public about the reality of the stem cell donation process. Through interviewing various donors, recipients, health professionals, and officials, she demystified common misconceptions and highlighted the importance of registering, especially for minority populations. Hosting registration drives and speaking out at events, she registered over 250 individuals, contributing to a more diverse system that doesn’t limit patient recovery based on the number of matches.

Kristin Nakamura

Carbon Removal Matters

Kristin’s Gold Award project, titled “Carbon Removal Matters,” made an impact on her community by educating middle and high school students on the urgency of developing climate change solutions—specifically, direct ocean capture.

Lindsey Nam

Warmth in Yarn: Pediatric Comfort Project

Lindsey’s Gold Award project, titled “Warmth in Yarn: Pediatric Comfort Project,” made an impact on her community by providing comfort and companionship to patients at Huntington Hospital. Often spending extended periods of time in medical facilities, the crocheted octopuses served as a source of distraction and entertainment. Volunteers and visitors are encouraged to crochet their own octopus and include a handwritten note, which is then distributed to patients across various departments.

Frida Nava

Wish Upon a Friend

Frida’s Gold Award project, titled “Wish Upon a Friend,” made an impact on her community by painting a mural to support children’s emotional growth, along with a buddy bench and accompanying curriculum to teach preschoolers how to express their feelings. The activities are designed to help make preschool a happy and safe space for every child.

Kathleen Ng

STEM with Kids

Kathleen’s Gold Award project, titled “STEM with Kids,” made an impact on her community by creating 4–5 science kits based on kindergarten science and math standards. Her project allowed teachers to send the kits home with students to complete with their families. Students then demonstrated what they learned by uploading their findings to Seesaw, where their teacher could review their responses.

2025 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARDEES

Ava Nussbaum

Artful Explorers - Inspiring Young Artists in Preschool

Ava’s Gold Award project, titled “Artful Explorers – Inspiring Young Artists in Preschool,” made an impact on her community by fostering creativity in kids and helping them express themselves through art. Instead of being glued to video games, TV, or the Internet, art can be a fun and healthy outlet. Interactive and hands-on art lessons were taught to four- and five-year-olds at a local preschool. An outdoor mural was also painted to bring much-needed color and life to what was previously a gray and drab play area.

Ainsley Nutting

The Books are Back at St. Emydius Ainsley’s Gold Award project, titled “The Books are Back at St. Emydius,” addressed the issue of children’s literacy by establishing a school library. Students at St. Emydius Catholic School in Lynwood—many from economically challenged, non-Englishspeaking households—now have access to over 2,000 grade-level-appropriate books, a welcoming space to enjoy reading, and weekly visits with an engaging curriculum. The kids’ favorite part? They can take books home to share with their families, thanks to two new volunteer librarians.

Emma Oakland

Sensory Yard

Emma’s Gold Award project, titled “Sensory Yard,” created a sensory yard for special education students at an elementary school that addressed the issue of accessibility and inclusivity. The sensory yard provided a safe and engaging space for students to develop critical motor skills and regulate their emotions. Through thoughtful planning and collaboration, Emma designed and implemented various sensory stations tailored to meet the unique needs of the students. Her project not only enhanced the learning environment but also fostered a sense of belonging and empowerment for children with special needs.

Sarah O’Grady

Social Emotional

Enrichment Program

Sarah’s Gold Award project, titled “Social Emotional Enrichment Program,” made an impact on her community by addressing the need for confidence-building exercises for unhoused youth. Sarah developed several weekly workshops for the summer camp youth at Family Promise of the South Bay. She led students through the workshops and created an ongoing curriculum for the enrichment program to continue in future years.

Chihiro Okubo

Pediatric Cancer Awareness

Chihiro’s Gold Award project, titled “Pediatric Cancer Awareness,” made an impact on her community by creating coping kits with therapeutic sensory toys to spread joy to those facing medical challenges. She also created a club at her school to share her journey and raise awareness about pediatric cancer.

Lily Oliverez

Organization Station

Lily’s Gold Award project, titled “The Organization Station,” made an impact on her community by providing supportive resources and spreading awareness about time management and stress reduction for incoming middle and high school students in relation to their academics. She presented her Gold Award to 100 incoming students, grades six through ten. She also coordinated with her school’s Wellness Center to distribute her materials to future students needing anxiety-reducing strategies.

Karina Orendain

Cuddled in Coats

Karina’s Gold Award project, titled “Cuddled in Coats,” made an impact on her community by providing essentials for foster youth. She hosted a winter drive and collected coats, backpacks, and socks. These items supported boys and girls ages 5–12 within the Ninos Latinos Unidos (NLU) organization in LA County.

Angelia Rico Paja

Art Therapy Entertainment as Stress Relief for Children in Foster Care

Angelia’s Gold Award project, titled “Art Therapy Entertainment as Stress Relief for Children in Foster Care,” addressed the mental health needs of children in foster care by creating an art activity book and providing art supplies for entertainment and stress relief.

Kaia Pappas

Union Station Dinner Club

Kaia’s Gold Award project, titled “Union Station Dinner Club,” addressed the issue of homelessness by founding a club at her high school to prepare and serve dinners at Union Station Homeless Services each month to support people experiencing homelessness.

Emily Paredes

Financial Literacy in Youth

Emily’s Gold Award project, titled “Financial Literacy in Youth,” made an impact on her community by providing high school students with resources related to personal finance. She created her own curriculum to teach a summer school class, which included topics such as taxes, how to budget, opening a bank account, and how to manage credit. It included interactive games, guest speakers, videos, and worksheets. Her curriculum has temporarily been adopted by her local high school district to be taught until a permanent adoption takes place in the coming years.

Olivia Park

Native Pollinator Garden Initiative

Olivia’s Gold Award project, titled “Native Pollinator Garden Initiative,” made an impact on her community by addressing the neglected state of her local elementary school’s garden. She created a garden focused on native and pollinator plants to enhance learning opportunities for students. Olivia provided gardening tools and implemented lessons for students and teachers to continue maintaining the garden.

Lanikai Parker

Heal the Sharks

Kiki’s Gold Award project, titled “Heal the Sharks,” addressed the issue of local shark endangerment by educating her community. She engaged with local fishermen on the Santa Monica Pier and collected data on active shark fishing activity. Kiki hosted workshops in partnership with Heal the Bay that taught the importance of sharks in the ecosystem and refuted common shark fallacies while building empathy for sharks and the health of our environment. Her goal was to heal the sharks and make the world a better place.

Sarina Parks

Walk Tall 4 Life

Sarina’s Gold Award project, titled “Walk Tall 4 Life,” addressed the issue of poor posture and mobility on both local and global levels. She organized interactive mobility workshops that educated 287 preteens in her community on proper posture techniques. Additionally, she established collection sites within her community and successfully collected 208 gently used crutches and walkers, which she donated to medical missions.

Elise Patton

Urban Youth Environmental Education

Elise’s Gold Award project, titled “Urban Youth Environmental Education,” made an impact on her community by implementing a series of presentations on the environment in the Los Angeles Public Library system. The project addressed historical and racial inequities perpetuating a lack of minority access to green spaces. By providing environmental education and valuable resources that increase national and state park accessibility, Elise’s project worked to bridge the gap between urban marginalized communities and eco-literacy.

2025 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARDEES

Chloe Pearl

Nutrition as Preventative Healthy Medicine

Chloe’s Gold Award project, titled “Nutrition as Preventative Healthy Medicine,” made an impact on her community by partnering with Grow2Zero Farms, a nonprofit urban farm in a food desert in West Long Beach. Chloe developed a walking educational program using descriptive, adjustable, and movable signs to teach the neighborhood about the medical health benefits of the farm’s crops.

Lola Pena

Skin Cancer: Educating Kids Around the World

Lola’s Gold Award project, titled “Skin Cancer: Educating Kids Around the World,” addressed the lack of knowledge about skin cancer and sun safety by leading seven interactive and educational workshops with the Boys and Girls Club, City of Burbank Parks and Recreation summer camps, and the National Charity League Pasadena Area Chapter.

Kiana Pereira

Dance Unity

Kiana’s Gold Award project, titled “Dance Unity,” addressed the lack of sports programs for children with physical and mental disabilities by creating a dance program tailored to special education learning. Many special needs students are unable to participate in physical activities because there are not enough programs adapted to fit their needs. By starting dance lessons that were cohesive with special education learning, Kiana set a precedent for more programs to adjust to students with special needs—allowing all children to have equal opportunities in the sports world.

Paige Perkins

Fit Kits

Paige’s Gold Award project, titled “Fit Kits,” created custom kits for girls ages 5–10, with tools to exercise at home if they were unable to access or afford gym facilities. Paige donated the kits to at-risk communities and met with Girl Scout troops to raise awareness about the lack of resources for young girls to stay active. She taught the troops how to use the kits and encouraged them to continue the program by creating and distributing more kits for long-term sustainability. Paige remains available for future tutorials to help keep the message of health and wellness a priority.

Bianca Picazo

Calming Corners

Bianca’s Gold Award project, titled “Calming Corners,” addressed the lack of designated spaces in classrooms for students to manage their emotions and the lack of tools to help them regulate stress. Bianca implemented and assisted with seven calming corners, created three breathing videos for parents and educators, and raised awareness within the school’s PTA community by holding workshops. Her calming corners have fostered emotional growth and created a more inclusive environment where students feel supported.

Emma Preston

Monterey Highlands Library Remodel Emma’s Gold Award project, titled “Monterey Highlands Library Remodel,” made an impact on her community by transforming the library into a more welcoming and functional space for students and community members. She organized renovations that included updated furniture, improved decorations, and a fresh coat of paint. Through her efforts, the library became a vibrant hub for learning and fosters a love of reading among young students.

Shivani Raj

Engineering Kits

Shivani’s Gold Award project, titled “Engineering Kits,” made an impact on her community by delivering over 100 engineering kits to underprivileged students. Each kit contained a hands-on STEM activity with the required materials at no cost. She also produced instructional YouTube videos, ensuring these resources were accessible for all children with just one click. From the cardboard rover to the pulley, each kit was carefully curated to demystify science and engineering.

Alicia Randall

Enjoying the Great Outdoors, Indoors

Alicia’s Gold Award Project titled, “Enjoying the Great Outdoors, Indoors,” made an impact on her community by bringing immersive nature experiences to seniors with limited mobility through 360° hiking videos and interactive activities. Using a specialized 360° camera, Alicia filmed her own trail adventures and uploaded the footage to YouTube and her website—including illustrated guides on local native birds, plants, and trees. She distributed reusable cardboard virtual reality (VR) headsets along with bottled water and trail snacks to kick off the virtual hike. Alicia taught participants how to launch the videos on their smartphones, navigate the full 360° environment, and use a bird-identification app to recognize local songbirds. Afterwards, she provided terrarium-building materials with step-by-step instructions for assembling miniature ecosystems and facilitated discussions about flora and fauna. These realistic, multisensory immersive experiences fostered participants’ connection to the natural world, sparked their creativity and curiosity, equipped them with new digital and hands-on skills, and improved their mood.

Sophia Redcher

Saving Girl Scout Culture and Traditions through Music

Sophia’s Gold Award project, titled “Saving Girl Scout Culture and Traditions through Music,” made an impact on her community by teaching youth about the origins of Girl Scouting. Thanks to Sophia’s project, many young Girl Scouts in her area will now grow up knowing traditional Girl Scout songs and understanding how music tells the story of the organization’s history and values.

Alexis Reeves

Bee-utiful Garden

Alexis’s Gold Award project, titled “Bee-utiful Garden,” made an impact on her community by creating a sustainable fruit and vegetable garden at The Gentle Barn to support bees and provide food for the animals. She educated the community on the importance of pollinators through her words and informational pamphlets, emphasizing the role bees play in agriculture and ecosystems. By incorporating a drip irrigation system and bee-friendly plants, her project ensured a lasting contribution to both pollinator health and environmental sustainability.

Abby Reichert

The Tiger’s Den Calming Room

Abby’s Gold Award project, titled “The Tiger’s Den Calming Room,” created a safe space in elementary schools where students can self-regulate, manage emotions, and receive support from a trusted adult. Located at Longden Elementary in Temple City, The Tiger’s Den was designed to provide a calming environment where young students can reduce stress and nurture their mental well-being—helping them thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

2025 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARDEES

Logan Revell

Love and Braces

Logan’s Gold Award project, titled “Love and Braces,” aimed to break the stigma surrounding back braces worn for medical reasons such as scoliosis. Her primary goal was to boost the confidence of children who wear braces and help them feel accepted for who they are. Logan designed custom stickers for kids to personalize their braces and created a pamphlet sharing her own story, both of which continue to be distributed at Cedars-Sinai Children’s Spine Center, CHLA, and Lerman and Sons Orthopedics. She also worked with nurses and doctors to develop an educational video and presented to younger Girl Scout troops and middle school classrooms to raise awareness and foster understanding.

Audrey Riesberg

PCY Science Olympiad

Audrey’s Gold Award project, titled “PCY Science Olympiad,” made an impact on her community by developing and teaching 12 interactive and engaging hands-on science classes. She worked with the PTA, school principal, and parents to lead a class of 35 elementary students and a competitive team of 15 students to the regional Science Olympiad competition. The team succeeded in winning gold at the Temple City Regional Competition and came away with a better understanding of—and inspiration for—science.

Cozette Rinde

Native Garden Rehabilitation:

Promoting Environmentalism

Cozette’s Gold Award project, titled “Native Garden Rehabilitation: Promoting Environmentalism,” made an impact on her community by introducing a sustainable and accessible way to support the environment: interaction with native plants. Through lectures, planting events, garden tours, and community outreach, she promoted conservation and awareness while encouraging her local community to implement native species and take responsibility for environmental care.

Isabelle Robertson

Mindset

Garden

Isabelle’s Gold Award project, titled “Mindset Garden,” made an impact on her community by creating a workshop that provided tools and resources to help teenagers with their mental wellness. Isabelle reached over 400 people through her presentations and continues to be asked to share her workshop. She hopes that everyone who has participated continues to apply those tools throughout their lives.

Nika Robie

Telescope Lending

Program

Nika’s Gold Award project, titled “Telescope Lending Program,” made an impact on her community by giving everyone access to a telescope through the local library. Through her star parties, Girl Scout troops learned how to use a telescope for the first time and viewed the moon up close up in all its detail. With this, she hopes to make STEM more accessible to young girls.

Lauren Rodriguez

Curb the Distracted Driving Epidemic

Lauren’s Gold Award project, titled “Curb the Distracted Driving Epidemic,” addressed the issue of distracted driving by influencing teens, their friends, and family members to change dangerous driving habits. High technology use in cars—both mobile and built-in—along with countless other activities, distracts drivers more than they realize. Through thought-provoking workshops and educational materials, drivers and non-drivers alike learned about the causes of distracted driving and simple habit changes that help curb this dangerous trend.

Ashley Romero

Grief N’ Kids

Ashley’s Gold Award project, titled “Grief N’ Kids,” made an impact on her community by making grief support accessible to kids. She provided support and comfort to children who had experienced grief and also helped healthcare workers navigate the challenging task of informing families about a patient’s death.

Isabella Maya Rosas

Restoring the SGV Humane Society

Isabella’s Gold Award project, titled “Restoring the SGV Humane Society,” made an impact on her community by giving back to the shelter in a sustainable way. With help from the community, she restored 100-yearold benches in front of the facility, built three obstacle courses from scratch, and donated an additional one to aid in their training program. Isabella also created a website outlining ways to help the community and tips for better pet care. The San Gabriel Humane Society can now adequately train their animals and provide long-term enrichment and happiness for years to come.

Hailey Rosenstein

Well Suited

Hailey’s Gold Award project, titled “Well Suited,” made an impact on her community by providing professional attire for students at Da Vinci Communications to wear during their Presentations of Learning. These presentations occur multiple times throughout the year and require students to dress professionally, which can affect their academic progress if unmet. Hailey’s project ensured that students who couldn’t afford professional attire had access to a free resource at school, making a significant difference in their confidence and performance.

Kayla Sakurai

The Great Outdoors

Kayla’s Gold Award project, titled “The Great Outdoors,” made an impact on her community by helping improve the quality of elderly life. She did this by making plant kits and hosting workshops at retirement homes. At the workshops, she helped residents plant a seed with the plant kits and play a fun, interactive bingo game.

Ella Salim

Health Is Wealth

Ella’s Gold Award project, titled “Health is Wealth,” made an impact on her community by making health resources more accessible to young adults. Recognizing that many teens in Los Angeles struggle to find and manage evidence-based health resources, she developed a comprehensive health literacy curriculum. Her project empowered young people to take initiative in their preventive care and helped address a crucial public health gap.

Jacqueline Sanchez

Understanding Your Emotions

Jacqueline’s Gold Award project, titled “Understanding Your Emotions,” made an impact on her community by introducing educational mental health resources and coping strategies to better manage emotions. With support from her team, Jacqueline led three workshops at Morgan Elementary to help young students build a foundational understanding of their emotions. She also expanded her efforts to St. Lucy’s High School, where she encouraged young women to prioritize emotional wellbeing.

2025 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARDEES

Avalon Sanders

Sun Protection Awareness and Education

Avalon’s Gold Award project, titled “Sun Protection Awareness and Education,” made an impact by educating youth sports groups about the importance of sun protection. The project included presentations to children on the dangers of sun exposure and how to protect their skin. Avalon also collaborated with dermatologists and sunscreen company representatives to provide kids with sunscreen samples.

Lyndsey Sanders

Sensory Walk

Lyndsey’s Gold Award project, titled “Sensory Walk,” addressed student behavior, emotional dysregulation, and focus challenges for neurodivergent students in general education settings. She created a space where students could perform gross motor movements to help them return to class emotionally regulated and ready to learn.

Delia Sawatzki

Next Gen Voters

Delia’s Gold Award project, titled “Next Gen Voters,” addressed low voter turnout among young people by creating a curriculum for high school upperclassmen. She researched, tested, and implemented a nonpartisan program that addressed concerns among young voters. Her curriculum is now taught in multiple school districts, and her project registered or preregistered over 200 students to vote.

Casey Scaduto

Helping Seniors Increase Their Media Literacy

Casey’s Gold Award project, titled “Helping Seniors Increase Their Media Literacy,” addressed the issue of misinformation spread online. Casey’s project gave seniors the tools to distinguish between trustworthy and untrustworthy sources of news and information through fact-checking strategies and understanding unfamiliar terminology like “memes” and “deepfakes.” Casey created a website called Media Literacy for Seniors to house the presentation and resources she created.

Fiona Schweig

Project Root to STEM

Fiona’s Gold Award project, titled “Project Root to STEM,” addressed the issue of gender disparities in STEM fields by bringing the voices of female professionals working in STEM into the classrooms of middle school students. In a series of podcasts—each episode focusing on a different woman in STEM—Fiona interviewed professionals about their work experiences, education, and journeys. Each episode came with a teacher guide to help middle school teachers implement the podcasts into their curriculum and encourage girls to take an early interest in STEM.

Kelly Sellman

Running on Confidence

Kelly’s Gold Award project, titled “Running on Confidence,” made an impact on her community by inspiring 40 fourth-through-eighth-graders in a free eight-week summer running program. As participants logged the minutes they ran each day, their confidence grew and their mental and physical health improved. At the end of the program, top runners per grade level were awarded prizes like new running sunglasses, shoes, and GPS watches.

Haley Shirai

The Church and Beyond

Haley’s Gold Award project, titled “The Church and Beyond,” made an impact on her community by creating a connection between Centenary United Methodist Church and the broader Los Angeles community. She helped establish a youth committee to organize community events and services, including LGBTQ+ talks and care packages for patients at Los Angeles Children’s Hospital.

Samantha Shiroishi

The Power of Photography

Samantha’s Gold Award project, titled “The Power of Photography,” addressed the issue of income inequality in Los Angeles and how photojournalism can be used as a tool of activism to raise awareness of social problems and advocate for change.

Avery Silveira

The Love of Green

Avery’s Gold Award project, titled “The Love of Green,” made an impact on their community by working with residents and staff at Santa Anita Assisted Living to create a garden. The residents now have a peaceful space they can enjoy not just for gardening, but also for painting, meditating, or simply relaxing. This gives them something to look forward to on a daily or weekly basis, depending on their time and needs. The project was inspired by one resident in particular who enjoys gardening but had very little space to do so; now he and other residents can enjoy the garden boxes set up on the back patio.

Ngaire Simmons

Furthering Faith-Based Fellowship

Ngaire’s Gold Award project, titled “Furthering Faith-Based Fellowship,” made an impact on her community by giving a sense of belonging to church attendees through an updated, consistent name badge system. She also reduced waste by eliminating single-use name badges, except for visitors. Additionally, she built a beautiful storage unit for the new name badges, which has been called a “sanctuary within a sanctuary.”

Kendra Sing

Creative Brain Yoga for Kids

Kendra’s Gold Award project, titled “Creative Brain Yoga for Kids,” made an impact on her community by showcasing the importance of building a creative mind starting at a young age through crafts. These crafts were made so that all materials could be found at home in order to maintain growth of creativity wherever they go.

Ava Smith

Friends Making Friends- Mechanics of the

Mind

Ava’s Gold Award project, titled “Friends Making Friends – Mechanics of the Mind,” addressed the issue of disability misinformation in youth. Mechanics of the Mind was a psychology club Ava founded on her high school campus that spotlighted the science behind mental disorders such as ADHD and Autism. Her Friends Making Friends workshops featured puppet shows led by elementary school students, who created skits based on prompts like “How do you include someone who is unlike you?” Ava designed the prompts to tackle negative biases against disabilities early in youth.

2025 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARDEES

Alexa Straite

Well Wasted

Alexa’s Gold Award project, titled “Well Wasted,” made an impact on her community by instilling earth-friendly practices. She taught her school how to sort waste properly and created a waste sorting unit from scratch, placing it in the school’s food and eating areas.

Ava Stygar

Holly Avenue Elementary Library

Ava’s Gold Award project, titled “Holly Avenue Elementary Library,” addressed the issue of limited book access by hosting book drives at her parish and school. She also partnered with Assistance League Flintridge to host an annual book drive, ensuring sustainability. Additionally, Ava planned a Read-Aloud Night at Holly Elementary to celebrate the new library and books.

Katelyn Suen

Crittenton Health Project

Katelyn’s Gold Award project, titled “Crittenton Health Project,” made a lasting impact on the community by empowering teenage mothers at the Crittenton Center to discover the benefits of yoga and learn valuable health insights. Through a series of pamphlets, the mothers were introduced to self-care practices and parenting tips to support their well-being and their children’s development.

Sara Sussman

Public Speaking for Youth

Sara’s Gold Award project, titled “Public Speaking for Youth,” addressed the issue of the lack of education on public speaking among youth. Sara created a curriculum to boost the students’ confidence when public speaking while learning how to write a strong speech. She created workshops for middle schoolers to attend and learn the importance of public speaking. The curriculum and website were created as part of the sustainability aspect to be used with schools in the Los Angeles area.

Paige Tamura

Art-In-A-Box

Paige’s Gold Award project, titled “Art-In-A-Box,” made an impact on their community by creating art boxes for children in hospitals. Inspired to spread art, Paige created 300 boxes to show kids how they could express their emotions and creativity through different art forms. She also taught art classes, donated tissue boxes to nursing homes, and created a handbook with the help of her community to spread the message that art is for everyone.

Madison Thacker

What Happens Now: A Book for Children of Divorce

Madison’s Gold Award project, titled “What Happens Now: A Book for Children of Divorce,” addressed the lack of accessible divorce media for children. Madison wrote and selfpublished a children’s book that breaks down the divorce process and teaches coping strategies like journaling, drawing, and open communication. She led a team of five youth illustrators to bring the book to life. Madison partnered with Kids Turn San Diego to lead small group readings and also shared her book with younger Girl Scout troops.

Patricia Tomasulo

Holly Avenue Elementary School

Sensory

Area

Patricia’s Gold Award project, titled “Holly Avenue Elementary School

Sensory Area,” made an impact on her community by creating a mobile sensory area for an over-capacity special education program. The area included fidget tools and tactile items for students to use when overwhelmed. Patricia worked directly with the students to show them how to use the tools and explained their benefits.

Grace Torres

Get Up and Dance

Grace’s Gold Award project, titled “Get Up and Dance,” introduced participants to dance as a form of self-expression, physical and mental wellness, and social connection. The project helped boost confidence and social skills, inspiring participants to develop a lasting passion for dance.

Adeline Towle

STEAM Club

Adeline’s Gold Award project, titled “STEAM Club,” made an impact on her community by increasing exposure to STEM for 139 third-through-fifthgraders. By creating and hosting a summer STEAM Club, she helped an underprivileged area gain more access to and interest in STEM subjects.

Charlotte Tram

Sensory Magic

Charlotte’s Gold Award project, titled “Sensory Magic,” made an impact on her community by creating sensory toys with special education preschoolers to improve their quality of life. The toys included a sensory bottle and slime. Overall, the students were able to use motor skills and socialize in a safe and ecouraging environment, allowing them to developing these skills in the future.

Lauren Tran

Generational Gems

Lauren’s Gold Award project, titled “Generational Gems,” made an impact on her community by preserving elderly narratives in her church through a book of biographies. Her aim was to bridge the gap between the older and younger generations by interviewing elderly members and recording their stories. She shared the wisdom gained by distributing copies of her book and hosting events to bring church members closer together.

Molly Trotter

Art Classes and Memory Boards

Molly’s Gold Award project, titled “Art Classes and Memory Boards,” made an impact by leading creative workshops for Japanese senior citizens to share their culture and stories. Each session incorporated the traditional card game Hanafuda. Finished artworks were displayed on a “Memory Board” at GVJCI’s senior hall to continue showcasing seniors’ experiences at future events.

2025 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARDEES

Makenzie Tsai

Anxiety and Stress Management Strategies

Makenzie’s Gold Award project, titled “Anxiety and Stress Management Strategies,” taught young children coping strategies to manage emotions, build resilience, and improve focus and social skills. Early exposure to stress management helps form lifelong habits supporting mental and emotional well-being.

Remy Tsukahira

Artemis Girls Business Academy

Remy’s Gold Award project, titled “Artemis Girls Business Academy,” made an impact by empowering teen girls to explore careers in business. Remy organized workshops and interviews with women executives, including Disney professionals, and provided resources to help girls feel safe and inspired to pursue professional goals.

Arev Vartzbedian

Medpacks to Armenia

Arev’s Gold Award project, titled “Medpacks to Armenia,” impacted her community by providing essential medical kits to those in need. This initiative helped the people in Armenia by equipping them with vital supplies for basic healthcare, ensuring they had the proper resources to treat injuries and illnesses. It also empowered communities with the tools to address medical emergencies, improving their overall health and well-being.

Madison Vieira

Survive

Madison’s Gold Award project, titled “Survive,” made an impact on her community by creating a serene sanctuary to provide a therapeutic haven for human trafficking survivors. This peaceful room—filled with arts and crafts supplies, engaging books, brain games, and puzzles—offers victims an escape from stress and a path to overcome PTSD, fostering healing through creative expression and intellectual stimulation. Group activities—including board games and arts and crafts—promote camaraderie and a sense of community, encouraging a supportive environment for all.

Esha Warrier

Stress SOS

Esha’s Gold Award project, titled “Stress SOS,” made an impact by creating accessible mental health resources for teens. Through an online platform and six interactive workshops, she shared stressmanagement techniques from holistic practices. She reached 100+ workshop attendees and over 500 through her website.

Riley Winchell

Kindness Club

Riley’s Gold Award project, titled “Kindness Club,” made an impact by promoting positivity on campus and teaching students small ways to make a big difference. Projects included writing kind notes, cleaning the campus, and creating a rock and plant garden to relieve stress and inspire kindness.

Greta Wolf

Acting Up

Greta’s Gold Award project, titled “Acting Up,” addressed the issue of lack of funding for the arts in public schools by creating a theater and improv program for her local elementary school’s YMCA afterschool enrichment facility. Through a series of theater and improv games and activities during multiple workshops, Greta’s students learned to identify and manage big emotions, developed healthy social skills, built confidence, and learned teamwork and collaboration— planting the seeds for a lifelong love of theater and the arts.

Rachel Wong

Exploring Creativity Through Art

Rachel’s Gold Award project, titled “Exploring Creativity Through Art,” addressed the lack of art access in underfunded schools. She taught weekly art lessons at the Richstone Family Center to expose students to creative expression.

Tiffani Yoshimura

Teens Mental Health AwarenessDancing Can Improve!

Tiffani’s Gold Award Project, “Teens

Mental Health Awareness – Dancing Can Improve!”, promoted awareness and the importance of mental health by leading dance workshops for elementary, middle, and high school students. She collaborated with a school therapist to create a video and presentation on the causes, effects, and prevention of mental health struggles. Her project inspired Victor Elementary School to add “dance” to its Noon League program and, recently, the Drill director at West High School announced a new middle school dance team workshop, organized by current high school drill members, to carry her project forward.

Ashley Yrigoyen

Orphan Equality

Ashley’s Gold Award project, titled “Orphan Equality,” addressed the lack of mental health spaces for orphans by remodeling a therapy room at Buena Vida Orphanage in Baja, Mexico. She led efforts to gather supplies, handpaint art for the room, and organize a toy drive, with enough extra toys to give children Christmas presents.

Jubilee Yu

Code On

Jubilee’s Gold Award project, titled “Code On,” addressed the lack of computer science education in local elementary schools. She created lesson plans, worksheets, and a volunteer team that has already reached 700 students across four schools. The program will continue through her high school’s Girls Who Code club.

Karina Yue

Empowering Youth Literacy

Karina’s Gold Award project, titled “Empowering Youth Literacy,” addressed the need for media literacy skills in a digital world. Through workshops, mentorship, and interactive modules, youth learned to analyze information, identify bias, and become critical thinkers about the media they consume.

2025 GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARDEES

Angelina Zandvliet

Wellness Sanctuary

Angelina’s Gold Award project, titled “Wellness Sanctuary,” built a serene garden and created a program to use the garden as a space for students to practice mental wellness techniques like breathing exercises, meditation, use of aromatherapy plants, and talking to counselors and peers. The program aimed to address the alarming rise in poor mental health among teenagers by providing resources and education to help students manage stress, recognize when they need help, and know where to find support. The Wellness Sanctuary program fosters a supportive environment that promotes resilience, mental health awareness, and overall success and well-being for students.

Megan Zelhart

Healthy Choices through Sports Megan’s Gold Award project, titled “Healthy Choices through Sports,” made an impact on her community by educating the students at Riviera Elementary on the importance of making healthy choices. Megan held a school-wide assembly, four mini break out sessions, and four clinics to reinforce the importance of physical activity, eating nutritious foods, getting an adequate amount of sleep, and limiting screen time.

Lily Zou

Music and Special Education

Lily’s Gold Award project, titled “Music and Special Education,” made an impact on her community by bringing a music therapy program to students with severe intellectual and physical disabilities. Through six weeks of interactive activities and live performances, she allowed the students to have fun and de-stress in a safe, creative environment. At the end of the program, 93% of staff surveyed supported the program’s continuation and the principal remarked she had never seen the students so peaceful before.

2025 Gold Award Girl Scouts

Thank you for making the world a better place through your creativity, tenacity, and passion. You are inspiring.

WE’RE SO PROUD OF YOU!

Mia Britel Chair

Renee Fraser Vice Chair

Denise Gutches Vice Chair

Andy Park Vice Chair

Tania Van Herle Vice Chair

Erin Oremland

Secretary

Michelle Wroan

Treasurer

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Pamela Burga

Dean Catalano

Roxanne Diaz

Sonia Endler

MacKenzie Green

Debbie Marshall

Jeanne Mau

Sheetal Medatia

Nina Skorus-Neely

Dawn Solér

Anna Tom

Nicole Ward