Gold Award Girl Scouts

The Girl Scout Gold Award represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouting; it recognizes girls in grades 9-12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through sustainable and measurable Take-Action projects. Since 1916, girls have successfully pursued the highest award, an act that indelibly marks them as accomplished members of their communities and the world.

Leyli Akhmedov taught English to children in Azerbaijan. Together with NGO You Will Speak, she created her own Conversation Club, an immersion curriculum that focused on teaching and learning English to students in these regions. Leyli notes the importance of knowing English and the myriad of opportunities that it opens to students overseas for higher education and career opportunities.

Alexandria Alvarez started R.I.T.E–Reach, Inspire, Thrive, Educate–a program that focused on addressing the issue of helping human trafficking victims. Alexandria noted that these same victims often do not have the proper tools or resources to help them integrate back into society. She aimed to provide them with proper guidance on how to acquire jobs and employment through mentorship and training

Chloe Barrientes raised awareness on the importance of mental health as it pertains to her peers and student athletes in her school after her own personal struggles with anxiety. Chloe was able to create a pamphlet with important information and resources that student athletes could use to help find relief and learn about how to care for their mental health. Isabella Cantone provided resources to her female peer swimmers on how to safely and comfortably navigate menstrual cycles while remaining athletes. Additionally, Isabella launched a website with additional information she researched through pediatricians and nutritionists, and even held two national webinars. Together with her volunteers, Isabella also installed a cabinet in her school’s locker room so that her peers would have a place to store their products.

Neha Chandran helped educate others on how to safely navigate blackouts in times of emergency after having experienced a blackout with her family. Neha noted that there were very few centralized resources where people could go to find information, and that in times of emergency, battery conservation is important. She created a website and held seminars for soon-to-be college students.

Grace Dehner started her project, entitled WOMUN–Women’s Outreach through Model United Nations, to help address the underrepresentation of women’s issues in Model United Nations committees. She focused primarily on women’s issues from around the world and put the spotlight on the struggles women face. Grace invited guest speakers from the US Department of State and others to attend her WOMUN sessions.

Haley Benefield wanted to work on the crisis of homeless animals. Together with Houston PetSet, Haley created informational resources on the importance of spading and neutering animals, as well as fostering or adopting pets. Additionally, Haley created an informational video for Houston PetSet to help them spread the word of their mission. Caroline Desrosiers raised awareness and created resources for the homeless population of Houston. Together with her high school club, she educated teens on how to interact with the homeless safely. She also taught them how to create bags with necessities that they could donate instead of money. Caroline notes that the homeless population is growing and that many people feel at loss on how to TakeAction that will help them.

Jennifer Dodgen wanted to raise awareness of flooding after witnessing a damaging flood in her community. Jennifer designed, built, and installed a sign with a map of hiking trails at her local YMCA. Additionally, she included information on the importance of environmental health and the importance of flood-prevention and safety.

Kennede Earle started the STAR project aimed at raising awareness of sex trafficking in the Houston area. Together with her team of volunteers, Kennede created and distributed a brochure with resources and statistics on sex trafficking in Houston. Additionally, she hosted five informative STAR presentations during the month of August in which she invited key speakers and guests.

Mariam Elsharkawy created the Plastic Pollution Solution to make the public aware of just how dangerous plastic is to the health of our environment. Together with her volunteers, Mariam held five presentations on the harms and solutions of plastic pollution. Additionally, she provided resources on how to repurpose plastic through art, and currently has an installment for display at the Goodykoontz Museum of Girl Scout History.

Taylor Franklin raised awareness for the hearing-impaired community at her high school. Together with her volunteers, Taylor was able to start an American Sign Language club at her school and held meetings with guest speakers who helped share additional information. Her club members were also able to sign the US National Anthem for her school’s homecoming game.

Isabella Griffo used her Gold Award project to help Hope’s Path in Spring, Texas. She was able to build a working garden and compost area, and even wrote her own how-to guide for gardening. Additionally, Isabella provided resources and online information for others to learn how to grow their own food from home using easy-to-follow steps and video guides. Koral Hairgrove created a blue room and butterfly mural at Mainland Community Church in Texas City. Koral wanted to create a safe space for others to be able to unwind, relax, de-stress, and feel at ease in times of anxiety. Koral created the mural that honored and raised awareness to those who ended their lives through suicide. Koral felt their stories would help shine a light on the importance of mental health and would help them not be forgotten.

Chloe Houy worked with volunteers and the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Center to teach people the harmful effects urbanization has on wildlife in Houston. She was able to provide simple crafts and activities people could do on their own to reduce the effects of urbanization. Chloe also created YouTube tutorials, curriculum, and activities to help provide information on how to aid injured animals in a safe manner.

Hannah Hubbard established three mini food pantries at local elementary schools. Together with her volunteers, Hannah also held a food drive for nonperishable foods that she used to stock the pantries. Hannah aimed to relieve hunger in the communities while also promoting the philosophy of giving back to your community.

Emily Jackson was motivated by her own experiences after having lost four peers to suicide to raise awareness on the importance of mental health. Emily built a Canva page that could be accessed by all of the students in her local school where she provided information and resources on coping mechanisms, tips on asking for help, and methods of support for friends who may be struggling with mental illnesses.

Madelyn Kaelin created a presentation and informational pamphlet for Saint Agnes Academy College Prep to provided information on the importance of pollinators to the ecosystem. With volunteers, she also installed a pollinator garden aimed at helping monarch butterflies, an endangered pollinator she wanted to highlight.

Nirali Patel built a community trellis for her local temple grounds as part of Gold Award project. Nirali noted that her community needed help in combating social isolation, anxiety, and stress during the pandemic. Together with her team of volunteers, Nirali was able to complete the trellis as a way to help bring people together and spread positivity throughout her community.

Minla Philips addressed the issue of lack of professionalism amongst teens in the Houston area. Through a virtual ZOOM workshop, teens were able to attend and learn about resume building tips, interview guidance, and received guidance on critical skills to help in the workplace.

Angela Pickert helped her high school’s band department by creating a system to store, sort, and locate sheet music and musical equipment. This efficient system let the school provide more valuable practice and rehearsal time to students in her school’s band.

Olivia Predmore helped to inform others how to safely interact with adults and seniors who have learning disabilities. Olivia held BINGO created coloring books and puzzles for residents to use while they interacted with new volunteers, and created an informational video teaching new volunteers what to expect when they visit the Brookwood Community.

Amber Richards started Eat, Clean and Green Affordably, to teach others how they could grow and eat their own foods at affordable costs. Together with her local community garden, Mustard Seed Farm and Market, she was able to create instructional videos and informational booklets on healthy eating, easy-tomake recipes, and how those watching could grow their own affordable foods at home. Rediate Sanders started her Gold Award project focused on providing information and resources to young students about the different paths and occupations available in the medical field. She presented this information to local elementary schools and provided presentations for teachers to use.

Ariana Morales Vavilala started a project called “I Woke Up Like This,” aimed at providing information and resources on teen sleeping patterns and the importance of sleep as it pertains to mental health. To tackle the growing need for resources surrounding mental health, she worked with volunteers and The American Red Cross to create presentations and a website.

Hannah Vo promoted safety awareness and precautions at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic church. Together with her team of volunteers and church staff, Hannah identified key locations on the church grounds that needed safety precautions enforced. This included cross walks, stop signs, speed limit signs, and “do not enter” signs to create a safe environment for her community.

Sydney Winkler educated others on the importance of second-hand fashion and how to reuse clothing articles to help combat the potential dangers that fast fashion presents to the environment and workforce. Together with her team of volunteers, Sydney was able to hold workshops on what fast fashion was and how it impacted others. Additionally, Sydney held clothing swaps and collected 50 bags of leftovers to be donated.