35 Local Girl Scouts Honored with Gold Awards for Impactful Community Initiatives
April 15, 2024
(PHOENIX) – The Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting, has been awarded to 35 local girls this year from the Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council (GSACPC). The prestigious Gold Award is presented to girls in grades nine to 12 who have utilized the skills acquired in Girl Scouts to showcase sustainable and measurable impact through problem-solving of relevant issues on a local or national level by completing a Gold Award-worthy project.
“Making an impact on our world is what being a Girl Scout is all about. Each Gold Award project is a journey that tells a story of a girl and the cause that is important to her,” says Mary Mitchell, co-CEO of GSACPC. “Gold Award Girl Scouts set the gold standard in our community, and GSACPC is proud to honor an astounding 35 awardees this year who are making lasting change.”
The 2024 Gold Award class represents a variety of service projects that target an array of relevant issues. Projects included establishing programs to improve mental and physical health, sustainability, and animal welfare, as well as addressing gender bias, lack of medical access, gaps in educational curriculum and more.
"Gold Awardees have long laid the groundwork for impactful projects through their involvement in Girl Scouts and this is just the beginning for this group of young innovators," says Christina Spicer, co-CEO of GSACPC. "Recipients are not only carrying this honor and meaningful change with them for life, but also setting themselves apart in scholarship applications, college admission essays, and job interviews.”
The 2024 Gold Award Girl Scouts and their impactful projects are:
Tara Bird – Cave Creek
Educational Books for Preschoolers and Kindergartners about Water Safety
As a lifeguard and swim instructor, Tara noticed a lack of water safety resources available for schools and homes, so she created books for teachers and parents about the importance of water safety. In partnership with the YMCA, Tara published two books that illustrate techniques taught at YMCA’s Water Safety Program. The first book, "May I Please Get in the Water?" teaches children about the questions they need to ask before entering the water and the second book, "Sammie the Starfish", teaches children how to float on their backs if they get tired or accidentally fall in the pool. Tara's project was distributed to Cave Creek Unified School District, Arizona YMCA locations, and local preschools. Tara plans to attend the University of Arizona to study engineering.
Charlotte Boardman – Mesa
Private Lessons Post-COVID
A band enthusiast of eight years who plays three types of clarinets, Charlotte has found strength in music - being able to connect internally with their emotions has allowed them to build stronger relationships with others. Now, they’ve shared the power of music through their Gold Award by offering private music lessons. Charlotte gathered a team of other highly skilled high school band members to give free private lessons/master classes to local middle school students. After 12 years of Girl Scouting, Charlotte is ready to start their new musical journey at Northern Arizona University to major in music education and minor in Spanish.
London Brown – Tempe
Loom Love
London’s love for crafting and passion for bettering the community came together to create “Loom Love,” a project encouraging a creative hobby while highlighting the need for warm winter clothing donations for the unhoused population. London created hats and assisted others while spreading the message behind her project at workshops and meetings. London surpassed her goal of crafting and donating 100 hats by the end of the school year, donating 103 hats to clothing distribution centers in Tempe and Phoenix that stay local. Upon completion, London also created and shared a step-by-step picture tutorial on how to make winter beanies on a loom to keep the project going. London is a graduate of Corona del Sol High School in Tempe and was a student at Mesa Community College before her mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 2024. London eventually plans to attend Arizona State University to study dietetics.
Ella Chevalier – Chandler
Eye Wear for All
Inspired by her cousin's past Gold Award project at an orphanage in Shanghai, China, Ella discovered her own project idea that crossed continents. While exploring causes, she noticed a school mission trip to Brazil to establish eye clinics in villages lacking medical access, which ignited the goal for her own project. In preparation, Ella established reading glass donation drives at three schools in her community before traveling to Manaus, Brazil with her team and over 1000 pairs of reading glasses to share with the villages. In addition to providing glasses, Ella and her team hosted clinics at three villages along the Rio Negro in Brazil, administering simple eye exams and glasses to those who attended to help enhance vision and quality of life. Upon her return, Ella brought awareness to the importance of vision and the impact of community service projects by presenting her efforts to her high school class and encouraging fellow students to go on next year’s trip. Ella will take the lessons she learned throughout 14 years of Girl Scouting to the University of Kentucky, where she plans to major in Psychology and earn her doctorate.
Emily Coronado – Peoria
Visual and Performing Arts Mural
Emily created a mural at Centennial High School dedicated to performing and visual arts to engage students to get involved in these programs. Emily spoke with students of all grades to communicate the message of her mural, encouraging them to participate in the arts while emphasizing the benefits. After the completion of her project, Emily was contacted by multiple students who started to engage in the arts as well as the drama club officers who noticed an increase in involvement. A Girl Scout of seven years, Emily took her lifelong passion for various art forms and brought it to life in hopes of benefiting her school and the social lives of her fellow students, all of which earned her the prestigious Gold Award honor. Emily is a graduate of Centennial High School and currently attends Glendale Community College where she studies fine arts illustration.
Mezaan Crosby – Chandler
Muslim Girls Mentoring Program
After finding support from a female Muslim mentor during the pandemic, Girl Scout Mezaan Crosby wanted to give this opportunity to other girls, leading to the creation of the Muslim Girls Mentoring Program. With studies revealing that mentorships create healthier relationships and help improve self-confidence, Mezaan organized regular monthly meetings with fun activities and celebrations for the group including an outdoor hike, community service, an Eid party, and confidence workshop. Mezaan’s program impacted a total of 37 young Muslim women as well as their families and mentors. 60% of program mentees said they felt more confident and 100% of the mentors who completed the survey said they would serve as mentors again. Mezaan has been involved in Girl Scouts for over 10 years and credits her Gold Award-winning project for teaching her how to fundraise and improving her public speaking skills. A student at Horizon Honors Secondary School, Mezaan plans to major in either life science or biomedical engineering with a long-term goal of a Ph.D. in engineering from an R1 institution.
Payton Dymek – Phoenix
Use Your Voice Platform
After her internship as the head sports broadcaster for Vietnamese Arizona American Television, Payton’s passion and appreciation for journalism grew, inspiring her Gold Award project. To address gender biases in English language classrooms, and the perception of women in journalism, Payton created a website containing free lessons to learn about the journalism field, such as writing, broadcasting and other forms of media. Beyond Arizona, she was able to reach students in other states such as California, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Illinois, and New York. She also had students from South Africa engage with her project. After 12 years of Girl Scouting, Payton plans to expand her skillset and pursue a career in journalism, marketing and communications.
Lana Fischer – San Tan Valley
The Promise Trail - A Piece of History
While working at Girl Scout’s Shadow Rim Ranch camp property, Lana often took girls down the Promise Trail. To help restore the trail from prolonged use and bring back the history of the trail to educate girls, Lana’s Gold Award project focused on reviving the Promise Trail that is special to her. In her efforts, Lana designed new signs with the Girl Scout Promise and Law, trimmed blackberry bushes blocking the path and gathered the forgotten history of the Promise Trail. With the restoration, more girls are now able to walk and learn the history of the trail. Through her project, Lana learned that she can make a difference in young girls lives and serve as a role model A Girl Scout for 13 years, Lana says that Girl Scouting has made her proud of the person she has become. Lana attends Poston Butte High School and would like to go to college.
Brianna Fornoff – Wickenburg
Love Our Schools Day
Girl Scout Brianna Fornoff takes great pride in her school and often noticed low school spirit from her classmates. To enact change, Brianna jumped on the opportunity to engage the community and to beautify her high school campus by establishing "Love Our Schools" campus cleanup events at Wickenburg High School. Between two cleanup events, Brianna gathered over 100 volunteers including students and community members, who helped paint curbs, build desks, weed the landscape, pick up trash, pressure wash, and more. Brianna’s surveys with students after the project revealed that 70% of respondents noticed and appreciated the projects completed on campus and revealed that students gained a new perspective on school. Taking important lessons from her 12+ years as a Girl Scout, Brianna set out to leave her school looking better than when she found it, starting a continuing tradition of clean-up events that has expanded to other schools in the area and earning herself a Gold Award. Brianna is a graduate of Wickenburg High School and currently attends Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Zoe Golston – Scottsdale
Healing Young Hearts
Growing up, Zoe witnessed her loved ones struggle with their mental health issues and always made an effort to support them in any way. For her Gold Award project, Zoe wanted to give her Girl Scout Sisters the knowledge and resources they’d need to recognize and act on mental health hurdles. Zoe created mental health workshops that were made to accommodate the needs of the different Girl Scout levels – hosting various activities including yoga, breathing exercises and journaling. Additionally, she created informational pamphlets for community members and held a Jingle Gold Hike in collaboration with a fellow Gold Awardee to teach girls about mental health and environmental sustainability while taking a walk outside. Through her project, Zoe reached 250 Girl Scouts, including 14 troops, and received positive feedback on the lasting impact of her workshops. A Girl Scout of 13 years, Zoe hopes to attend college after graduating from high school where she’ll major in theatre.
Cassandra Gookin – Scottsdale
Stop The Silence: Support Resources For Everyone
After being diagnosed with Lyme Disease in middle school and witnessing her mom overcome invisible disabilities such as nerve damage from back surgery, Cassandra became aware of how others treated them. To challenge the notion that a disease's severity is dependent on its physical visibility, Cassandra began raising awareness about what invisible or silent disabilities are and how they can affect people. She created a website where she posted blogs to educate others on invisible disabilities, support resources, and created a free patch program for all Girl Scout Daisies-Ambassadors. Cassandra plans to attend Scottsdale Community College and continue her project by adding more blogs and interviews to her website.
Lauryn Hardaway – Cave Creek
Dream In STEAM
After observing a lack of inclusion in her school environment, Lauryn sprang into action to create “Dream in STEAM,” a book published to highlight and honor people of color who have been trailblazers in the science, technology, engineering, arts, and math fields. Lauryn self-published her book online and spread the message of inclusion by hosting weekly reading sessions and STEAM project demonstrations to inspire young audiences to achieve their goals just as the figures included in her book. Lauryn's book, "Dream in STEAM," secured a position in the top 100 on Amazon's science books chart, and through her weekly sessions, Lauryn was able to impact over 100 children with her message of inclusion and STEAM, all enroute to a prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award. Lauryn has been a Girl Scout for seven years and plans to attend Spelman College in Atlanta to pursue a major in chemistry and become an interventional radiologist.
Adhelle Kellogg – Surprise
Pride Affirmation Walk
To support her friends from the LGBTQIA+ community, Adhelle created a resourceful document to increase awareness on mental health issues that members of the LGBTQIA+ community face. Following the instructions provided in the document, people can scan different QR codes containing affirmations and resources that can be accessed simply by going on a walk. Her Pride Affirmation Walk project will be implemented in Arizona, Texas, Mildenhall, Suffolk, and Nottingham, England. Through this project, Adhelle felt more comfortable and confident to be her true self and advocate for her loved ones and their experiences. Adhelle is currently completing an associate degree in communication and will be transferring to Arizona State University to earn a bachelor's degree in environmental science.
Julia Kim – Chandler
Helping Hand Yoga
When working on a health assignment for school, Julia stumbled upon an article from JAMA Pediatrics that reported a surge in depression and anxiety over the past five years in children ages 5-17. Motivated by this data and her experiences volunteering with youth at a local after-school program, Julia dedicated her Gold Award project to creating a space where people of all ages could relax while gaining coping skills for managing stress and anxiety. Yoga being a passion of hers, Julia conducted yoga sessions during Club Fridays at Improving Chandler Area Neighborhoods (ICAN), a local community after-school program where she interacted with dozens of students, staff and educators. Additionally, Julia created a blog to reach a broader audience to share information and techniques on managing stress. After graduating from high school, Julia hopes to attend a university to pursue a medical degree that will put her on track to become a physician.
Haley Lee – Chandler
Preventing Period Poverty
To address period poverty and the stigma around periods, Haley focused her Gold Award project on combatting this issue directly by creating an educational curriculum and period kits to distribute to communities in need. Haley developed her curriculum to cover menstrual cycles, hygiene, and products as well as the prevalence of period poverty and the necessity to address it. Haley’s project educated 30 girls in total, and she created 266-period kits with her team, each with over 10 period products and a personalized label. In total, Haley donated over $2,000 of menstrual products to AZ Diaper Bank to be distributed across Arizona and collaborated with local women-owned businesses to gather donations and make connections for kit distribution. A Girl Scout of 11 years, Haley continues to attribute her service to the community due to her childhood in Girl Scouts. Haley currently attends Hamilton High School and plans to follow the pre-med track in college when she graduates.
Rachel Leppla – Peoria
A Change to Energy
Rachel created her Gold Award project to spread awareness about sustainable energy and how the use of energy affects the world. Rachel researched and created an online platform to share her findings with the local community. She ensured her research was accessible to young audiences to help them understand what sustainable and clean energy is. As her 12 years of Girl Scouting come to an end, Rachel is now using her leadership and communication skills to pursue degrees in English and Journalism/Mass Communications at Arizona State University.
Abby LoManto – Youngtown
Liberty Wildlife Medical Information Boxes
After numerous school field trips to Liberty Wildlife, a nonprofit center dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating animals, Abby grew to admire the staff's passion and commitment to animal rehabilitation. For her Gold Award project, Abby sought out the needs of the team at Liberty Wildlife so they could focus on helping animals impacted by urbanization. To assist the team, Abby fulfilled the item at the top of their wish list by creating weather-safe storage boxes for staff to store medical records, providing more time for the staff to take care of animals in need. Abby stepped out of her comfort zone to explore a new skill of woodworking to earn the Gold Award honor. A Girl Scout of 10 years, Abby plans to go to Arizona State University to earn her degree in Education and one day become a high school teacher.
Emily McGee – Goodyear
Burrowing Owl Project
With the ongoing loss of nesting habitats, water, and food sources for burrowing owls due to land overdevelopment, Emily focused her Gold Award project on raising awareness and addressing the challenges faced by this important animal in our desert’s ecosystem. To bring her vision to life and earn the most prestigious award in Girl Scouting, Emily developed an artificial burrowing site at her high school and coordinated volunteer support for two additional artificial burrowing habitat sites to feed and monitor. All three burrows are self-sustainable and will continue to provide habitats to stop the decline of the burrowing owl population. Emily brought her cause to local school officials, schools in agricultural areas of Arizona and city youth commission meetings to raise awareness. Emily’s research and project findings were also shared in a presentation that reached over 800 scholars and more than 300 teachers within her school district. A Girl Scout of 11 years, Emily would like to become a medical examiner.
Sophia Moreno – Tempe
Capturing Impacts of the 1970s Labor Rights Movement
Empowered by her family’s history as migrant farm workers, Sophia took her Gold Award as an opportunity to not only honor her family’s sacrifices but also teach others about the 1970s Labor Rights Movement to preserve stories and continue a legacy of advocacy and change. Her interviews with field workers, families, and activists were published online and shared with high school teachers to integrate into their curriculum. As a Girl Scout of 12 years, Sophia has shown great leadership and service to others by amplifying voices and telling stories that often go untold. Sophia is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Political Science at Carnegie Mellon University and plans to attend law school soon.
Megan Motter – Cave Creek
Dark Skies
The night sky was Megan’s muse as she created light shields, brochures for the Cave Creek Dark Skies Initiative which included a YouTube video, an article for her school’s newspaper, and taught younger Girl Scout troops about the night sky, helping them earn their space badge. Her Girl Scouting journey of 10 years introduced Megan to new friendships, connecting her with new experiences that gave her the courage to explore new things and develop a confident attitude. Megan plans to major in STEM to help the ecosystem through scientific research.
McKinley Paltzik – Scottsdale
Welcome to America
While researching for a speech about Afghan refugees, McKinley discovered the story of Fahima, one of thousands of refugees resettling in Arizona, inspiring her to start her Gold Award project. With the Valencia Newcomer School for first-year refugee children in Arizona, McKinley crafted a free English tutoring program to support students as they transition from refugee schools to public schools. McKinley interviewed teachers, studied ESL teaching strategies, and practiced with students to help them succeed academically. The stories and friendships that came from this experience remind McKinley of what it means to lead with care and compassion. Mckinley studies government and economics at Harvard University.
Jenny Pasternack – Scottsdale
Reading Buddies
After seeing how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted literacy rates and learning experiences for children, Jenny created Reading Buddies, a summer program for kindergarten and third grade students to participate in reading and writing activities alongside “teen buddies”. With 55 teen volunteers, Jenny served children in the Scottsdale Library System and Mustang and Civics Center, sharing her love for reading with everyone who participated. Jenny will be attending Emory University to study public policy analysis.
Amanda Ray – Phoenix
Low-Cost Ingredient Recipes
To help better her community and inspire others, Amanda made a difference through food. Amanda created a recipe book with low-cost ingredients and foods that are commonly donated to food banks to help patrons cook higher-quality meals. She also distributed printed and online copies to multiple food banks throughout Phoenix. Amanda received direct staff feedback on her project's effectiveness, and to test that her recipes were simple, easy, and delicious, Amanda hosted a cooking event and taste test with her team to prepare the meals themselves. As a result of her project, Amanda has established relationships with local food banks in her area and donates annually to provide support. Amanda is a student at Chaparral High School, and she plans to attend Arizona State University to study business.
Jayla Richardson – Scottsdale
Music Soothes the Soul: Music As Medicine
Living with her grandmother diagnosed with dementia, Jayla witnessed the power of music in her grandmother’s health and well-being. As a musician herself, Jayla recognizes the benefits of music, helping people relax and focus. Through her project, Jayla addressed challenges that people living with dementia experience related to memory loss, confusion, anxiety and stress. She provided an accessible and free music program for seniors at Angel Adult Day Center. Jayla curated music playlists and videos on YouTube from different decades, Christmas, and relaxation videos. She also donated a TV, an Amazon Firestick and Apple TV to increase accessibility in two areas of the center. With the help of senior residents, Jayla created a wall display of album covers, sparking conversations between the residents about their favorite artists. The leadership, project management and financial planning skills gained throughout her 12 years of Girl Scouting shine through every corner of this project. After graduating high school, Jayla plans to major in neuroscience to study how music impacts the brain.
Maya Schnee – Phoenix
Garden
After 13 years of Girl Scouting, Maya dedicated her project to creating an outdoor learning space for students in a low-income neighborhood. Maya repaired the school garden and taught students how to maintain it so it can truly sustain itself over time. Before starting her college journey at Northern Arizona University, Maya was diagnosed with scoliosis, but that did not stop her from creating positive change in her community.
Cameron Shinyeda – Chandler
So You Want to Fly Podcast
With a private pilot’s license and a passion for flying, Cameron established her own podcast to inspire others and share resources that were not easily available to her when she started flying. Through Spotify, she has reached multiple listeners across the country and has learned a thing or two about podcasting. Cameron plans to take her learning and hobby to the next level to pursue a career in aerospace engineering.
Isabella Small – Tempe
Type 1 Diabetes Youth Connect Organization
After being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes just seven months after her sister received the same news, Isabella used her Gold Award project to build T1D Youth Connect, an organization to empower kids through connection, inspiration, and fun. Isabella successfully organized three social events with T1D Youth Connect, developed an active online presence including a YouTube channel offering inspiration to newly diagnosed kids, delivered over 100 inspirational collages at hospitals, and created a T1D resource directory for 75 families to connect. A Girl Scout for 10 years, Isabella credits the organization for shaping her into an action-taker and change-maker. Isabella’s Gold Award project helped her realize her passion for inspiring others, influencing her to attend Arizona State University and Barrett, The Honors College with a double major in psychology and organizational leadership. She aspires to create her own business, consulting companies on how employee happiness can lead to success.
Diana Spellman – Tempe
Scottish Highland Dancing in Arizona
Diana used her love and experience for Scottish Highland dancing to revitalize the local passion for the dance in pursuit of the highest honor in Girl Scouts–a Gold Award. To fuel local love for Highland dancing and inform the community, Diana held six free dance workshops for children that provided demonstrations, hands-on learning experience and other education. For a digital element to her Gold Award project, Diana used YouTube as a platform to educate the public on Highland dancing, costumes, and performance. To further drive sustainable impact, Diana bought and sponsored trophies to distribute at the Highland Celtic Festival dance competition in Flagstaff for the next 20 years. Diana’s efforts elevated the number of dancers at the Arizona Celtic Festival from 11 to 32 in just one year and influenced 12 children to sign up for her dance school. Diana attends Corona Del Sol High School and is considering what she will study post-graduation.
Olivia Stone – Mesa
Tranquil Trails Labyrinth
Recognizing the importance of spending time outdoors and its positive impact on mental well-being, Olivia's Gold Award project created a welcoming outdoor space in Flat Iron Park in Apache Junction known as Tranquil Trails Labyrinth. Olivia designed the space for individuals to engage in healing activities such as music, prayer, thought, exercise, and other healing activities. The Labyrinth is lined with positive painted rocks and encourages visitors to take a rock and leave a rock. Upon creating the Labyrinth, Olivia received thanks from parkgoers for creating the space and making the park even more beautiful. By creating the Labyrinth, Olivia wanted to help bring awareness to the effects of negative mental health and provide a support system for the community. A graduate of Desert Ridge High School, Olivia is going to college for deaf studies to become an American Sign Language interpreter, attending Phoenix College before transferring to University of Arizona.
Madisyn Van Hemert – Buckeye
Project A
Madisyn used her experience as a student athlete to provide equal accessibility and expand the athletic department of her school district to support low-income families who cannot afford to put their children in club sports. To boost students' confidence and support their desire for sports, Madisyn held an athletic field day event offering activities including volleyball, tag, football, ultimate frisbee and more with coaches and student volunteers assisting with games and engaging with participants. Surveys after the event revealed that students felt more comfortable in high school sports and were interested in attending the field day again. As a Girl Scout lifetime member, Madisyn says she carries the Girl Scout spirit with her everywhere she goes. Madisyn is a graduate of Coconino High School in Flagstaff and is currently a full-time student studying fitness and wellness as well as Spanish.
Spencer Wareing – Scottsdale
Saguaro-Pueblo Bilingual Performance Outreach Program
To integrate fine arts, more specifically the impact of theatre into STEM curriculums, Spencer partnered with local schools to emphasis the importance of STEAM-based learning and organized the first iteration of the Performance Outreach Program (POP) during the winter of 2022 and spring of 2023. With the help of elementary school teachers, Spencer led a group of high school students to teach them about theatre: set and props design, play scripts, costumes, and more. As students prepared to perform their plays, Spencer was greeted with gratitude and handmade letters from students whose lives had been changed because of the Performance Outreach Program. Spencer’s project increased an understanding of STEAM education, and established meaningful partnerships with teachers, and parents/guardians involved in their children’s learning experience. Her Girl Scouting journey of 13 years instilled leadership and a spirit of determination, leading her to join the Jeanine Larson Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre and Dance as a double major at Southeast Missouri State University.
Winter Gonzales Warnicke – Phoenix
Teens for TNR
Inspired by her cats, Winter started Teens for TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return), an intervention program to decrease cat overpopulation by humanely neutering them and returning them to their colonies. This protects cats from diseases and cancers, allowing them to live while the population in the colony stabilizes and slowly decreases over time. Though she had been connected to TNR’s mission since she was nine, she contributed to their cause by conducting two trap jobs and launching a website to inform communities about TNR which included a database with links to TNR resources in every state and a workshop to spread awareness. Winter is now carrying this unique piece of her Girl Scouting experience in her pursuit of careers in biology and English at Smith College, a historical women's college in Massachusetts.
Tiffany Wong – Scottsdale
Kickstart the Arts
Stemming from her passion of dance, Tiffany dedicated her Gold Award project to providing art centered opportunities for her Girl Scout Sisters in the Pima neighborhood. She created four art badge events and multiple badge plans for Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies and Juniors. From producing the plans to planning and hosting the events, Tiffany found her project to be a creative outlet, further feeding her love of the arts. A success, Tiffany’s events saw double the attendance from art centered Girl Scout events the year prior, her badge plans are currently hosted on a website for volunteers and Girl Scouts to easily access. A Girl Scout of six years, Tiffany attends the University of Arizona studying speech, language and hearing sciences with a minor in educational psychology.
Claire Xu – Peoria
Music for Community
Drawing inspiration from her long-time experience in music as a piano and flute player as well as well as her cherished memories performing for her grandparents, Claire set out on her Gold Award mission to create positive, entertaining experiences for the elderly through “Music for Community,” a bi-weekly club that performs monthly recitals at senior living facilities. To effectively develop and maintain “Music for Community,” Claire applied the communication and organizational skills she learned over 11 years of Girl Scouting to lead outreach and engage club members. During the project, the impactful club gained 26 members across 13 different instruments and held 15 club performances at eight retirement homes across the valley. Claire is a current student at Mountain Ridge High School and plans to study economics or business administration while carrying her life-long love for music and performance.
Lilly Zahnow – Scottsdale
Digital Songbook
To recognize the collective heritage within Girl Scouting and the importance of passing this heritage down to the next generation, Lilly collaborated with over 15 Girl Scout councils across the nation to create a Digital Songbook collection of camp song lyrics, rhythms, and other regional differences. Lilly achieved the Girl Scouts' highest accolade by showcasing 10 years of essential teamwork, communication, and organizational skills acquired within the organization to creatively promote cultural memory and inclusivity. Lilly measured the success of her project by conducting Girl Scout focus groups to discuss the impact, effectiveness and ease of use of her database. Lilly is a graduate of Notre Dame Preparatory High School in Scottsdale. Lilly currently attends the University of Texas at Austin and is pursuing a degree in Theatre Education.
About Girl Scouts—Arizona Cactus-Pine Council (GSACPC)
In partnership with 6,500 adult volunteers, GSACPC serves over 12,000 girls grades K-12 in more than 90 communities across central and northern Arizona. Since 1936, GSACPC has helped girls develop leadership skills and tools for success in a rapidly changing environment. We know that given the opportunity, every girl can become a leader, act confidently on her values, and connect with her community. For more information, visit www.girlscoutsaz.org.
