Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida Announces 2026 Gold Award Recipients

Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida recognized 22 outstanding young women from Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Indian River counties with the prestigious 2026 Girl Scouts Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. The annual Gold Award Ceremony was recently held at the Doubletree by Hilton Deerfield Beach.

During the ceremony, each Girl Scout was presented with a Gold Award pin by a special adult who supported her through her project and Girl Scout career. In return, the girl presented this adult with the Companion Gold Award pin.

Awarded to only 5% of eligible Girl Scouts nationwide, the Gold Award recognizes girls in grades 9 through 12 who demonstrate exceptional leadership, dedication and commitment to creating meaningful, sustainable change in their communities. Twelve of this year’s recipients are graduating high school seniors, six completed their projects last summer and returned to participate in the event following their first year in college, and four are current high school underclassmen

To earn the Gold Award, each Girl Scout must identify a community issue she is passionate about and lead a large-scale service project designed to create lasting impact. The Gold Award Class of 2026 took on issues including literacy; mental health; breast cancer, concussion, autism and endometriosis awareness; food insecurity and waste; foster care; and environmental sustainability. Their collective projects contributed more than 2,500 community service hours and partnered with dozens of local organizations to impact thousands of lives close to home and as far away as Tanzania in Africa.

Gold Award projects require advanced communication, leadership and project management skills, often involving collaboration with nonprofits, schools, local governments and community organizations. The experience is designed to inspire a lifetime of civic engagement and leadership.

Often described as “what you want to be remembered for,” the Gold Award leaves a lasting legacy of activism, compassion and service long after a Girl Scout’s journey ends.

“I am impressed by the determination and creativity the Gold Award Class of 2026 demonstrated through their projects. Their community collaborations are remarkable, showing everyone the power of partnerships,” said Lisa Johnson, CEO of Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida. “Earning a Gold Award marks an important milestone in a Girl Scout’s career. The vision, commitment and leadership will continue to carry these extraordinary young women to new heights. This will forever distinguish them on scholarship applications, college admission essays and resumes.”

The 2026 Gold Awards ceremony sponsors included HCA Florida Healthcare, Amazon, Florida Power & Light and Publix Super Markets Charities and table sponsor Tula Hudson-Miller. To learn more about the Gold Award, scholarship opportunities or how to support Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, please visit gssef.org.

The 2026 Gold Award Girl Scouts are:

Selyna Amankwah, a Miramar resident and freshman at St. Thomas University, spearheaded a project called Pepper’s Paws. Pet owners spend billions annually on pet food, yet when this food is wasted due to over-purchasing, expiration, pet rejection or dietary changes, it represents a direct financial loss. Like human food waste, pet food waste decomposing in landfills releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. As Selyna learned more about this issue, she wondered about the many pet owners who find themselves with unused pet food due to such circumstances and how she could direct that food to low-income pet owners. She wanted to create a sustainable and responsible way to repurpose pet food to reduce the negative environmental impact while getting food to other needy pets. Selyna collaborated with Trinity Lutheran Church and its Kindhearted Krew team, as well as local pet shelters, to educate pet owners about the environmental impact of discarding pet food and about the critical need for donating the food to existing community food pantries. She knew that if she could explain the issue to others, the connection would be obvious and pet owners who could donate excess food would do so. Selyna added a website and digital outreach campaign to spread the message, raise awareness and connect donors with families in need. She built a network of volunteers and community support that has resulted in two live workshops, five community events and more than 100 pet food donors so far. Selyna also received the inaugural “You Are My Sunshine” scholarship in 2025.

Julianna Auais, a Miramar resident and junior at Archbishop McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches, completed a project called Relax and Recover with The Crafty Box Club. The combination of anxious children and a busy emergency waiting room sets a stage for high levels of stress and anxiety. When long wait times in an unfamiliar hospital environment with others who are experiencing pain or fear are part of the mix, Julianna knew there was an opportunity for intervention and improvement. Approximately 30 million ill and injured children visit the ED annually. This doesn’t account for the children who accompany ill or injured adults. In both cases, the environment can be a scary experience that often leads to overwhelming stress that interferes with their ability to cope. Through a partnership with Broward Health Medical Center, Julianna began with education about pediatric mental health and age-appropriate activities that could be realistic, safe and sustainable in an emergency waiting room. Next, she educated younger students about the issues kids face in the ED every day and recruited them to make boxes with her. The results included a social media campaign on Instagram, dozens of volunteers making boxes and more than 100 boxes delivered to the Broward Health Medical Center’s ED. Feedback from hospital staff and user surveys showed that 100% of recipients found the boxes to be comforting, relaxing and distracting in positive ways over the course of waiting time and during emergency treatment. Julianna is continuing to educate others and is working to expand her program to more hospitals in Broward County.

K’Yahna Baldwin, a Hollywood resident and freshman at Broward College, completed her NextStepZ project that addresses the challenges faced by many teens when navigating their futures after high school due to limited access to and understanding of up-to-date resources. K’Yahna wanted to address the lack of personalized guidance with tailored advice about career pathways, college admissions and financial aid opportunities. She saw a significant gap between those students who experience financial barriers and therefore need a job and their interest in meaningful part-time academic enrollment. K’Yahna created and hosted a series of four workshops for 40 students each on topics such as completing college applications, applying for scholarships, and career pathway ideas and readiness. Hands-on activities included resume-writing, drafting college essays and identifying scholarships. She was most proud that she founded a space for real conversations where students could ask questions, get advice or just talk about their goals and concerns. Students left with practical tools and completed work, so they felt confident and motivated. In a survey, 100% of attendees said they learned something new and felt more confident about planning their futures. To strengthen the community and expand reach, K’Yahna developed a group hosted on a Discord community server, Instagram page, website and YouTube channel that features her videos. Additionally, a club at Miramar High School committed to continuing to use her tools and help more students in the years to come. K’Yahna hopes to turn her Gold Award project into a nonprofit organization to continue and grow her impact.

Dakiera Battle, a Pembroke Pines resident and senior at West Broward High School, noticed that some student athletes were not taking concussion education seriously or retaining the information in a meaningful way. That led her to her project, Heads Up: Concussion Awareness for Student-Athletes. Although Florida requires athletes to complete concussion and heat-related illness awareness training before playing sports, the material is often rushed or treated like a boring formality. This created a dangerous gap in understanding, which can lead to underreporting symptoms, misunderstanding of injuries and an increased risk of long-term health complications. Dakiera sought to change the approach to the education and the mindsets that felt like it discouraged athletes from speaking up about injuries, especially “invisible” ones like concussions. Through collaboration with the Broward County Athletic Association and help from her high school football coach, she created a digital education initiative designed to make concussion information more engaging, accessible and memorable for teens. There’s a website that hosts concussion awareness resources, educational worksheets and recovery information for students, parents and coaches; interactive social media content with important facts about symptoms of and tips to avoid concussions; and a series of educational YouTube videos explaining what concussions are, how to recognize symptoms and what steps athletes should take if they suspect a concussion. This was complemented with printable worksheets to help students better understand symptoms, recovery, how to support teammates with injuries and why it’s critical to change the culture of head injuries and prioritize brain health. Dakiera will attend Florida State University in the fall to major in biology and business.

Abigail Berkowitz, a Parkland resident and senior at Donna Klein Jewish Academy, discovered that the issue of food insecurity affects more than one million people in South Florida due to inflation, low wages and high housing costs. Not only has inflation had a negative effect on everyday essentials, but it has also significantly impacted pet care and pet food products. Pet food costs have increased more than 33% since 2019. National research demonstrates that 30 million pets face life-threatening hunger every year. Abigail’s project, Impact of Food Insecurity on Pets, addresses this issue by creating and teaching others how to add a Pet Food Pantry within existing food pantries and educate the public about the problem. Unfortunately, pet owners who rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits face the devastating reality that these funds cannot be used to buy pet food, so many feed their pets table food or feel forced to surrender their pets to overcrowded shelters. Through her partnerships with Royal Palm Christian Church, Broward County Library Parkland, Rotary Club of Coral Springs/Parkland and Nova Southeastern University, Abigail made numerous presentations to a wide range of audiences. Surveys showed that attendees were educated about the number of Broward County residents struggling to eat regularly, as well as those living in poverty and depending on SNAP or Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed benefits that do not cover pet food. More than 90% of respondents reported an increased understanding of pet food insecurity and over 75% said that they would support a pet food pantry in the future.

Madison Blake, a Davie resident and freshman at Broward College, created Feeling it Through: Sensory Overload – At Ease. While volunteering at Camp Giborim, a local special needs program that serves campers with autism, Down syndrome and various other disabilities, Madison gained a unique understanding about the impact of stress on children and adults with such conditions. Factors such as differences in learning, processing speed and communication styles can lead to extraordinary reactions to stress because they may have a stronger response rate, disorienting levels of mental distress or challenges expressing their feelings. Madison learned how sensory objects can help by engaging senses, boosting confidence, improving focus, enhancing emotional regulation and helping with communication development. Madison created specialty bins filled with the sensory objects needed for a wide range of ages and abilities. She also produced a series of educational videos to show others how to make some of the tools for little or no cost. She started with a goal to collaborate with and support three schools and 60 individuals. She built an impressive 18-member team and partnered with seven Broward County schools. Survey results of school case workers said 100% of their clients who used the sensory bin items and found them to be helpful in reducing a child’s stress levels. Additionally, her survey results demonstrated that adults came away with a better understanding of how to help their students in stressful situations and led teachers to feel “closer” with their students because they could help them “feel more understood.”

Taylor Browning, a Wellington resident and junior at Wellington Community High School, completed her project titled Pediatric Medical Daycare – More Than Just Physical Therapies. Most people haven’t heard of a Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care (PPEC) facility. These are all-day, non-residential, medical daycare centers offering skilled nursing care for children with complex medical conditions. Beyond the medical therapies, these young patients need mental, emotional and developmental stimulation which can be achieved by interactions with individuals with time to share. Taylor wanted to tell people about these children and work to fill the gaps in their daily lives with recreational activities built to accommodate their conditions and constraints. Taylor was drawn to working with this special group and passionate about connecting others to make their lives more interesting, hopeful and joyful. She partnered with Parents Choice Medical Daycare in Boynton Beach to create a four-month series of weekly activities, with developmental benefits to youth patients, that did not interfere with medical treatments. Weekly sessions included using live musical instruments and singalongs with simple participation movements; interactive games using letters, numbers and colors; and reading books aloud. Taylor consulted with licensed therapists to evaluate the project’s results with surveys for clinicians and parents. Feedback demonstrated a 90 to 100% satisfaction rate recognizing the “overall benefit” of the program to children in the medical daycare, as well as overwhelming support for the idea of community members volunteering time to benefit patients. Informal and formal feedback from parents agreed that the non-physical activities enriched their child’s overall care.

Cecilia “Cece” Burdick, a Pompano Beach resident and junior at North Broward Preparatory School in Coconut Creek, was adopted as a toddler and is familiar with children who’ve faced emotional challenges including anxiety, attachment disorders, low self-esteem and trauma due to instability, separation from family and frequent transitions. For Cece, children in foster care are near to her heart and her project, Kits for Kids, reflected that. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, many children in foster care struggle with mental health without consistent access to therapeutic support. Creative expression, especially through art, is a widely recognized method to improve mental health and provide therapeutic benefits for children who need support to process emotions, build resilience and strengthen a sense of control. At the same time, children often need their necessities met before extras, such as art supplies, can be considered. Cece partnered with Kids in Distress in Wilton Manors to put individualized, age-appropriate craft kits into the hands of foster children that would offer them a variety of tools and self-guided lessons to explore their creativity, reduce stress and build emotional strength. To engage others and build in sustainability, Cece also founded the Craft Club at her school, where she educated peers about the local foster care system and supported the mission to help foster children in this unique way. With passion and drive, she recruited 16 student members who now share her vision to engage the center’s young clients with activities such as crocheting, painting, coloring and bracelet-making. Participants will continue to provide feedback on Cece’s project goals to reduce stress, improve self-expression and increase confidence. Cece’s mother and troop leader, Cindy Burdick, is also a Gold Award Girl Scout and presented Cece with her pin during the award ceremony.

Carmela Bustamante, a Port St. Lucie resident and freshman at Florida State University, wants to open people’s eyes to the fact that homelessness is a looming reality for a large number of Floridians and once homelessness occurs, obtaining new housing is extremely difficult and rarely quick. Her project, A Hand Up for the Homeless, did just that. Florida has the fourth largest homeless population in the country, behind California, New York and Washington, D.C. Shockingly, approximately 60% of all Americans are just one paycheck away from homelessness because of rising housing costs, lack of savings, income instability or an unplanned expense, usually medical related. Regional data revealed that more than 2,700 students in St. Lucie County were identified as homeless or in unstable housing. Carmela set out to organize community efforts to provide both practical support and education by collaborating with Angels of Hope, part of Food for the Poor. With her team, she organized a three-part workshop series to teach others to make crocheted sleeping mats out of recycled plastic bags to offer sustainable comfort and insulation to individuals sleeping outdoors. Through workshop presentations and social media outreach, she taught 50 individuals how to make “yarn” from recycled plastic while she educated many more about the grim realities of homelessness and encouraged compassionate, informed support. By combining direct aid with advocacy, her project aimed to alleviate immediate hardships while fostering long-term awareness and empathy. Her instructional booklet and video will continue to educate and inspire others to lend a helpful hand to their own local homeless populations.

Gracie Canedy, a Sunrise resident and freshman at Nova Southeastern University, created Compassion Closet for her project. In Broward County, most elementary and middle schools have a mandatory uniform dress code. Uniforms are beneficial for fostering a more focused, safe and equitable learning environment, yet pose a hardship for low-income families that struggle to afford them. When students outgrow uniforms or graduate, they are typically thrown away and only sometimes donated to thrift stores. Approximately 1.4 million wearable school uniform items are thrown away annually in the U.S., contributing significantly to the 11 million tons of textile waste. This is dangerous because uniforms are generally made of PFAS, a man-made chemical that can pose a threat to local ecosystems by polluting water, soil and air. Gracie knew she could do better for families and the environment. She founded the Compassion Closet to organize and redistribute gently used uniforms to the families who needed them. She began her project at Horizon Elementary School in Sunrise, a Title 1 school serving a high percentage of low-income families, qualifying it for federal funds to provide supplemental resources. She worked tirelessly to educate families through the PTA, organize and launder the uniforms, recruit volunteers and ultimately provide uniforms for 40 families so far. Even though her project has officially concluded, Gracie has continued to harness the momentum and now has volunteers with plans to open two more closets with her at Bair Middle School and Banyan Elementary School, both Title 1 schools in Sunrise.

Laiel Fretwell, a Miramar resident and senior at South Plantation High School, addressed the lack of awareness of the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) community in Broward County with her project Beyond Words: Hands of Harmony. Approximately 72,000 residents identify as DHH, therefore awareness by the average hearing resident is important for making meaningful connections and relationships among all members of society. When people learn how to communicate with DHH individuals, they ensure equal access to information, foster social-emotional development and prevent severe isolation. Laiel wanted to open a fresh conversation about sensitivity and empathy with more young people, so she collaborated with her teacher at South Plantation High School to conduct a video series interviewing those familiar with the DHH community and American Sign Language (ASL). These videos discussed issues about inclusion, how to approach the DHH audience with more sensitivity and how to increase interest in learning ASL, including teaching basic signs. Laiel gave multiple community presentations on her topic and offered ASL lessons with greetings, easy phrases and conversation starters. She captured her program’s progress and success through surveys that measured her audience gaining knowledge on how to fingerspell using the ASL alphabet, learning how to introduce themselves in ASL, using common phrases in ASL to make connections with a new DHH person and improving attitudes about approaching others with differing abilities with an open mind, curiosity and respect. To learn some signs from Laiel, watch her lesson here. Laiel plans to attend Florida International University in the fall to major in physical therapy.

Mia Lesko, a Lake Worth resident and senior at Seminole Ridge Community High School in Loxahatchee, grew concerned about the surprisingly low literacy rates, which measure the ability to read, comprehend and write, among high school students. She addressed that concern with her project Between the Lines. Often when students in high school fall behind on these skills, they are embarrassed and do not ask for help. Soon, the curriculum grows out of reach and test-taking becomes agonizing. Research shows one in six current high school students (about 1.2 million teens) drop out of high school annually, primarily due to issues with illiteracy. Many more struggle with basic reading and writing, which hinders self-sufficiency in adulthood and stunts employment opportunities. The national dropout rate for students with learning disabilities was 24% compared with 5.3% of all students. Mia saw that the importance of a high school student’s literacy proficiency could not be overstated, yet finding the students who would accept help would be challenging. She started with support from a school administrator to identify students reading below their grade level and recruited a team of 15 students from the English and Journalism Honor Societies at her school. Mia created a website which revealed and discussed literacy challenges and offered information needed to create change and provide assistance including her group meetings. In addition to straight talk about literacy skills that are so important to master for adult life, she added available resources to help students improve them privately. On the site, Mia built a survey form to gather feedback from those who used the website to find out if it helped them personally and provided a place for concerns or questions. Respondents have reported an increased positive attitude towards reading/writing creatively and educationally, plus an increased knowledge about the importance of literacy and comprehension skills. Mia will attend University of South Florida in the fall.

Isabella Lombardo, a Loxahatchee resident and senior at Park Vista Community High School in Greenacres, found that endometriosis is a commonly misunderstood disease that is often misdiagnosed. This led her to her project, Endometriosis Awareness. Many women think that severe menstrual cycle pain is normal, but after much research and doctor’s appointments, they may learn that this painful condition occurs when tissue that is similar to the inner lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. It often affects the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue lining the pelvis. It seemed like no one wanted to discuss this disease. However, Isabella knew it was important and wanted to create a comprehensive educational campaign to tell more girls about this condition and ultimately raise their awareness to get involved and begin to know their own bodies. Through collaboration with Jupiter Medical Center and the Health Care District of Palm Beach County, Isabella created informational posters for her school’s female restrooms and hosted online information sessions to teach girls about the symptoms and long-term effects of endometriosis. Her message was spread to an international audience of girls in Tanzania in East Africa through a collaboration with Quality Healthcare Solutions and Consulting in West Palm Beach. For this group, she also organized a collection of reusable menstrual pads for girls in Tanzania that are eco-friendly, cost-effective and sustainable alternatives to disposable items. Isabella will attend Florida Gulf Coast University in the fall, where she will study marine biology.

Sarah McKenzie, a Fort Lauderdale resident and freshman at University of South Florida, completed a project called Swim to Safety. As a lifeguard, Sarah knows that learning to swim is a critical, life-saving skill. Florida leads the nation in drowning deaths for children ages four and younger. Due to the high density of pools, beaches, lakes and canals, formal swim lessons are considered essential for safety, reducing drowning risk by approximately 88%. Sarah noticed that too many children in her community and surrounding areas did not know how to swim because of affordability, lack of availability and language barriers. Her project aimed to serve these specific audiences by offering life-saving lessons at low or no cost at a wide range of days and times, and in multiple languages, at neighborhood public pools. She knew she could help families prioritize swimming, calm fears and make a difference. By the conclusion of her lessons, the majority of class participants experienced meaningful results and progressed to Red Cross defined level two, and 100% of the students learned how to enter and exit the water safely. To supplement her lessons and expand the reach of her messages, Sarah created 10 swim safety videos to encourage others to learn more about the benefits of taking organized swimming lessons, explain basic pool rules, dispel myths of water safety, how to recognize the signs of drowning, compare floaties vs. life jackets and provide suggestions for parents of young swimmers. Watch Sarah’s video about pool safety rules here.

Isabella Mora, a Davie resident and senior at Flex Learning Academy, named her project Wave Warrior. Her project addresses the problem of light pollution in coastal areas and the serious conflict it created for wildlife and the environment. One of the species most directly affected by this issue is sea turtles. Artificial lighting from homes, hotels, streets, parking lots and businesses near the beach interfere with the natural behaviors that sea turtles rely on to survive. Only 25% of sea turtle hatchlings survive their first few days in the ocean and only one in 1,000 sea turtles make it to adulthood. Isabella set out to make a difference through a partnership with Nova Southeastern University’s Marine Environmental Education Center (MEEC) to educate people about the dangers of light pollution and the plight of sea turtles. She produced and led a series of 12 presentations for MEEC guests and students on the lifecycle of sea turtles, importance of shoreline light disruption to save the species and simple actions they can take, such as using turtle-friendly lighting, reducing unnecessary outdoor lights during nesting season and spreading awareness to others. Isabella reached more than 250 people with her program and countless more with her social media presence and handouts at MEEC. Post-presentation survey results reported that the majority of participants gained awareness of the issue and would make a change to their personal lighting to help protect sea turtles.

Kana Reynolds, a Southwest Ranches resident and freshman at North Broward Preparatory School in Coconut Creek, is the first Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida Council member ever to earn the Gold Award as a high school freshman. With her project Art for the Heart: Mindful Masterpieces for Emotional Wellbeing, Kana wanted to use art therapy to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, support emotional regulation and promote overall wellbeing while mitigating barriers such as cost, location and lack of awareness that often prevent people from accessing these benefits. Kana’s project was designed to make therapeutic art more accessible to underserved populations with a free multimedia platform featuring a website, Instagram account, YouTube channel and a short, illustrated art tutorial book. These resources included more than 30 self-guided art therapy tutorials in mediums such as painting, drawing, sculpture, collage and mixed media. Each tutorial blends creative instruction with the science behind art therapy and is aligned with Social Emotional Learning skills. Kana collaborated with professional artists and professors at Florida Atlantic University to design activities and courses she led in northern Broward County for more than 100 students, as well as an additional 80 international students in St. Elizabeth, Kingston and Trelawny, Jamaica.

Keala Richichi, a Jupiter resident and senior at Jupiter High School, loves the game of golf and has been playing since she was 10 years old. She could not help but notice some discrepancies when it came to females, such as smaller fields, fewer players and even fewer caddies. That led to her project Caddie-Golf Junior Program. As Keala gained experience as a junior caddie, learning both golf and real-life ready skills, she set out to change the perception of female caddies and introduce the sport and opportunity to more girls. Through her collaboration with First Tee of the Palm Beaches, she created interesting educational videos that were distributed through community organizations, local golf courses with junior programs and multiple Palm Beach schools. Her series of six videos explain golf and invite young girls to explore it. Key topics include golf’s accessibility and fundamentals, names of the clubs, logistic considerations of a course layout, the rules of the course, and the responsibilities and benefits of being a caddie, all while breaking up the stereotypes surrounding girls in golf. Through interviews, social media and in-person presentations, Keala found that 80% of youth participants reported learning more about golf and 100% reported a high level of understanding and interest in the career role of professional caddies and the job’s educational benefits. Additionally, she successfully recruited two new female junior caddies at her home course.

Morgan Robinson, a Miami Gardens resident and senior at Somerset Arts Conservatory High School in Pembroke Pines, led a project called ArtBound: Compass to Art College. Morgan noticed a significant lack of support for high school students who were applying to college art programs, such as fine arts, performing arts, visual arts and television production. She watched as counselors focused on guiding the admission process for traditional study and majors. As a student driven to pursue a specialized artistic discipline in her undergraduate work, Morgan developed a system to assist like-minded students to support their process of applying and being accepted to the college and university programs that fit their future in the arts. Morgan wanted to show students how to evaluate different programs; create supplemental applications like samples, videos, social media and testimonials; build an artistic resume; create a dynamic portfolio; prep for an audition; and nail the interview process. As part of her project, she organized three afterschool “Art College Talks” that introduced students to these critical topics from Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia; College of Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan, where she will attend in the fall; and the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore. To expand her reach, Morgan created an Instagram account dedicated to informing visual art students about art schools, the range of potential majors, general portfolio requirements and ideas about career paths for the specific area of study. Her efforts educated and inspired her high school’s Broward Advisors for Continuing Education advisors, who will now offer art college information sessions and highlight art college scholarship opportunities to all the conservatories.

Jasmine Salmon, a Pembroke Pines resident and senior at Pembroke Pines Charter High School, wanted to use her Gold Award project to shine a light on how loneliness can present a critical health factor, too often ignored, that can impact patient survival rates when it comes to serious conditions such as cancer. Through her project, The Quiet Power of Us, she wanted to teach people how to “see” and “treat” loved ones with cancer in quiet ways that anyone without any special training or education can do to contribute to someone’s improved mental health and overall approach to personal recovery. Through her partnership with Memorial Cancer Institute, located within Memorial Regional Hospital, she wrote and illustrated an online book entitled The Quiet Power of Us. It’s the story of Teddy and takes readers through a time when a loved one shares a cancer diagnosis and teaches Teddy how the power of quiet, comfortable and intentional presence makes important additions on the path of healing. In the story, Teddy finds small, quiet examples of how he can show mindfulness and care for the person fighting cancer that demonstrate the consideration and consistency that patient feedback describes as the most valuable. Research by the American Cancer Society suggests that this approach can help patients increase trust of treatments and healthcare workers and fortify hope and feelings of resiliency. Jasmine has received excellent feedback from Memorial’s clinical professionals and educators and is continuing to work to expand the program’s reach to more healthcare systems. She will attend the University of South Florida to major in microbiology and plans to pursue a career in pathology.

Angelyka Valdez, a Port St. Lucie resident and senior at Lincoln Park Academy in Fort Pierce, has made it her mission to help her community connect with their roots. With her project Open Your Mind and Feel the Rhythm, she set out to cultivate cultural curiosity and facilitate understanding by sharing an appreciation for traditional music and dances from various cultures. Angelyka knew that the way to open minds would be through the powerful and passionate storytelling found in music and dance, where rich heritage can be felt, heard and seen. She created a cultural showcase hosted in partnership with Indian River State College’s McAlpin Arts Center and Lindsey School of the Arts, featuring education, culture, music, song and dance from Puerto Rican, Franch, Italian, African and African American heritage. The event brought the community together to experience and appreciate traditions that they may not have been exposed to before. Angelyka recruited and organized performers, speakers and advisors to ensure that each culture was represented with meaning and authenticity from different generations and backgrounds to reconnect with their roots and learn from one another. The well-rounded event promoted cultural awareness, emotions, appreciation and unity because rhythm and creativity are something all people can share. Survey results showed that a majority of guests are “very likely” to explore or learn more about different cultures and feel “very connected” to another culture after attending this event. Angelyka’s entire show is here. Angelyka, who will attend Florida Atlantic University in the fall, was surprised at the ceremony with the $2,500 “You Are My Sunshine” Scholarship sponsored by Christine and Logan Seal.

Addison White, a Greenacres resident and senior at Wellington Community High School, completed her project, taBOOB, which addresses lack of awareness about and early detection of breast cancer in youth. She wanted to start more open conversations about overall breast health and educate more young women about creating lifesaving habits to carry to their adult lives. A little-known fact is that breast cancer is the most common cancer among female adolescents and young adults ages 15 to 39 years, and breast cancer in adolescents and young adults is often more aggressive and more difficult to treat than in older women. Early detection is critical and it all begins with open dialogue with girls at younger ages so the chance for survival is exponentially increased. Addison’s campaign was delivered through a series of informative interviews and online resources such as how to perform a self-breast exam, explanations of benign breast conditions and a breast cancer risk calculator. With a targeted marketing plan, her messages and materials have reached 1,374 people on Instagram, 1,945 people on Facebook, 219 video views and 312 unique visitors to her website. The survey results showed knowledge gains on understanding misconceptions regarding breast health, building healthy habits to promote overall breast health, how to perform a self-breast exam, the role healthcare providers play in young girls’ breast health, the need for openness and conversations within family, and confidence to self-advocate when it comes to personal health. Addison’s powerful interviews may be watched here. Addison was surprised during the ceremony with the $1,500 Barbara Ann Turner “Service from the Heart” Scholarship, as well as an honorable mention scholarship from MotivEight in the amount of $500. She recently graduated from high school and completed her associate’s degree from Palm Beach State College and will continue her education at University of South Florida on a three-year track to become a nurse.

Brianna Wilkinson, a Weston resident and senior at Cypress Bay High School, completed her project, Fear-Free Vaccines. Of the 72 million children between birth and age 17 in the United States, approximately 94% visit a doctor’s office to receive vaccines annually. While vaccines help fight diseases, they can also cause children to experience high levels of anxiety and fear that lead to a traumatizing experience for children and their parents. Brianna sought to talk about this common challenge and help minimize the stress and fear by providing an innovative educational program complete with a vaccine care package that offered patients and children tools to understand and help improve their overall in-office experience. Through her partnership with Pediatric Associates in the Weston and Sky Lakes offices, Brianna targeted patients between four and 12 years old with a kit for reducing fear and managing stress, thus improving the children’s quality of visits, long-term health outcomes from receiving the vaccines and improving healthcare workers’ environment. Her written materials were complemented with a video for the children that has already received more than 350 views. Survey results from patient’s families have shared an increase for the overall understanding of the vaccination process, a decreased sense of anxiety prior to vaccinations, an increase in confidence about continuing a recommended vaccination protocol with their children, and appreciation for the tools and tips provided as part of the program. Brianna will attend University of Miami in the fall.

About Girl Scouts

We are the preeminent leadership development organization for girls who believe that every girl can be a go-getter, innovator, risk-taker, and leader with the power to change the world. More than any other organization in our community, Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida empowers girls ages 5 to 17 with vision and voice—girls who command their future, engage their communities, and inspire others. We offer every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success. Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida serves more than 6,900 girls in Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties. To explore opportunities to volunteer or partner with Girl Scouts, call 561-427-0177 or visit www.gssef.org.