Julia Smith of Maryville realized that the existing outdoor infrastructure at Everett Hills Baptist Church was suitable for small children, but not for middle and high schoolers. Julia partnered with church staff, and with the help of peers and family, she designed, planned and built a gaga ball pit for the playground and installed instructional signs for how to play the game. Julia raised funds, prepared materials, coordinated site preparation and led construction of the pit. Julia earned a prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award in 2026 for her Everett Hills Recreation Improvement project.

Gold Award Girl Scouts demonstrate exceptional leadership by tackling important community issues. As the organization’s highest achievement, earned by just 6% of Girl Scouts nationwide, the award requires planning and executing a sustainable, high-impact project. Through this intensive process, these young women work hard and empower themselves while creating lasting change for others.

“I spent a lot of time at Everett Hills through my homeschool co-op, and I saw there was a need for activities for teenagers,” Julia shares. “That’s why I wanted to build the project there.”

Her vision came to life in a meaningful way, thanks in part to the strong team that rallied around her. Fundraising became one of her favorite parts of the journey, especially a spaghetti dinner and dessert auction where her sister, a talented baker, contributed treats, including one that sold for $75. “I loved the team aspect,” Julia says. “My brother and several of his friends are Boy Scouts with Scouting America, and their whole troop came out to help, along with my family and friends.”

Julia faced unexpected challenges along the way. While working toward her Gold Award, she navigated significant health issues, including severe vertigo and a movement disorder that required her to use a wheelchair. Despite these obstacles, she adapted by stepping more fully into a leadership role. “Trying to coordinate the project while dealing with health issues made it take longer,” she explains. “But with a great team and my focus on directing, we were able to get it done!”

Through this experience, she strengthened her communication skills, learned how to coordinate multiple groups and gained experience approaching companies for donations, securing about half of the lumber needed for the project through a contractor and purchasing the rest with funds from her fundraising events.

Julia’s Girl Scout experience was a bit unique since she was independently registered for most of her time. She fondly remembers cookie season. “That was one time my sisters, who were in different levels of Girl Scouts than me, and I could do activities together,” she says. “It was nice to go door to door, set up booths and interact with other troops.”

Those experiences helped her grow in confidence and develop stronger social skills. She also carries forward an important lesson learned through her years in Girl Scouts: to take responsibility for her community and environment and support others.

Julia enjoys spending time with her friends and her two dogs, Sammy and Stormie. In her free time, she loves fishing, gardening, hiking and taking her dogs to the park.

Change the world, Girl Scout! Learn more at girlscoutcsa.org