Category: High Awards
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Stitching Smiles: A Gold Girl Story
Cassie Wolfe of Harrison initially set out to combat childhood poverty but soon learned its connection to human trafficking. After discovering that girls wearing brand-name clothing are less likely to be targeted by traffickers, she partnered with her school, local churches and the Tennessee Bar Association to create new dresses for girls in Cuba and…
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Recreation Renovation: A Gold Girl Story
Neela Wright of Rockwood envisioned a new life for two dilapidated buildings at her former elementary school. She set to work to renovate the buildings to become lasting resources to help the school grow its recreational programs. The results included an updated and usable concession stand to help fund school programs and a permanent storage…
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Karns Elementary Care Closets: A Gold Girl Story
Haley Farinato learned that many students in her community lacked basic school supplies because their families struggled to afford them. Partnering with her local elementary school, Haley worked with a nurse and social worker to create a resource room stocked with essentials like notebooks, pencils and hygiene items. She relocated and renovated the school’s nursing…
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Bearden Blessing: A Gold Girl Story
Bella Mason of Knoxville often noticed people in need at a bus stop near her church. She found a way to help them by building a Blessing Box filled with food and other resources, then orchestrated ways to keep the box going by empowering other groups in her church community. Bella earned a prestigious Girl…
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Isaiah 117 House Pet Therapy Program: A Gold Girl Story
Understanding the benefits of pet therapy, Ava McCollum-Beaves of Kingsport found a need to be filled. She worked with Isaiah 117 House, which serves children, and the Alliance of Therapy Dogs to create a program that serves Isaiah 117 House locations in Sullivan and Washington counties. She earned a prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award in…
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STEM Career Resource: Interviewing for a Change – A Gold Girl Story
Ella Brandon of Ooltewah had a difficult time finding information about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) career options for women while planning her future, which inspired her to create a STEM career resource blog. The blog features interviews with women in various fields, providing a resource for young women exploring career paths. The posts…
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To Fall Seven Times, to Rise Eight: A Gold Girl Story
Catherine Gergel worked to help victims of racially driven attacks. After experiencing anti-Asian racism, Catherine created a website to help people find help and learn self-defense basics and for potential bystanders to learn strategies to safely intervene. She created videos and classes using karate, one of her lifelong passions, to teach both de-escalation and self-defense.…
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Museums Increasing Accessibility: A Gold Girl Story
Mia Warren aimed to make museum visits more accessible after learning from a visually impaired friend that those individuals do not have the same museum experiences as sighted people. She partnered with the East Tennessee Historical Society to create special QR codes that offer detailed descriptions of the space and indicators to help people navigate…
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Pet Pals Give Back: A Gold Girl Story
Lauren Kennedy worked to restore the volunteer program at her local animal shelter and improve the shelter’s adoption information on social media. She worked with the shelter to reopen the volunteer program that had been shuttered by the pandemic and helped the organization better manage social media by creating up-to-date animal adoption availability. Lauren trained…
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Nature Cleanup: A Gold Girl Story
Emmalyn “Emma” Kinsey of New Market is passionate about the environment and was determined to address dangers posed by invasive species to the native ecosystem. Partnering with Seven Islands State Birding Park, Kinsey assembled and led a large volunteer team to help clear and treat a quarter-mile area of invasive species over several days, allowing…
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