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, including one from Surprise.

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.

The 2024 Surprise-area Gold Award Girl Scouts was Adhelle Kellogg for her project, called “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 and 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.

“Making an impact on our world is what being a Girl Scout is all about,” said Mary Mitchell, co-CEO of GSACPC. “Each Gold Award project is a journey that tells a story of a girl and the cause that is important to her. 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,” said 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.”