Gold Award Girl Scout Mia Johnston
GSSA GIRL SCOUT EARNS $10,000 SCHOLARSHIP FOR EXCEPTIONAL GOLD PROJECT
Mia Johnson of Southern Alabama Earns Statewide and National Attention for Arboretum Trail Project
MONTGOMERY, Ala.— Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama proudly recognizes one special member of the 2023 Girl Scout Gold Award class who earned the highest award in Girl Scouts: the Gold Award. Gold Award Girl Scouts make positive impacts on our local communities by addressing some of our most pressing issues. And, this year, Mia Johnson from Southern Alabama was a recipient of a $10,000 scholarship for her work in/on “Encouraging Trail Use” which revitalized the trails at Troy University’s Arboretum. Mia’s project She redid all of the trail signs, cleared trails to make them walkable, and brought the arboretum back to life. Mia’s project proves that Girl Scouts of courage, self-assurance and character genuinely make the world a better place by demonstrating a long-lasting impact and advocating global and national issues.
Nationally, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) is recognizing nearly 3,200 members of the 2023 Gold Award Girl Scout class who identified issues in their communities, took action, and found or created solutions to earn their Gold Awards. This year’s class of world-changers raised $2.5 million in funding and invested over 300,000 hours to address real-life problems such as environmental sustainability, racial justice, mental and physical wellness, and gender inequality in STEM.
Awards Manager, Whitney Califf says, “GSSA applauds Mia for her extraordinary leadership and outstanding Gold Award project, “Encouraging Trail Use,” which demonstrates measurable and sustainable impact, addresses an issue of national and/or global significance, and proves that Girl Scouts of courage, confidence, and character truly do make the world a better place. Mia’s accomplishments will endure for generations to come and serve as a powerful example of Girl Scouting in action. We are so proud of Mia for dreaming big and changing the world, by encouraging trail use in her own backyard.”
The 2023 Gold Award Girl Scouts demonstrate the breadth of issues American teens feel are most prevalent in society today. GSSA has many undergoing projects from encouraging trail use to caring for cancer or creating access to equine therapy for people with disabilities. Girls are setting the stage each day to bring these issues to our attention to make the world a better place.
This year Girl Scouts of the USA awarded 110 Gold Award Girl Scouts from across our Movement a $10,000 scholarship, made possible in part by the Kappa Delta Foundation in addition to funds from GSUSA and its National Board.
Gold Award Girl Scouts become innovative problem-solvers, empathetic leaders, confident public speakers, and focused project managers. They learn resourcefulness, tenacity, and decision-making skills, giving them an edge personally and professionally. As they take action to transform their communities, Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they’re the leaders our world needs.
According to recent research, Gold Award Girl Scouts are more likely to fill leadership roles at work and in their personal lives and are more civically engaged than their non-Girl Scout peers. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of Gold Award Girl Scouts agree that earning their Gold Award gave them skills that help them succeed professionally. Seventy-two percent (72%) said earning their Gold Award helped them get a scholarship. Changing the world doesn’t end when a Girl Scout earns her Gold Award. Ninety-nine percent (99%) of Gold Award Girl Scout alums take on leadership roles in their everyday lives.
To view the list of the nearly 3,200 outstanding 2023 Gold Award projects, visit www.girlscouts.org/goldawardclass.
July 26, 2023
