Minami Smalheiser and Kylie Hastings of Point Loma have earned the Girl Scout Gold Award. They were among 61 young women honored by Girl Scouts San Diego during a recent ceremony at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines.
Achieving the award is the pinnacle of the Girl Scout leadership experience. To earn it, Girl Scouts change the world by creating sustainable solutions that address society’s greatest challenges. 
For her Gold Award project, Smalheiser led after-school workshops at High Tech High Elementary School to teach children the importance of being healthy and active, and the correlation between self-care and happiness. She donated materials for her games and other interactive activities (funded in part from her Girl Scout Cookie earnings) to the school nutritionist for future sessions. A Girl Scout for 12 years as an individually registered member, Smalheiser earned the Girl Scout Bronze and Silver Awards — the highest accolades for Girl Scout Juniors and Cadettes, respectively. She is entering her senior year at High Tech High Media Arts, where she serves as a school ambassador and college advising peer mentor.
Hastings earned her Gold Award by forming a Red Cross club at Point Loma High School, from where she will graduate in 2020. She led workshops to empower her peers to take action in the event of a disaster. She also educated club members about emergency relief resources and what the Red Cross does. Under Hastings’ leadership, participants learned to become responsible citizens who will be equipped to make a difference in the world. She joined Girl Scout Troop 3450 in kindergarten, and has earned the Bronze and Silver Awards. She aspires to a career in broadcast journalism.
“Gold Award Girl Scouts change the world for the better, and change it for good,” said Girl Scouts San Diego CEO Carol M. Dedrich. “Our 2019 honorees embody everything this achievement stands for.” 
The Gold Award enables young women to distinguish themselves in the college admissions process, earn college scholarships, and enlisting in the military at a higher pay grade. Gold Award Girl Scouts are an elite group of individuals, and many have gone on to become change-makers and prominent leaders in their communities.  
For details, contact Girl Scouts San Diego Troop support specialist Andrea Rentería at 619-610-0774, or [email protected], or visit sdgirlscouts.org.