Two La Jolla Girl Scouts — one with a project focused on youth theater and the other on heart health — were recently bestowed the organization’s highest achievement, the Gold Award.
A total of 62 Girl Scouts were honored with Gold Awards in a ceremony June 8 at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla.
To earn the award, each candidate spends one to two years developing and implementing a project designed to have sustainable social impacts in local and/or global communities. Less than 6% of Scouts nationwide attain the Gold Award ranking.
“This year, Gold Award Girl Scouts made their mark in the areas of environmental sustainability and climate change, mental health and well-being, animal conservation, LGBTQIA+ advocacy, disability inclusion and access, civic engagement, financial literacy and entrepreneurship, STEM [science, technology, engineering and math], DEI-RJ [diversity, equity, inclusion and racial justice] and more,” according to Girl Scouts San Diego.
One of them was La Jolla resident Alexis Zecha, who centered her project on establishing a theater program for young actors so they can explore roles and jobs that might otherwise seem inaccessible.
“I wanted to introduce the concept of equity and inclusion to young people so they can grow up with it,” Zecha said. “I wanted to promote the idea that you don’t have to be a certain type of person to be an actor or play a certain role. And by being the director, I showed that women can be directors and don’t have to follow the norms of the entertainment industry.
“There is also a lack of awareness in the roles that are available for underrepresented people. So each session challenged these biases and showcased the jobs they can have.”
Zecha said she “did a lot of background research into the theater industry and the importance of diversity. I also looked at the different careers associated with theater so I could teach them what their options are. We learned you can take on multiple jobs; you don’t have to just take on one role.”
Students in the program rehearsed for two hours after school a few days a week from February to April.
“It was like a real theater company,” Zecha said. “They became more understanding of each other and the entertainment industry.”
They also staged a production of “The Little Mermaid” at Bird Rock Elementary School.
“It was a lot of fun and a lot of work, but it was worth it and very rewarding,” Zecha said. “The kids worked so hard and worked so well together.”
To qualify for the Gold Award, Zecha had to create notes and recordings so others could follow her model.
“It was a lot of hard work, especially since I directed and made the educational materials,” she said. “I had three middle-school-[age] volunteers, but that was it in terms of help. … But once I was able to craft the materials, I felt so relieved to finally do it. I’m so proud of them for accomplishing this.”
Zecha, who has been in Girl Scouts since she was 5, earned the Bronze Award in middle school and Silver Award in her early high school years. But “I really wanted my Gold Award,” she said.
“It scared me at first because I saw how few people get it,” she said. “But that just motivated me even more to do it.”
Having finally earned Gold, “I feel really accomplished,” Zecha said.
For those who would like to follow suit, Zecha recommends starting small.
“People tend to get overwhelmed when so much is thrown at them,” she said. “Take things one step at a time and look at every piece. Do things bit by bit and move on to the next thing.
“And don’t let being on your own stop you. I got scared by that, and it is more work and more challenging, but you can do it. You can accept help from other people, but you can do it on your own. I didn’t let it deter me. And be patient. Patience is key with projects.”
The other La Jolla Gold Award Scout, Chiara Bonomi, could not be reached for comment. But she said in a statement that “I would like to express my gratitude to my family, friends and troop for their unwavering support throughout my Gold Award journey.”
Her project focused on statewide initiation of the Heart Health Club.
“Chiara recognized the lack of accessible heart health education and resources for teens, prompting her to launch a high school heart health initiative aimed at increasing awareness and early detection of cardiac conditions,” according to Girl Scouts San Diego. “She established heart health clubs at various high schools across California … [that] organized free heart screenings, provided training in CPR and AED [automated external defibrillator] usage and raised funds to donate AEDs to schools in need.
“By equipping students with lifesaving skills and resources, her project fosters ongoing heart health awareness, creating a sustainable network of student-led advocacy and action that will protect lives for years to come.”
In her statement, Bonomi added “a special thanks to my Gold Award Committee mentor, Barbra LaPlante, my project adviser, Sally Groenke, and the Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation for their guidance and encouragement in making this heart health initiative possible.” ♦