MIQUON PA – Twenty-five girls from across Montgomery, Berks and Chester counties are the latest recipients of Girl Scouting’s highest honor, its Gold Award, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania says.
The Gold Award is considered “the culmination of a girl’s leadership ability, time management, creativity, initiative, and a significant mastery of skills,” the Eastern PA chapter explains in a media release. The awards were presented for achievements during its 2025-2026 member year.
The TriCounty Region winners were among a total of 53 girls from the chapter’s nine-county territory, all of whom were honored during a ceremony in Ambler PA. Locally, several are residents of Limerick, Royersford, Collegeville, Douglassville, Reading, Norristown, Eagleville, Chester Springs, and Phoenixville.
Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania says it is the largest girl-serving organization in Pennsylvania. It is responsible for Girl Scouting activities in Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia counties. Its awards were presented during late May.
The list of all winners from the three-county region include those in:
- Montgomery County: Abby Stalker, Limerick; Rachita Jain, Royersford; Alea Nakhleh, Collegeville; Margot Ferrara, Eagleville; Willow Wright, Norristown; Alexa Weatherwax, Bala Cynwyd; Sabrina Bauer, Dresher; Maggie Milby, Narberth; Ella Milby, Narberth; and Lauren Hoffman, Oreland;
- Berks County: Gwendolyn Harding, Douglassville; and Cadence Perez, Reading; and
- Chester County: Maria John, Chester Springs; Chloe Myers, Phoenixville; Kate Orr, Phoenixville; Evangeline Juliet John Francis Kennedy, Paoli; Alexia Tubbs, Paoli; Ava Joseph, Berwyn; Hope Fogelsanger, Berwyn; Sarah Bernholdt, Devon; Lily Abrahams, Downingtown; Alexandra Rossi, Downingtown; Aarna Singh, Malvern; Siana Christaldi, Malvern; and Lexi Kaplan, West Chester.
Photos provided by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania
Exhibiting ‘Outstanding Leadership’
All are Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors (those in grades 9-12) “who exhibit outstanding leadership by creating sustainable and measurable Take Action projects,” the chapter explains.
Gold Award Girl Scouts are individually expected to identify a community problem and develop a plan to solve it. They then recruit a team to assist them, and create sustainable solutions that last for years beyond their project.
A Gold Award Scholarship Winner
The chapter also reports that Norristown’s Willow Wright is its 2026 recipient of the Girl Scouts of the USA $5,000 Gold Award Scholarship. In her Take Action project, it says, Wright worked to reduce period poverty among those learning English. She developed a comprehensive educational booklet to provide accessible menstrual health information, particularly to those whose first language is Spanish.
Wright collected and donated menstrual products to an all-girls orphanage in Costa Rica. She also led educational presentations to foster open conversations on menstrual health among 10th graders at Renaissance Academy Charter School in Phoenixville.
Girl Scouts who earn the Gold Award are eligible as well for other scholarships from colleges and universities. Additionally, they can advance a rank when they enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces.
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