May. 12, 2025
Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians presents Gold Awards & scholarships to regional winners
Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians has announced its 2025 Gold Award recipients, presenting the honor to 18 girls across the region, five of whom are from the Knoxville area.
The distinction is presented to girls in grades 9-12 who demonstrate exceptional leadership and dedication. Gold Award recipients dedicate hours of hard work, planning and executing a sustainable community project. The prestigious award is bestowed to just 6 percent of Girl Scouts across the country annually.
“Earning the Girl Scouts Gold Award is a great achievement, and we are so proud of these young women,” said Lynne Fugate, CEO of the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians (GSCSA). “Through compassion, creativity and determination, they’ve shown true leadership and made a positive impact on their communities. We celebrate their vision and hard work.”
Gold Award recipients were recognized for their achievements April 27 at a celebration at Lighthouse Knoxville. The Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians Board of Directors also presented more than $10,000 in Gold Award Scholarships to eight recipients, including three Girl Scouts from Knoxville and one from Oak Ridge.
Knoxville Gold Award recipients:
Emma Brinkmann, an early adopter of science, math and engineering education, noticed younger students at her school weren’t engaged with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs. She partnered with the third-grade department to create a hands-on curriculum with science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) kits and labs. Each kit included instructional videos and reflective exercises, helping students explore concepts creatively. Brinkmann also shared her program online, making it accessible globally and adaptable for home use. The program’s success has led the school to expand it to other grades. Brinkmann, who attends Knoxville Catholic High School, was one of four Gold Award recipients to receive a $2,000 Gold Award Scholarship.
Haley Farinato noticed that many students in her community lacked basic school supplies. Partnering with her local elementary school, Haley worked with a nurse and social worker to create a resource room stocked with essentials like notebooks, pencils, and hygiene items. She relocated and renovated the school’s nursing station to build an organized space where students in need could “shop” for supplies with dignity. Thanks to her efforts, more students can now focus on learning. Farinato attended Karns High School and is now enrolled at East Tennessee State University.
Bella Mason partnered with a local church to address food insecurity and empowering various community groups. She created a permanent food and resource pantry at the church by establishing guidelines for its operation and enlisting church groups to sponsor supplies each month. Mason also recruited the knitting ministry to donate handmade items and worked with the special needs ministry, allowing adults with special needs to manage the pantry, providing both support for those in need and life skills for the participants. Mason, who attends West High School, was also presented with a $500 scholarship award.
Elizabeth Ohmes discovered that Catholic Charities of East Tennessee (CCETN) was struggling to meet the growing demand for assistance to pregnant women and young families. Ohmes realized the organization lacked an effective database to organize and access resource referrals for clients. She developed a new system to organize and update available resources and learned that CCETN’s Pregnancy Help Center urgently needed diapers. Ohmes launched a Mother’s Day Diaper Drive, engaging local churches, schools, and community groups to collect more than 12,000 diapers for families in need. Ohmes, who attends Hardin Valley Academy, was presented with a $2,000 scholarship for her efforts.
Toriana Voss, who is from Talbott and attends Berean Christian School in Knoxville, discovered that thousands of owls and raptors are injured by human activity each year, many in her own community. To help address the root causes and support rehabilitation efforts, Voss partnered with Owl Ridge Raptor Center. She launched an educational campaign, created informational materials and spoke to hundreds of people at fairs, events and community talks about how simple changes can help protect native wildlife. Voss also built a 100-foot flight cage with a turn, an essential resource for rehabilitating injured raptors. Thanks to her efforts, dozens more owls and raptors can now be treated and released back into the wild each year.
Other 2025 Gold Award Girl Scout recipients:
East Tennessee region:
- Audrey Beliveau, Cosby (Gatlinburg Pittman High School)
- Rachel Huff, Lenoir City (Loudon High School)
- Alice Perez, Oak Ridge (Oak Ridge High School)
- Azia Wright, Rockwood (Rockwood High School)
- Neela Wright, Rockwood (Rockwood High School)
Appalachian Highland region:
- Ava McCollum-Beaves, Kingsport (University School)
Tennessee Valley & North Georgia region:
- Ella Brandon, Ooltewah (Girls Preparatory School)
- Anna Catherine Critchfield, Ooltewah (Notre Dame High School)
- Ash Edwards, Signal Mountain (Ivy Academy)
- Lillie Grant, Lookout Mountain (Notre Dame High School)
- Isabella Lucarelli, Ooltewah (Homeschool)
- Siri McDonough, Chattanooga (Notre Dame High School)
- Cassie Wolfe, Harrison (Homeschool)
Gold Award Scholarship recipients:
$2000 Award
Ava McCollum-Beaves, Kingsport
Anna Catherine Critchfield, Ooltewah
Emma Brinkmann, Knoxville
Elizabeth Ohmes, Knoxville
$1000 Award
Alice Perez, Oak Ridge
$500 Award
Azia Wright, Rockwood
Siri McDonough, Chattanooga
Bella Mason, Knoxville
About the Girl Scout Gold Award
Since 1916, girls have been making meaningful, sustainable change in their communities and around the world. The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest achievement a Girl Scout can earn, acknowledges the power behind each Gold Award Girl Scout’s dedication to not only empowering and bettering herself, but also to making the world a better place for others.
Only Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors are eligible for the Gold Award, and before they can pursue it, they must meet prerequisites, including completing a Take Action project or earning the Girl Scout Silver Award, which requires a project to improve the neighborhood or community. At a minimum requirement of 80 hours, most girls spend between one and two years on Gold Award projects.
Some universities and colleges offer scholarships unique to Gold Award Girl Scouts, and girls who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements.
About Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians
Girl Scouts is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, offering programs that give every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of entrepreneurship, adventure and success – whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike, advocate for community causes or make their first best friends. The Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians has approximately 11,500 girl and adult members in 46 counties from southwest Virginia, through eastern Tennessee, and northern Georgia. Membership is open to all girls from kindergarten through their senior year in high school. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors and millions of alums, Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. To join us, volunteer, reconnect or donate, visit girlscoutcsa.org or call 800-474-1912.
