The Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan Gold Awards ceremony was held May 17 at the Macomb Community College South Campus in Warren.
By: Maria Allard | Warren Weekly | Published June 3, 2026
WARREN — For Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan Board Chair Karen Ebben, the group’s Gold Awards ceremony is a favorite event.
An honors ceremony was held May 17 at the Macomb Community College South Campus to recognize 24 girl scouts who earned the Gold Award, the highest award a girl scout can earn.
“Your work shows the incredible impact young people can make when they lead with purpose. To our 24 Gold Award Girl Scouts, your projects are already making a difference,” Ebben said. “The skills, confidence and insight you gained will continue to guide you as you take on new opportunities and create everlasting change. The impact you’ve made so far is only the beginning. Thank you for your commitment to improving the world around you.”
The awardees devoted a minimum of 80 hours, funded the projects through fundraising, and sought volunteers to help them. The Gold Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn. Here is a list of the recipients, their place of residence and a brief description of their projects. They are all from different troops.
Athena German, Brownstown. German created a disability awareness club and held meetings with topics that included “how to focus in school” and “how to organize your space.”
Audrey Henckel, Rochester Hills. She created an honor wall at Rochester High School, which displays names of alumni and staff who served in the military. Some names date back to 1913.
Brielle Bolash, Rochester Hills. Bolash, who has mastered American Sign Language, promoted awareness of the deaf and hard of hearing communities in Oakland County by founding the American Sign Language Honor Society.
Ava Zagata, Grand Blanc. Through “Project Storm Drain,” Zagata visited local elementary schools to teach students about the impact of environmental pollution on water quality.
Charlotte Russell, Birmingham. Russell created a wellness club at school. The club featured wellness workshops about stress and time management, body image, safe and healthy dating and more.
Dana White, Rochester Hills. White highlighted post-traumatic stress disorder and service dogs for military veterans. She designed and built specialized training tables and benches for Special Operations Wounded Warriors.
Delayna Jade, White Lake. Jade started FreshFoods4Faith at Central United Methodist Church. With volunteers, she constructed a garden on the church property to teach about the benefits of eating healthy.
Emma Bardas, Rochester Hills. Bardas educated the public about the proper way to dispose of medical sharp objects, how to find local collection sites for “sharps” and how to create their own at-home collection container.
Emmerson Minder, Grand Blanc. Minder and her volunteers planted 1,140 trees in four parks in the Flint area. She also developed a presentation for local grade schools explaining how important trees are to keep natural water systems clean.
Eva Beckett, Holly. Beckett worked with teachers, administrators and students to reopen her school library, which led to the reopening of school libraries across the school district.
Harper Savage, Romeo. Inspired by her grandfather, Savage’s project focused on educating and providing resources and outreach for people living with Parkinson’s disease.
Harper Stacey, Pleasant Ridge. With help from the Pleasant Ridge Garden Club and Junior Garden Club, Stacey created a sanctuary for pollinators out of an overgrown and weed-infested garden.
Ja’Breya Taylor-McNeal, Detroit. She made sensory bags to help individuals with ADHD, autism and other sensory processing issues. The bags were distributed to doctor’s offices, health clinics and churches.
Jada Smith, Oak Park. Smith addressed mental health issues within the African American community. She hosted a mental health workshop and created binders of mental health resources at Berkley High School.
Jasmine Hunley, Clinton Township. While representing the Girl Scouts at the United Nations in 2025, Hunley focused on advocating for the switch to renewable energy sources and shared presentations with multiple organizations.
Julia Girgis, Rochester Hills. An art lover, Girgis developed ArtsyVisions to provide empowering healing portraits to disabled or hospitalized patients. The project will continue through her school’s art club.
Katelyn Smith, Almont. Smith developed the Almont Middle School Robotics Club. She taught students basics in robotics, designing, building and programming through donated LEGOs and robotics kits.
Makayla Koerner, Shelby Township. Koerner upgraded an abandoned pollinator garden at the Stony Creek Nature Center. With a team of volunteers, she identified and removed nonnative and invasive species.
Mariam Dukhan, Farmington Hills. The avid reader wrote the book “The Adventures of Dalia and Kaitlyn,” designed to be inclusive to all readers, regardless of their race or religion. She also was named the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan’s Young Woman of Distinction.
Shaelyn Simms, Royal Oak. Simms wrote and illustrated the “Journey to Freedom” book about the Hamer family, who escaped slavery via the Underground Railroad and eventually settled in Royal Oak.
Soren O’Dell, South Lyon. O’Dell organized a volunteer opportunity fair at school to connect students with organizations that need help. The students learned about how to be successful volunteers.
Stella Nuveman, Fenton. Nuveman created “Save the Birds.” She installed bird dot decals on buildings at the For-Mar Nature Preserve in Flint. The decals are designed to stop birds from crashing into windows and hurting themselves.
Trinity Thweni, West Bloomfield. Thweni worked with local agencies to create binders to help caregivers with loved ones with autism. The binders include support organization listings, therapy services and more.
Victoria Tinch, Detroit. Tinch created real-life scenarios for 48 elementary and middle school students focused on cybersecurity, digital safety and responsible online behavior. She also developed a family brochure for home.
According to a press release from the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan, each honoree will be awarded an $800 scholarship to further her education. During the ceremony, the leaders also presented Silver Awards to 60 recipients. Warren Mayor Lori Stone was the keynote speaker, who shared all the experiences she had during her years as a Girl Scout.