Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida (GSGCF) honored 413 Girl Scouts with 576 awards during the 2025 Young Women of Distinction Ceremony on May 18 at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center in Punta Gorda. Awards recognized achievements in leadership, service, faith, academics, and entrepreneurship.

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Gold Award alum and World Foundation for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts Board Director Laura Robert-Rivera delivered the keynote, encouraging girls to stay involved and recognize the pivotal moments that shape them.

This year, GSGCF honored six Girl Scouts who earned the prestigious Gold Award—the highest achievement in Girl Scouting—recognizing extraordinary leadership and sustainable community impact. “The Gold Award is truly the mark of the remarkable,” said GSGCF CEO Mary Anne Servian. “We are here today to celebrate young women who have turned their passions into purpose through this prestigious achievement.”

GSGCF Class of 2025 Gold Award Girl Scouts:

• Krysta Fowler (North Port): Built 26 bat habitats and launched a multi-county conservation campaign.
• Olivia Trader (Cape Coral): Created a campus safety guide and led self-defense classes.
• Victoria Morton (Port Charlotte): Established a pet food pantry and published resource guides.
• Reagan Graham (Sarasota): Distributed 2,000+ pairs of socks and founded a permanent sock closet.
• Harley Cross: Launched a 24/7 anonymous food pantry to combat hunger with dignity.
• Dakota Partelow: Renovated a room at Valerie’s House and provided sustainable resources for youth mental health and bereavement support.

The event also celebrated 11 Silver Awards, the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn, and 74 Bronze Awards, the highest award a Girl Scout Junior can earn

65 Journey Summit Awards, and 77 Religious Recognitions. 31 girls received 10-Year Membership Pins, and 29 graduating seniors earned Bridge to Adult certificates.

244 Girl Scout Cookie Entrepreneurs were recognized for selling more than 1,000 boxes of cookies. Among them, 47 sold 1,500+ boxes, 29 sold over 2,000, seven exceeded 3,000, three surpassed 4,000, seven hit 5,000, and one exceptional Girl Scout, Grace Pabalan, reached a new council record of 8,060 boxes sold in a single season.

In total, GSGCF Girl Scouts sold over one million boxes of cookies this year and donated more than 41,000 boxes through the Gift of Caring program. A special Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Olivia Trader, who has sold over 50,000 boxes of Cookies during her 13-year Girl Scout journey.

Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc.: Girl Scouts create the world they want to live in and strive to make it better every single day. They explore their strengths, take on new challenges, and can always be themselves, regardless of background or ability. Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida council has a membership of nearly 3,500 girls in grades K-12, and more than 1,500 adult members. GSGCF is chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA and serves girls in ten counties including: Manatee, Hardee, Highlands, Sarasota, DeSoto, Charlotte, Glades, Lee, Hendry, and Collier. The council is governed by a volunteer board of directors who represent the geographic, ethnic, and social demographics of the council’s jurisdiction. For more information about Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida visit www.gsgcf.org.