Los Alamos Girl Scout Recognized For Gold Award, Receives $5,000 Scholarship
August 01, 2024
Los Alamos High School senior and girl scout Kaya Loy is being recognized for her Gold Award project that addresses youth mental health. Courtesy photo
GIRL SCOUTS OF NEW MEXICO TRAILS NEWS RELEASE
Girl Scouts of New Mexico Trails announced Wednesday that Los Alamos High School student Kaya Loy has been awarded a Girl Scouts of the USA Gold Award Scholarship for her project addressing youth mental health.
Loy, a 12th grade Girl Scout, created a database of mental health resources for her high school’s website. The project, titled “It’s Okay to Get Help,” provides students with easy access to national, state and local mental health resources.
“I hope that if any student feels depressed, suicidal or not optimal in their wellness, they will go to my web page and determine the best thing to do for their health,” Loy said.
The Gold Award is the highest achievement a Girl Scout can earn in high school, completing a minimum of 80 hours on a project that has sustainable impact on a global issue.
Girl Scouts of the USA annually recognizes one Gold Award Girl Scout from each council to receive a scholarship. This year’s Gold Award Girl Scout Scholarship Awardees will receive a combined $560,000 in college scholarships.
Read more about Loy’s Gold Award project at NMGirlScouts.org.
Kaya was struck by her personal experience with a family member who struggled with mental illness. She knew with the rising mental health crisis among youth that it was more important now than ever to provide mental health resources for other teens and children. By collaborating with Los Alamos High School, Kaya researched national, state, and local mental health resources to be featured on her high school’s website to encourage her classmates to seek help if needed. Her thorough webpage also includes information on various mental challenges, as well as other risk factors. She was able to coordinate with student leadership to create flyers with QR codes to this webpage in every classroom to help make access simple and easy.
“I hope that if any student feels depressed, suicidal, or not optimal in their wellness, they will go to my web page and determine the best thing to do for their health. Although that can be a very hard thing to do, my web page is user friendly and informative, so it will be easy for anyone to use.”
Thousands of Girl Scouts earn the Gold Award each year, the highest achievement a Girl Scout in high school can earn for tackling an issue dear to her and driving lasting change in her community and beyond. Annually, GSUSA recognizes one Girl Scout from each council for completing projects that exemplify strong leadership and sustainable impact. Earning the Gold Award opens doors to scholarships, preferred admission tracks for college, and amazing career opportunities—as well as skills that set girls up for success, like strategic thinking, communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and time management.
The 2024 Gold Award Girl Scout Scholarship Awardees will receive a combined $560,000 in college scholarships. According to recent research, Gold Award Girl Scouts are more likely to fill leadership roles at work and in their personal lives and are more civically engaged than their non-Girl Scout peers.
Changing the world doesn’t end when a Girl Scout earns her Gold Award. Girl Scouts make the world a better place every day and will continue to act as bold advocates for a brighter future. To see how you can get involved and make a difference as a member or volunteer, visit www.nmgirlscouts.org.
