After spending over 80 hours creating a sustainable and impactful project to support only children, Anika Warrier was able to apply for her Girl Scouts Gold Award. According to the Girl Scouts of Orange County, this award is the highest honor that a Girl Scout can earn during their time in the organization, available to high school students who innovate an actionable solution to address an issue in their community.
“It made me happy to see a shy Scout stand in front of a group of many strangers to deliver her presentation with strength and confidence,” said Marilyn Brandshall, Warrier’s Gold Award project advisor. “Seeing girls develop self-confidence and leadership skills is the primary reason I have taken on this mentoring role.”
Brandshall’s primary role as a Gold Award project coordinator is to provide mentorship and encouragement. There are currently eight ongoing Gold Award projects at Carlmont, including creating a time management program, conducting financial literacy workshops, and recruiting qualified coaches at local middle schools.
“On the Peninsula, Carlmont has led the way in high school girls completing their Gold Awards,” Brandshall said. “Being close to the Scout gives me the opportunity to better understand the project value and help them overcome obstacles.”
For her project, Warrier developed a series of initiatives, including a journal for only children, an Instagram page (@flyingsol0club) with resources for families, a parent guide, and an in-person workshop and panelist presentation. Her project was inspired by her personal experience, and her primary goal was to strengthen the communication between only children and their parents.
“There’s a lot of research about only children and the things that they struggle with, but there weren’t a lot of tangible resources out there, especially not for teenage only children,” Warrier said.
The highlight event of Warrier’s project was the in-person workshop and panelist presentation, featuring keynote speakers like Carrie Philpott, a marriage and family therapist providing support to only children. Along with Philpott, six other panelists helped Warrier emphasize the importance of mindfulness tools, such as journaling, for building mental well-being.
“I was able to work with a team. That’s a huge component of the Girl Scout Gold Award. I learned how to communicate more effectively with others by sending out emails, just really engaging with the people of my community,” Warrier said.
Another vital component of the Gold Award project is sustainability. According to Brandshall, Scouts must find a way to continue their project’s legacy even after graduating from high school. The organization that Warrier partnered with, the Taarika Foundation, has agreed to host a similar program on an annual basis.
“It’s incredible. It teaches girls so much about collaboration, brainstorming, reaching out, asking for help, and creativity. It’s a great launching point for figuring out what you want to do after high school and where your strengths lie,” Philpott said.
