Three Girl Scouts from Palm Beach Gardens and Royal Palm Beach have earned the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting, for projects that address critical community needs. Isabella Avallone, Marina DiMarzio, and Mailee Minitello were among 27 young women recognized at the 2025 Annual Gold Award Ceremony, sponsored by Amazon, Fiserv, Florida Power & Light, and others.
Isabella Avallone of Palm Beach Gardens created “Fix Her,” a project aimed at bridging the gender gap in construction and equipping teen girls with essential home repair skills. Noticing that many peers lacked practical knowledge for independent living and that only 10% of construction workers are women, Avallone produced instructional videos on tasks like painting, fixing toilets, and changing smoke detectors. She launched the Fix-Her Instagram account to share tutorials and career insights. As a culminating activity, participants built benches donated to a local high school’s special needs department. The project empowers girls to gain confidence and explore careers in a traditionally male-dominated field.
Marina DiMarzio of Royal Palm Beach drew from personal experience with her grandparents to write “What Happened to Grandma?,” a book explaining Alzheimer’s disease and dementia to children aged 9 to 11. The book uses simple language to describe causes and symptoms, and offers guidance on maintaining relationships with affected grandparents. DiMarzio distributed copies to libraries, schools, and memory care facilities, and made it available on Amazon along with a read-aloud video on YouTube. Pre- and post-surveys showed knowledge improvement from 45% to 77%, aiming to foster compassion and understanding in future generations.
Mailee Minitello of Royal Palm Beach launched “Mind Your Faith: Creating the Bridge from Struggle to Success,” a podcast and YouTube series addressing the youth mental health crisis. Recognizing the impact of social media, pandemic isolation, and societal pressures on anxiety, depression, and eating disorders, Minitello created a faith-based platform where individuals share personal stories of overcoming adversity. Weekly episodes offer support, hope, and spiritual tools, providing an ongoing resource for young people to manage mental well-being through faith.
“We are so proud of all of our Gold Award Girl Scouts whose projects are insightful, impactful and relevant,” said Lisa Johnson, CEO of Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida. “With their projects, these young ladies tackle some of today’s most pressing challenges with compassion, innovation, and leadership. They are change agents that are making a true impact in their communities and beyond.”
The Gold Award recognizes girls in grades 9 through 12 for projects that create lasting change. These three Scouts exemplify how youth leadership can address real-world issues, from practical skills to health education.
