SAN GABRIEL VALLEYWIDE NEWS
By Winston Chua

Raising money for prosthetic limbs for patients in Guatemala? How about restoring a Tulane music collection destroyed by Hurricane Katrina? Maybe donating stuffed animals to traumatized children living in tragic conditions? The Girl Scouts of the Mount Wilson Vista Council, or MWVC, have done that and more.
Ninety-three Girl Scouts from the Mount Wilson Vista Council – which includes girls from the San Gabriel Valley – five of whom hail from the city of San Marino, received Gold Award Pins two weeks ago at Occidental College for their service projects to their communities.
The Gold Award represents the highest Girl Scout achievement and the culmination of a two-year service project that promises to make a lasting impact to a local or, in some cases, global community. Saturday's event recognized Senior Girl Scouts for outstanding accomplishments in leadership, community service, career planning and personal development.
The Gold Award recipients of the MWVC contributed to more than 6,000 hours of service to the community through their projects. This article features the contributions made by five young women from San Marino.
Rebecca Felix of San Marino worked on a project called ‘Optometry in El Salvador’ to help those people in El Salvador who suffer from poor vision and who are unable to get an accurate prescription or suitable glasses for their eyes.
With help from her father, who also contributes to basic health services in El Salvador, she pooled resources from her optometrist’s office and sought help from friends, neighbors and fellow troop members. Within several weeks she collected hundreds of eyeglasses. In August of 2007 she, her father, her sister and four volunteers flew to El Salvador to test and distribute the eyeglasses to patients in clinics.
With her experience she shared to her troop and friends the lessons she learned of how people can contribute to third-world countries like El Salvador and how correct eyeglass prescriptions can empower and enable people to get better jobs and improve their quality of life.
Rebecca also works with several clubs at San Marino High and hopes to compete at the Junior World Rowing Championships as a member of the USA Women’s Junior National Team. Rebecca plans to graduate from a four-year university with either a career in creative writing or journalism.
Karen Lim, another Titan, worked with two other Girl Scouts from her troop to host a haunted house on Halloween night to benefit teenage cancer patients at the City of Hope. She helped raise $1,300 and used their funds to purchase a Playstation 3 gaming system, three wireless remote controllers and nine Playstation 3 games for the teen center at the City of Hope Hospital.
Karen is also involved in Tyler’s Team, an organization devoted to fighting Leukemia. Tyler’s Team was formed by a group of San Marino High School students to honor the memory of their classmate Tyler George who passed away February 2, 2000 after a year-long battle with leukemia.
Rachel McLaughlin earned her award by using her art skills. She painted two murals in the learning center room of Mckinley Elementary and Middle School. The murals measured 4 x 6 and focused on nature. One mural revealed a ship on the ocean under a starry night. The other depicted a rural landscape at sunset. She worked with her friends on her projects – another feature of Girl Scouting – designing a painting. Rachel has received both the Bronze and Silver Awards for scouting, and has also received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award two years in a row. The president's award recognizes people who have volunteered a specified number of hours over a 12-month period.
San Marino’s Alexandra Paul drove to Mexico with a group of her friends and some of their parents to build a house for a family in need in Tijuana for her service project. The group worked continuously for three days.
Before building, Alexandra and others raised financial support for the family in need. Alexandra hopes to work in the field of medicine, in genetic engineering and research, intrigued and inspired by her study of genetics. She hopes to participate in genetics research or become a cardiologist or a neurologist. She has also run in the Race for the Cure, helping to support breast cancer research. Alexandra participates in many extracurricular activities and plays in three sports, also serving the Red Cross Club. She has been a Girl Scout for more than 10 years.
As a member of the National Charity League, she has volunteered more than 100 hours each year. The NCL develops leadership skills with mothers and their daughters to make a difference in local communities.
Finally, Natalie Weinstein developed a project entitled ‘Adopt-a-Family,’ which focused on improving the life for a family with a member undergoing treatment at City of Hope. Natalie began paying special attention to families in need during her visits to the hospital to see her older brother when he was also a patient at City of Hope. With the help of her community and that of Crestview School, she was able to provide holiday gifts and other assistance to a family of seven.
To receive the Gold Award, participants spent a minimum of 65 hours toward their project. Girl Scouts in grades 9-12 or who are 14-17 years old are eligible. Approximately 3,000 Girl Scouts nationally earn the Gold Award annually. The girls are acknowledged by many governmental, national and local organizations. A growing number of colleges and universities award scholarships and grants to Girl Scout Gold Award recipients. MWVC Gold Award recipients receive the privilege of marching in the annual Rose Parade as a member of the Tournament Troop. The Tournament Troop includes Boy Scout Eagle Scouts and Girl Scouts Gold Award recipients.
Girl Scouts serve around 9,000 girls in the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, City of Commerce, Duarte, El Monte, East Los Angeles, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Monrovia, Montebello, Monterey Park, Montrose, Pasadena, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, South El Monte, Temple City and Verdugo City.
Nearly 2,000 girls from low-income families are served through the council's three community-based programs. Grant programs are available to low-income families and girls with special needs.

The 2008 MWVC Gold Award winners are...
Karen Atkins
Hermia Au
Katie Backus
Denise Bender
Rachel Berge
Alixandra Binney
Meagan Brazil
Kathrine I. Brugman
Aneliese Castro
Kathryn Chew
Sally Choi
Hailee Cimmarusti
Markie Dietel
Daniela Dykes
Nicole Elby
Lani Akimi Endo
Rebecca Felix
Lucy Filippone
Allison Finch
Jacklyn Freyberger
Carla Gharibian
April Giddens
Allison Guthrie
Jaclyn Harris
Danielle Hartounian
Brittany Heacock
Emiliy Henry
Amelia Hersey
Christina Horne
Alexa Hudnut
Arda Imasdounian
Christine Jorvina
Brittany Kang
Haley Keavy
Domonique Keil
Melissa Keil
Melissa Kil
Esther Kim
Courtney Lai
Florence Lai
Carol Lee
Christine Lee
Erica Wendy Leung
Kelsey Lew
Karen Lim
Courtney Little
Rachel Maloof
Deandra Mann
Shannon Mar
Claire Mazahery
Hannah McKnight
Rachel McLaughlin
Carly Melzer
Nicole Morrison
Brooke Natzic
Amanda O'Toole
Vanessa Panek
Alexandra Paul
Erika Paulson
Jordan Platisa
Ardiana Rendon
Catharine Ann Richmond
Marissa Robertson
Crystal Michele Rodgers
Alison Roybal
Elizabeth Sanfilippo
Caitlin Sarian
Jessica Saydah
Madison Smith
Mariah Snowden
Johanna Sobolic
Kristen Stamper
Holly Stevens
Emily Stewart
Megan Stiegelmar
Kristen Strawn
Jessica Sutro
Iliana Swick
Stephanie Tai
Amanda Teng
Molly Teodo
Lindsey Grace Thrower
Lauryn Togioka
Elizabeth Toomarian
Leslie Toy
Delia Tung
Melissa Van Wagenen
Margaret von Bibra
Lauren Wake
Natalie Weinstein
Taylor Witte
Shelby Wong
Stephanie Yates
Carla Yee