Girl Scout Dee Earns Gold Award
Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons proudly recognizes 11 local Girl Scouts who are part of the 2025 Girl Scout Gold Award class who earned the highest award in Girl Scouting, the Gold Award. Gold Award Girl Scouts make positive impacts on our local communities by addressing some of the most pressing issues. We congratulate Dee Pickit Van Zinderen, of Prior Lake, MN, for earning her Gold Award.
Gold Award Girl Scouts become innovative problem-solvers, empathetic leaders, confident public speakers, and focused project managers. They learn resourcefulness, tenacity, and decision-making skills, giving them an edge personally and professionally. As they take action to transform their communities, Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they’re the leaders our world needs. The 2025 Gold Award Girl Scout class identified issues in their communities, took action, and found or created solutions to earn their Gold Awards, addressing real-life problems such as environmental sustainability, mental and physical well-being, and gender inequality in STEM.
Motivated to reduce feelings of isolation among seniors in care facilities, Dee dedicated over 200 hours to collecting and donating comfort items. She provided more than 50 new and gently used blankets, 55 hand-crocheted stockings, and nearly 500 CDs, cassettes, and DVD movies to a local care facility, bringing warmth, entertainment, and connection to its residents.
Congratulations, Dee!
