Annie Walton Receives Prestigious 2024 Girl Scout Gold Award Scholarship
Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan is proud to announce Annie Walton, a dedicated member of Girl Scout Troop 30606 in East Lansing, has been named the recipient of the prestigious 2024 Girl Scout Gold Award Scholarship, a $5,000 scholarship to support her studies at Michigan State University. This distinguished award recognizes Girl Scouts who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, service, and dedication to improving their communities through their Gold Award projects.
Walton earned this honor through her transformative work on the Mayapple Trail project, restoring public access to Al White Park after it was blocked by a housing development. As part of her Gold Award, Annie built a new trail to ensure that the park remains accessible and enjoyable for the community.
Her project began with a community survey that confirmed the need for the trail, followed by meticulous trail mapping with flags and GPS. Annie organized over 75 volunteers, secured funding for necessary supplies, and gave multiple public presentations to garner support. She collaborated closely with the Whitehille Neighborhood Association, East Lansing Healthy Parks, East Lansing City Council, and the City of East Lansing’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Arts to bring her vision to fruition. For Annie, the most rewarding part of the project has been seeing how the community embraces the trail.
"We've already heard so many positive comments about how much people are enjoying the trail," she shared. “It's amazing to see something I worked on make such an impact."
Walton is now attending Michigan State University majoring in Classical Trumpet Performance.
September 18, 2024
