Congratulations to Deer Lakes senior Tessa Lovich who earned the Girls Scouts Gold Award!

“We were always told that this is the big goal, so it’s an accomplishment,” Tessa said. “It’s also the ending of Girls Scouts. It’s exciting, but also sad to know I’m closing a chapter that has been a part of my life since first grade.”

Tessa hosted a running clinic in August 2025 for children entering fourth through seventh grades as her Gold Award project.

The clinic educated and encouraged children to consistently practice healthy nutritional decisions, exercise, stretching, and mental wellness. The clinic included yoga, meditation and fun running activities and games.

“I love teaching younger kids,” Tessa said. “I know healthy habits are taught and encouraged, but I also feel that can be easily overlooked by kids. Hopefully they can look back on that day and remember how fun it was to enjoy making decisions that are healthy and that staying active in fun ways is healthy.”

Tessa has been in Girls Scouts for 12 years and always felt there was something to look forward to each year.

“I love learning, so I guess I’m a little bit of a nerd,” Tessa said while laughing. “There was always something new to learn and another badge tied to it. There was always the next chapter. I loved the camping trips. I loved cookies and the sales, and that actually taught me a lot of money and math skills. There was always something to learn with everything we did.”

One of the most valuable lessons, Tessa said, was the importance of helping others.

“There’s always something you can do that can help someone else,” Tessa said. “One of the best feelings you can have is when you uplift someone else.”