(Mission Times Courier, San Diego, Ca) -  Three area residents are among the 55 young women who recently earned the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award. Girl Scouts, San Diego-Imperial Council presented the honors during a ceremony at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in University City.

Just 4% of Girl Scouts nationwide achieve the Gold Award. Recipients spend two to three years completing a seven-step process that includes exploring career interests, colleges, internships and jobs. It culminates when she plans, executes and evaluates a major service project based on a personal passion that addresses the needs of a specific community.

For her Gold Award project, Juliana Bertin trained approximately 50 volunteers how to knit baby bonnets. Together with the Patrick Henry High School volunteer club and junior volunteers from the hospital, she made and donated over 200 hats for newborns at Sharp Grossmont Hospital. She was a Girl Scout for 13 years. The daughter of Linda Bertin of San Carlos, Juliana will be a University of Puget Sound sophomore in the fall.

Sara Brenner, of the Grossmont Middle College High School Class of 2009, is the daughter of Kathy and Ron Brenner of La Mesa. She created a documentary about World War II prisoners of war which included interviews with eight veterans. Sara was a Girl Scout for 13 years.

San Carlos resident Courtney Prodor, the daughter of Michael and Cindy Prodor, just graduated from High Tech High School in Point Loma. She was a Girl Scout for 11 years, and her mother was her leader. Courtney organized hands-on workshops for children that focused on water quality and the clean water movement.

Paralympian/motivational speaker/author Sarah Reinertsen, a former Girl Scout, delivered the keynote address. She is the first female amputee to complete the Ironman Triathlon. This year, Girl Scouts, San Diego-Imperial Council included Reinertsen among its "San Diego's 10 Cool Women of 2009."