By Delaney Whittet
Staff Writer
A childhood passion brought senior Reilly Edmonds into the national spotlight.
Edmonds represented the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles in the 15th-annual Rose Parade on Jan. 1 as she carried the banner for the Macy’s Department Store from Altadena, California.
“The best part of the experience was turning onto Colorado Boulevard and seeing thousands of people cheering and waving,” Edmonds said.
In November and December, Edmonds and the other banner carriers had two practices in preparation for the final parade, where they walked five-and-a-half miles carrying a 10-pound metal bar.
“The practices were serious, but they were also very fun and, overall, I had a really great time,” Edmonds said. “We had to make sure our timing and spacing was perfect so we would be in sync.”
In order to be in the parade, Edmonds had to complete her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive. Edmonds also had to complete an interview process led by Girl Scout volunteers.
“Reilly deserved to be in the parade because she’s extremely dedicated to everything she is involved in, especially this program,” fellow Girl Scout senior Hailey Kay said. “I think this experience was very beneficial for her because she got to see how her hard work paid off.”
To earn the Gold Award, a senior or ambassador Girl Scout must find a pressing issue in her community and solve it by carrying out a service project. Edmonds began her Gold Award project in June 2013. She received her award in June 2014 by completing over 100 hours at the Venice Family Medical Clinic.
“The most rewarding part of my Gold Award was the positive feedback from the staff and patients from building flower boxes and painting a mural for the clinic’s patios to provide the facility with a warm, welcoming environment.,” Edmonds said. “Seeing my idea turned into action with positive results really impacted me.”
According to Edmonds, the annual Rose Parade was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that culminated her Girl Scout experience and achievements. In the future, she plans to remain involved as an adult mentor in the Girl Scout organization and one day hopes to be a leader for her own daughter’s troop.
“Through Girl Scouts and being in the parade, I have learned the lessons of responsibility, perseverance, hard work and independence,” Edmonds said. “I will take these important values I learned with me into my future.”
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