Elizabeth B.(left), age 17, was at a Walmart cookie booth in Victorville when a little boy, around 3 years old, was walking out of the exit with a Spiderman Easter basket filled with Hotwheels. The little boy was coming out of the store with no mom which was a red flag for Elizabeth. She also was wondering why he didn’t just put his toys in a cart since he kept dropping them. When Elizabeth saw that the little boy was running towards the street into the parking lot she grabbed his arm as fast as she could pulling him back to safety. Elizabeth then walked the little boy over to Rusty, a Walmart employee. In true Girl Scout fashion, Elizabeth went back outside to finish working at her cookie booth. Later, Elizabeth found out that Rusty and Jason, the manager, safely returned the little boy to his mother. When asked about the events of that night, Elizabeth said that the only thing she would do differently was grabbed the little boy sooner. 

The Medal of Honor “[is awarded] to a girl who has shown the presence of mind and true Girl Scout spirit saving life or attempting to save [a]  life without risk to the candidates own life.”(GSUSA.org). Elizabeth received the Medal of Honor, for saving the little boy’s life, at the 2019 Silver and Gold Gala, held at the Mission Inn in Riverside, California. As Elizabeth was walking onto the stage to receive her award and certificate, the room was quiet as the story of Elizabeth’s heroic actions were being told to the audience. Elizabeth said that while on stage she felt very humbled while a letter from Sylvia Acevedo, the CEO of GSUSA, was read. On stage to congratulate Elizabeth, the first awardee in San Gorgonio Council to receive the Medal of Honor, was President and CEO Cynthia Breunig (far left), Executive Board Chairwoman Michelle Branconier (middle left), Chief of Mission Delivery Elizabeth Locke-Thomas (middle right), and Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Operations Nancy Perdue (far right).

Elizabeth is a proud 4th generation Girl Scout legacy. Elizabeth has been a Girl Scout for about 12 years. Shehas received several Girl Scout awards including her Silver Award, Journey Sumit Pins, her Program Aid (PA) pin, her Service to Community, and Service to Girl Scouts bars. Even with all of the awards she has earned, Elizabeth says that the Medal of Honor is the most distinguished award she has received so far. She hopes that earning her Gold Award will be the next most notable achievement because of all of the time being put into it. 

A word of advice from Elizabeth to all Girl Scout:“Girl Scouts isn’t just about receiving awards. Stay in the moment, that’s when you enjoy everything: enjoying the moment is better than planning the future.”