Carson girls earn highest award in Girl Scouting

Many people know about the Boy Scouts' Eagle Award, but not as many have heard of the Girl Scout Gold Award.

Only five percent of Girl Scouts nationally receive a Gold Award, and Saturday, Girl Scouts present two Carson High School girls - Melissa James and Nicole Updegrove with their Gold Award at a ceremony at the Atlantis in Reno.

The Gold Award, which is the single most demanding award and highest honor a Girl Scout can receive, is not easy to accomplish. Each girl must dedicate two years and more than 200 hours of community service in order to receive this prestigious award, said Jill Diamond, manager of marketing and communications for Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada.

"These two incredible and inspiring teenagers' hard work and dedication created programs to benefit their neighbors and community as a whole," Diamond said. "These girls deserve to be celebrated and recognized by their community for the amazing work they have done to make a positive change in their world."