Two outstanding young women from Weston, Karina Torres Figueroa and Anneliese Hsiao, were recently recognized during the 2025 Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida Gold Award Ceremony at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Together, they were awarded three of the council’s most distinguished scholarships, totaling $5,500, for their exceptional achievements and commitment to making a difference in their communities.
Karina Torres Figueroa, a Gold Award Girl Scout, received both the $2,500 Florida Power & Light Company S.T.E.M. Scholarship and the $1,500 GSSEF Gold Award Advisors Scholarship.
Established in 2020 exclusively for Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, the Florida Power & Light Company S.T.E.M. Scholarship is powered by FPL’s commitment to building a strong pipeline of female leaders in science, technology, engineering and math. FPL is passionate and strategically focused on supporting girls who are interested in these fields and plan to pursue them through post-secondary education. The $2,500 scholarship was awarded to Karina Torres Figueroa, a Gold Award Girl Scout who will be attending the University of Florida in the fall. Her academic goals align with a future in S.T.E.M., and she is already making strides toward becoming a changemaker in the field.
The GSSEF Gold Award Advisors Scholarship was established in 2024 to honor trailblazing Girl Scouts who mentor others pursuing the organization’s highest honor. Gold Award Advisors serve as official coaches, offering guidance and support to girls as they develop and complete their community-focused projects. The 2025 scholarship was awarded to Karina Torres Figueroa, a dedicated and determined Gold Award Girl Scout who not only earned the award herself but also gave back by mentoring fellow Girl Scouts through their own Gold Award journeys. She exemplifies the leadership, perseverance, and passion that inspired the creation of this scholarship.
Fellow Weston resident Anneliese Hsiao was named the 2025 recipient of the Barbara Ann Turner “Service from the Heart” Scholarship, the council’s first and longest-running scholarship established in 2008. The $1,500 scholarship was created to honor Barbara Ann Turner’s lifelong dedication to Girl Scouting, recognizing girls who give back through exceptional service.
Anneliese, a junior at American Heritage School in Plantation and a 2025 Gold Award Girl Scout, was selected for her impactful project, “South Florida Pet Safety.” Motivated by her love for animals and concern for their well-being, she developed multilingual educational materials, distributed pet emergency kits, and hosted safety workshops. Her project addressed regional threats often overlooked in mainstream pet safety resources, including bufo toads, alligators, heatstroke, and hurricane-related dangers. Her efforts have been credited with saving pet lives and educating countless families throughout the community. Anneliese truly embodies the spirit of service that Barbara Ann Turner championed and that this scholarship was created to honor.
Both Karina and Anneliese are proof that Girl Scouts continue to lead with purpose and vision. Their achievements not only reflect their individual strengths but also the broader mission of the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida: to empower girls to be go-getters, innovators, risk-takers, and leaders.
“These scholarships honor their dedication and help pave the way for their futures,” said Lisa Johnson, CEO of Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida. “Since its inception in 2008, our scholarship program has grown by 2,500%, awarding 48 local Girl Scouts with support to further their education and lead with purpose in their communities.”
To learn more about the Gold Award, scholarship opportunities, or how to support Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, visit www.gssef.org.
