Gold Award Spotlight: Adhanna P
Girl Spotlight: Adhanna Pardo
Gold Award Girl Scout
Age 18 | Ambassador Girl Scout | Doral, FL
Bronze and Silver Award Girl Scout
What are some of your favorite hobbies?
Dancing, baking, listening to music, and photography.
In a word, what does it mean to say, "I am a Girl Scout"?
Discipline.
As a senior, what are some of your future plans?
I plan to attend Florida International University and major in Digital Communication and Media.
What is the title of your project?
SPF Is My BFF
Tell us more about your project and how you completed it.
My Gold Award project, SPF Is My BFF, raises awareness about sun safety and skin cancer prevention, especially for children and families. To bring the topic to life, I designed and published an interactive digital storybook that teaches sun-safe habits in a way that's fun and easy to understand, made accessible through QR code plaques installed in public spaces.
I also partnered with local city officials to install permanent sunscreen dispensers in public parks, so sun protection is free and within reach. From there, I led educational workshops and created a sun safety badge program that reached children and families throughout the community.
To extend the project's impact, I connected with organizations locally and internationally to share these resources further. Thanks to the sunscreen dispensers, the digital storybook, and the badge program, SPF Is My BFF will keep protecting our community long after I've moved on — carried forward by future Girl Scouts and community partners.
Why is this project important to you? What gave you the inspiration to approach this topic the way that you did?
Skin cancer is one of the most common yet most preventable cancers, but so many people — especially children — aren't taught how to protect themselves from the sun. Growing up in South Florida, I've seen firsthand how easy it is to overlook sun safety, even with how much time we spend outdoors here.
I wanted to reach people in a way that would actually stick, especially younger audiences. Using a storybook format paired with interactive QR codes let me make health information both accessible and memorable — not just to inform people, but to help them build habits that protect them for life.
What was the biggest challenge you faced and how did you overcome it?
One of my biggest challenges was coordinating with city officials and community organizations to get the sunscreen dispensers installed and keep the project on schedule. Delays in communication sometimes made it hard to stick to my original timeline.
I got through it by staying persistent, flexible, and proactive — reaching out to multiple contacts, exploring new partnerships, and adjusting my plans when I needed to. It strengthened my leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills, and taught me how important adaptability is when managing a large-scale community project.
How does this project contribute to your future goals?
This project lines up closely with my future in communications and public outreach. Creating educational materials, working with public officials, and organizing community programs gave me real experience in communication, advocacy, and project management.
It also showed me how powerful education and media can be in shifting behavior and inspiring change — and it reinforced that I want a career that blends communication with community impact.
What did you learn about yourself in the process of completing your project?
I learned that I'm resilient, adaptable, and capable of leading a project from an idea all the way to completion. There were plenty of unexpected obstacles along the way, but I found I could stay focused and find creative solutions when things got hard.
I also realized how passionate I am about helping others and creating real change in my community. This experience gave me more confidence and showed me I can turn ideas into projects with a lasting impact.
What did you learn about your community in the process of completing your project?
I learned that my community values health, education, and public well-being — but that awareness around issues like sun safety is often limited. I also saw how much meaningful change depends on collaboration between community leaders, organizations, and everyday people.
Resources aren't always easy to come by, but I found that people are willing to support good ideas once they understand the purpose behind them. It reinforced just how much communication, outreach, and partnership matter in creating lasting change.
Has your project received any previous awards or accolades?
Yes — my project was recognized by the City of Sweetwater for its impact and innovation in promoting public health awareness, and it was part of my application for the Silver Knight Award, which highlighted its community outreach and educational impact.
My sun safety badge program was also approved by Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida and Girl Scouts of the USA, so it can now be used more broadly. The initiative has also been recognized through my partnerships with local city officials and community organizations for its work in sun safety education.
