Girl Scout earns Gold Award Scholarship for helping children with rare diseases like herself
June 24, 2025
Girl Scout Carrie Durso recently received this year's GSUSA Gold Award Scholarship for Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council! Carrie, a high school senior, will be awarded a $5,000 scholarship to pursue her college education in the fall.
GSUSA awards a scholarship every year to one Gold Award Girl Scout in each council across the country for their outstanding work on their Gold Award project. The Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can earn.
Carrie earned the Gold Award scholarship because her project for the Gold Award made a significant and lasting impact on her community and beyond. The project focused on helping children with rare diseases and chronic illnesses feel less isolated. Over two years, she researched, wrote, and illustrated a children's book. "You're Not Alone, Little Zebra."
"I was so excited when I heard the news. We (family) were all jumping around," Carrie said of winning the scholarship. "It validates that my project made an impact. It's nice to get recognition for something you work so hard for. It's such a big honor."
Only Ambassadors and Senior Girl Scouts are eligible to earn the Gold Award. Girls choose a community issue dear to them and develop a sustainable solution. In addition, they must plan, implement, and share their project with others.
Carrie's personal experience inspired her project. She has a rare genetic disease called Hypermobility Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), which affects her connective tissues, leading to frequent joint dislocations and pain. After a long medical journey, she realized that children with hEDS lack representation and identity. She decided to fill the gap in literature by writing her book.
"My book intends to give children who struggle with rare diseases or chronic illness a sense of community and to remind them that there are other children out there experiencing the same thing that they do," Carrie said.
Carrie led a team of volunteers to carry out her project. The Zebra Team, as she calls it, included children with various chronic illnesses and rare diseases. The children helped her accurately depict their medical journeys in the book. She also worked with Texas Children's Hospital, PRISM (an EDS specialty clinic in Maryland, and the Ehlers-Danlos Society. The organizations helped her donate the books to medical facilities and other locations in multiple states.
Carrie posted her book on her website. The book has "gone viral," reaching more than 75,000 people across the world, including some in Europe, she said. The book is also on Amazon, with all proceeds going to the National Organization of Rare Disorders (NORD).
One of the many highlights of pursuing her Gold Award has been the opportunity to speak with many other girls with rare diseases. She recently received a direct message from a girl in Maryland who found Carrie's book at her doctor's office. The girl happened to be a Girl Scout, and they became friends. Carrie encouraged her to go for the Gold Award.
"I get messages from kids saying, "I love your book," Carrie said. "That's a really cool experience. I've been able to make a difference. I found a need in my community, and I had the framework from Girl Scout to address it."
As a Girl Scout for 13 years, Carrie has also earned a Bronze and Silver Award. Earning a Gold Award can lead to opportunities such as college admissions to competitive universities, internships, scholarships, and even job interviews. Carrie, who included her Gold Award experience in her college applications, will attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall. She plans to study business administration and healthcare policy.
Let's congratulate Carrie on her accomplishments!
