Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast hosted a special celebration recently at Norfolk State University for the 39 girls who earned the Girl Scout Gold Award during the past year, including Suffolk’s Aleena Pickett.

To earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, which is the highest honor and achievement in Girl Scouting, girls must identify an issue in their community and carry out a “Take Action” project to address the matter through at least 80 hours of leadership work.

Cathy Lewis, host of award-winning radio show “HearSay with Cathy Lewis” on WHRV, was the guest speaker for the afternoon. Recognizing the range of projects — from creating beautiful spaces in the community to developing programs for underprivileged youth — Lewis said these young women are making an impact on the world.

“These young women have already changed the world around them, and they’re not even out of high school yet,” Lewis said. “That’s really an extraordinary thing. So many of us spend our lifetimes trying to find a way to do that.”

Each recipient of the Girl Scout Gold Award was recognized on stage, and her project was shared with those who attended.

The Gold Award recipients were also congratulated by Shannon Kendrick, District Director in Congressman Scott Rigell’s Virginia Beach office and Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast CEO Tracy Keller, who earned the Girl Scout Gold Award when she was a Girl Scout in high school in Virginia Beach.

“Each of you found a gap in the community and filled it,” Keller said, praising the girls for recognizing the needs of the world they live in and finding a sustainable way to make a difference.

The Gold Award celebration is held annually to recognize the girls who earn this top award in Girl Scouting. Nationwide, fewer than 6 percent of eligible Girl Scouts earn the Gold Award, adding these 39 young women to an elite group of female leaders across the country with the honor.