09/30/2025
We are so proud of Ambassador Girl Scout Tayva, who has been awarded the Girl Scout Medal of Honor, one of the highest national awards presented by GSUSA. The Medal of Honor is given for saving a life.
While on a college visit in April, Tayva and her mom Alexsis were enjoying a morning at the beach when they noticed a fisherman in danger. He had fallen in the surf and wasn’t able to move. The waves were crashing around him and filling his waders, dragging him under. Tayva took action, assessed the scene, and ran to help. She pulled the man to safety, instructed a bystander to call 911, and gave care for shock. The man was airlifted to a local hospital and treated for a stroke.
From the press release:
“Tayva’s quick thinking, strength, and courage are the embodiment of Girl Scouts’ mission
to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place,” said Vikki Shepp Ed.D., CEO of Girl Scouts of Orange County. “She is a true hero-not just to the man she saved, but to our entire community.”
The Girl Scouts Lifesaving Award has been part of the organization’s tradition for more than a century. It is presented only when a Girl Scout’s presence of mind and skill save or attempt to save a life. For Tayva, it was never about recognition. “I just thought, , ‘we have to help him,” she said. “I didn’t really think about anything else.”
