Samantha Aldenderfer spent her senior year at Marquette High School doing something most teenagers don't: showing up regularly at an assisted living center to play board games with elderly residents and make sure nobody's birthday went uncelebrated.

That work earned Aldenderfer the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting and one that fewer than 6% of eligible scouts achieve, according to Girl Scouts of the USA. The Rockwood School District announced the award on May 6.

Aldenderfer's project targeted isolation among older adults at the Fountains of West County Assisted Living Center on Clayton Road in Ellisville. She and fellow students visited regularly for board games and conversation, and she created birthday cards so no resident's day passed unnoticed.

The lasting piece: Aldenderfer founded the "Act of Service Club" at the facility, giving residents themselves a way to contribute. Club members have made dog treats for animal shelters, painted kindness rocks, and assembled care packages for local law enforcement. Participation grew from five residents to eight over the course of the project.

To keep the club running after she graduates, Aldenderfer developed a detailed activity guide. The facility's activity director will lead the club going forward.

"Seeing their excitement and knowing they felt valued made this project incredibly meaningful to me," Aldenderfer said in the district's announcement.

Gold Award projects require a minimum of 80 hours and must address the root cause of a community issue with a sustainable solution. The U.S. Surgeon General flagged loneliness among older adults as a public health epidemic in a 2023 advisory, and a separate policy brief found roughly 61% of care-home residents experience moderate loneliness.

Aldenderfer has been active in Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri for years, appearing in the council's 2021 Reflections Ceremony program for a prior service award. Rockwood's Class of 2026 graduation ceremonies begin later this month.