Katelyn Lugo

From an early age, I have always been fascinated by the human brain and how minor alterations could have such a drastic, yet unique, impact on an individual. I grew up living with multiple neurodivergent family members, one of them being my cousin Johvanny who has autism. At the age of four, I began to notice my cousin’s abnormal behaviors. I was too young to understand what autism was at the time, but I always tried my best to be as supportive as I could be to my cousin and our family.

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For the past decade, I have recited the phrase "make the world a better place" hundreds of times--it's part of the Girl Scout Law. I have been an active member of Girl Scouts, National Charity League, and various other philanthropic organizations that foster public spirit while cultivating volunteers for life. For the past six years, I have served countless hours at my city’s therapeutic program where I have met people with all sorts of developmental disabilities. After graduating high school as part of the Class of 2022, I began working on this project as my Girl Scout Gold Award.