Two Danville teens were among a group of Bay Area Girl Scouts chosen to represent the Girl Scouts of Northern California at the State Capitol earlier this summer to honor 100 years of the Gold Award, the highest rank in Girl Scouting.

Local Girl Scouts Kyra Sakamoto and Christina Adams headed to Sacramento for the milestone-marking event, which mirrored events across the country as Girl Scout troops and councils were "Celebrating 100 Years of Changing the World" through the Gold Award.

The six Bay Area Girl Scouts saw the presentation of a state proclamation recognizing the centennial of the Girl Scout Gold Award in late June, and they were able to meet with members of the California Legislative Women's Caucus. Additionally, they had the opportunity to shadow select legislators at the State Capitol and network with influential women business leaders.

The Gold Award honors Girl Scouts who have given back to the community and improved the lives of people all over the world. Award recipients' projects have included building libraries that teach new immigrants to speak and read English, constructing hospitals that serve women and children in war-torn regions and encouraging sustainable food growth and consumption, among many others.

Adams received the Tri-Valley Hero Rising Star Award from DanvilleSanRamon.com and its sister publication, the Pleasanton Weekly, last fall because of her Gold Award project, which brought new bicycles to 50 in-need sixth-graders at St. Elizabeth's Elementary School in Oakland.

Earning a Gold Award is an achievement that could entitle girls to college scholarships or an advanced rank when entering the military. Due to the commitment and effort required, fewer than 6% of eligible Girl Scouts earn a Gold Award, according to Girl Scouts officials.

The four other Girl Scouts chosen to represent Northern California were Sandhya Iyer of San Jose, Jasmine Johnson of Oakland, Christie Li of Palo Alto and Rhea Subramanian of Redwood City.