Thursday, October 1, 2026
Katherine Lovelock, a 17-year-old Oceanside resident, is using her love of theater to inspire the next generation of performers.
Lovelock was among 67 young women recently recognized by Girl Scouts of Nassau County for earning the prestigious Scout’s Gold Award, the organization’s highest honor.
For her Gold Award project, dubbed Little Actors Academy, Lovelock created free theater workshops in the Oceanside community for children ages 3 to 7.
The Gold Award recognizes Girl Scouts in the ninth through 12th grades who identify a problem or need in their community, develop a plan, build a team, and create a lasting solution that continues to make an impact beyond the completion of their project.
The Scouts’ accomplishments were celebrated during the 2026 Gold Award Ceremony held at The Inn at New Hyde Park last month.
“The 2026 Gold Award Girl Scouts are an extraordinary group of young women, and what they have accomplished goes far beyond the projects they completed,” Rande Bynum, CEO of Girl Scouts of Nassau County, said. “Through this experience, every one of them built real, transferable skills in leadership, problem-solving, public speaking, and project management that will give them an edge in college, in their careers, and in every community they are a part of for the rest of their lives.”
For the Little Actors Academy, Lovelock introduced young children to acting, singing, dancing and performance skills through two, four-week programs held at the Oceanside Library, one in the winter and one in the summer.
A longtime theater enthusiast, Lovelock said she wanted her project to reflect something she was passionate about while giving children an opportunity to explore a creative outlet.
“I knew I needed to do something that I would love and really want to do so it wouldn’t feel like a chore,” Lovelock said. “I’ve been doing theater since I was 3, so it has always been a huge part of my life. I wanted to bring that inspiration into other people’s lives.”
Lovelock became involved in Girl Scouts in kindergarten, with her mother serving as her troop leader. Over the years, she participated in volunteer events, helped younger Girl Scouts, and assisted wherever needed.
After deciding to pursue the Gold Award, Lovelock spent nearly two years developing and completing her project, beginning at the end of her sophomore year at Oceanside High School and wrapping up during her senior year.
The program was designed to introduce children to theater in a fun and welcoming environment. During each four-week session, Lovelock led activities focused on building confidence, teamwork and creativity.
The first week centered on introductions and theater games to help students feel comfortable with one another. In the following weeks, participants learned songs, dances and scripts before performing a final showcase for their families.
Lovelock created choreography, prepared scripts, designed playbills and even made shirts for the young performers’ final presentations.
“It was great to see it finally come together,” she said. “The kids had so much fun throughout the whole thing with me. It meant the world to me.”
To help bring the program to life, Lovelock partnered with the Oceanside Library, which helped promote the workshops through its monthly newsletter and advertisements. She also recruited members of her high school’s Thespian Troupe to volunteer and assist with lessons.
“I knew that doing a class alone would be hard,” she said. “I talked to my theater teachers at the high school, and they let me introduce my workshops through the Thespian Troupe. They came to the classes and helped me assist in the workshops.”
Lovelock said working with young children experiencing theater for the first time was one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.
“Just seeing them grasp the ideas and actually putting them to life was so cool,” she said. “Seeing them transform into a character in such a short amount of time and seeing them improve over the weeks was so inspiring.”
The project also allowed Lovelock to combine her passion for theater with her interest in education. In the fall, she plans to attend Penn State University, where she will study special education.
Throughout the Gold Award process, Lovelock said she developed important skills, especially time management, that she will carry with her into college and beyond.
“Going through junior and senior year doing a lot of extracurriculars was a lot,” she said. “But I always knew how to map out time for my Gold Award. Each week I would put in a few hours, and that really helped the final goal because I wasn’t overwhelmed with so much work and not enough time.”
Cassie Colgan, senior director of marketing and communications for Girl Scouts of Nassau County, said the Gold Award allows young women to choose projects based on their own passions and the needs they see in their communities.
“The girls are out in the community looking for something they’re passionate about and something they want to change or address,” Colgan said. “It’s amazing to see the wonderful projects the girls are doing, the good that they’re doing in the community, the leadership that they’re taking on and the skills that they’re learning.”
For Lovelock, the Little Actors Academy represents more than a completed project — it is a lasting reminder of the power of creativity, confidence and community.
“I got to see everything that I did work out,” she said. “I really put 110 percent effort into it, and that made me happy.”
