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Naomi Brundage Earns Prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award with “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Diversity in Tennis”
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – March 24, 2025 – Naomi Brundage, a junior at the Albuquerque Academy, has been awarded the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouting, for her project, “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Diversity in Tennis.” Recognizing the lack of representation and accessibility for students of color and those from low-income communities in tennis, Naomi created a sustainable program to introduce the sport to a wider audience.
As the only African American girl on her high school tennis team, Naomi understood firsthand the importance of representation. “It really motivated me to create a program to introduce diverse communities to the game, ensuring more young people can access its life-changing benefits,” she said.
Her project addressed the perception of tennis as an expensive, predominantly white sport by establishing the Arthur Ashe Day Tennis Clinic. In partnership with the Albuquerque Academy Racquet Center, the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA), and Jack & Jill of America’s Albuquerque-Santa Fe chapter, Naomi led a team of peer tennis instructors from the Albuquerque Tennis Team to coach 21 students of color in a free, one-day clinic. The clinic focused on tennis fundamentals, the legacy of Arthur Ashe, and the importance of physical activity.
“I honestly think that being able to see more people like me be able to enjoy the sport because growing up I didn’t have other people like me on the court. It was great to witness a bunch of kids of color be able to enjoy tennis like this,” Naomi shared.
Naomi’s dedication extended beyond the clinic. She secured commitments to ensure the project’s sustainability. Jack & Jill of America will annually sponsor the Arthur Ashe Day Tennis Clinic. The Albuquerque Academy Racquet Center will work with the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) to establish a presence in New Mexico, and Albuquerque Academy will incorporate tennis into its Vincent Cordova Summer Scholars Program. Additionally, she mentored a Girl Scout Junior in completing her Bronze Award.
“Tennis has shaped my discipline, resilience, and competitive spirit—qualities that have been invaluable in my life. I want young people, especially those in underserved communities, to have the same opportunities to grow through tennis and education. When I was young, I struggled with my weight, which affected my self-esteem. I found an outlet through sports, particularly tennis, providing individual and team dynamics that made the game enjoyable. It became a form of exercise and a mental and emotional escape,” Naomi explained.
Carolyn Sandberg, Naomi’s Gold Award Committee Mentor, praised her leadership and organizational skills. “Naomi Brundage demonstrated exemplary leadership skills and focus in building a diverse team of peers, adults, and advisors that also required her to recruit significant financial sponsorships. One of the more difficult aspects of the Gold Award is to ensure the sustainability of the project beyond the initial presentation. Naomi has commitments from Albuquerque Academy that the program will be incorporated into future events and is a proven template for the National Junior Tennis & Learning Program/USTA youth outreach programs. Naomi was required to develop skills in the areas
About Girl Scouts of New Mexico Trails With a presence in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Gallup, Farmington, Las Vegas, and Clovis, Girl Scouts of New Mexico Trails is made up of more than 5,000 girls and adults across Central and Northern New Mexico. The council serves these 23 counties: Bernalillo, Catron, Cibola, Colfax, Curry, De Baca, Guadalupe, Harding, Los Alamos, McKinley, Mora, Quay, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union, and Valencia. Girl Scouts of New Mexico Trails is an independent 501(c)3 organization who, in partnership with Girl Scouts of the USA and 110 other Girl Scout councils, works to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
of project management, public speaking, budgeting, problem-solving, and community building. She improved her public speaking skills and showed great organization, character, courage, and confidence in developing and executing her successful project. She is an inspiration for other Girl Scouts (young and old) and her enthusiasm is contagious!”
The Gold Award represents the highest achievement in Girl Scouting, requiring girls to demonstrate leadership, initiative, and a commitment to creating lasting change in their communities. Naomi’s project exemplifies these qualities, making a tangible difference in the lives of young people in Albuquerque.
March 24, 2025
