SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – A San Diego-area Girl Scout was honored Wednesday for saving the life of a classmate.

Angela King, a 12th-grader from Del Mar, received the Girl Scouts of the USA Medal of Honor for performing the Heimlich maneuver on a classmate who was choking during an emergency on an eighth-grade field trip. She learned first aid skills in school and through hands-on training with the Girl Scouts.

“It’s an honor to receive this award, but I don’t do anything to get recognition,” Angela said. “It gives me strength to have these skills because I know I’m equipped and prepared for anything that might happen and I don’t have to be afraid. I hope this can inspire others to realize that helping people is never something to take for granted. If you have the chance to help someone, always take the opportunity, even if you don’t get the Medal of Honor.”

The Girl Scouts of the USA Medal of Honor is one of the Girl Scouts’ highest honors. The award is given to young leaders who have demonstrated heroism and sound judgment in an emergency to save a life without endangering their own, according to the Girl Scouts San Diego.

Angela is one of only 15 Girl Scouts nationwide to receive this honor in 2024 so far, and the fourth from San Diego and Imperial counties in the last decade.

“Angela’s responsible and courageous actions in a crisis situation underscore the core values ​​we strive to instill in all of our members,” said Carol Dedrich, CEO of Girl Scouts San Diego. “We are proud to honor Angela with this award and recognize her heroism and ongoing commitment to making a positive impact in her community. Her story is a powerful example of how the Girl Scouts prepare girls for leadership roles and a reminder of the difference one person can make.”