Lauren Venturella, a Girl Scout Ambassador, has earned the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award—an achievement that recognizes Girl Scouts who take on meaningful projects that create lasting change in their communities. Her project, inspired by her great uncle Tony DeVito, focuses on educating others about the post-World War II climate in the United States, when former Nazi war criminals entered the country and often lived undetected.
Lauren’s great uncle, Tony DeVito, dedicated his life to seeking justice for Holocaust victims, playing a key role in tracking down and extraditing Nazi war criminal Hermine Braunsteiner Ryan. DeVito wrote a book about his pursuit of justice, but it was never published. Determined to share his story and educate others on the importance of resisting genocide and injustice, Lauren took action to bring his work to light.
For her Gold Award project, Lauren successfully published her great uncle’s book, Alien: The Deportation Case of Hermine Braunsteiner Ryan. She also developed an educational curriculum on genocide resistance for New Providence fifth graders and presented an adapted version of her lesson to an adult audience at the New Providence Memorial Library. As part of her efforts, Lauren organized a watch party featuring a 1977 60 Minutes interview in which DeVito was featured, providing attendees with deeper insight into his work.
In addition, Lauren conducted an interview with Howard Blum, author of Wanted!: The Search for Nazis in America, which prominently features DeVito’s story. This interview informed her writing of the book’s foreword. To ensure the long-term impact of her project, Lauren donated copies of the published book to the New Providence Memorial Library and the New Providence High School History Club, where it will serve as a resource for future discussions on resisting injustice.
Lauren’s Gold Award project will continue to make an impact through the New Providence school district, where her lesson plan has been incorporated into the elementary school curriculum as part of the Holocaust unit. She is also working toward submitting Tony DeVito’s manuscript to the Museum of Jewish Heritage to further preserve and share his story.
Lauren’s work exemplifies the mission of Girl Scouts—taking action to educate, advocate, and make the world a better place. Through her project, she not only honored her great uncle’s legacy but also ensured that his pursuit of justice will continue to inspire future generations.
The Girl Scout Gold Award represents the highest level of leadership and service, requiring dedication, problem-solving, and a commitment to creating lasting change. Congratulations to Lauren Venturella for using her voice and passion to shine a light on an important historical story and inspire others to stand up against injustice.
