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Among the over 4,300 benefactors who have aided Caltech community members in recovering from the January 2025 wildfires were eight Girl Scout Brownies from Troop 3684 in La Verne.
The young girls, all entering fourth grade in autumn 2025, generated $1,000 through cookie sales for the Caltech and JPL Disaster Relief Fund. Six troop members paid a visit to the office of Caltech President Thomas F. Rosenbaum, the Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair and professor of physics, to deliver their donation.
“Numerous individuals on campus and at JPL were impacted by the fires,” President Rosenbaum remarked to the girls. “Three hundred people lost their residences, and thousands have had to relocate. We are thankful to all those in the community who have offered assistance. You are a remarkable illustration of that aid, a true inspiration.”
When the January wildfires ignited, troop member Katelyn Ore’s mother, Tracy Chen, informed her daughter and the troop leaders that many members of the Caltech community—including long-time supporters of the troop—had lost their homes. Chen was aware of this because she works at IPAC, a center for science and data on campus that supports over 20 astrophysical and planetary science missions and projects.
Caltech quickly initiated the Caltech and JPL Disaster Relief Fund to assist faculty, JPL employees, staff, postdoctoral researchers, and students in navigating the hurdles of recovery from the fires.
At that juncture, Girl Scouts Brownie Troop 3684 was in the midst of planning its annual cookie sales campaign. During the goal-setting session, the troop leaders shared insights about the fire’s ramifications and the relief fund. The girls generally use the dollar per box that returns to the troop to finance a major outing. For 2025, they opted to make a contribution and fund a more modest activity.
“We were discussing what to do with our cookie earnings during this crisis,” Madison Goins stated. “This year, we decided to pursue horse riding and donate the remaining funds to you.”
Katelyn ultimately sold 1,200 boxes, canvassing over 600 doors, selling cookies in front of grocery stores, and even going door-to-door in light rain.
Maddie had a suggestion that also resulted in substantial sales: “Since my mom works at the police station, we went there. They are always hungry.”
During their visit to Caltech, one of the girls inquired about the basketball in the president’s office. Rosenbaum clarified that it had been autographed by Nobel laureates and Caltech professors David Baltimore, Rudy Marcus, Ahmed Zewail, David Politzer, Robert Grubbs, Barry Barish, Kip Thorne, and Frances Arnold, summarizing each scientist’s discovery and its significance to humanity. He pointed out that one of the signers integrated chemistry, biology, and engineering in a manner few anticipated would succeed, and that another was still conducting research at over 100 years of age.
“Science has an abundance of marvelous individuals,” he remarked. “If you’re interested in science, you have the opportunity to engage in enjoyable work, and you also collaborate with incredible colleagues.”
More inquiries followed, and Rosenbaum narrated the stories behind mementos, including a sculpture of a Drosophila mosquito, a brick from Fermi’s nuclear pile in Chicago, a cannon model crafted by him in a machining class, a rack of slide rules, and a model of a Mars rover.
“What happens if something goes wrong with the actual rover?” Ella Hatmal asked. “You all ask such insightful questions,” President Rosenbaum replied, explaining how certain instruments on Mars and in space can be repaired from Earth while others cannot.
At the conclusion of the troop’s visit, they strolled to observe the turtles soaking up the sun at Throop Memorial Garden.
“It’s terrible that the fires occurred,” stated Madison. “But I find joy in giving to others.”
“It feels wonderful to donate,” Rebecca Wood concurred. “It resembles the breeze, like the wind.”
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