An eighth grader in Miami is being recognized for spending the last year helping preserve the memories of forgotten veterans buried at Miami City Cemetery.

Kassandra Seldin started noticing the neglected condition of the cemetery while passing it on her way to school each day. What began as a concern quickly turned into a major community project as part of her Girl Scout Silver Award.

With help from veterans and volunteers, Seldin identified and documented more than 1,700 graves, many belonging to military veterans whose headstones had become hidden by dirt, grass, and time. She also helped clean and restore the graves while photographing and recording service information for each one.

Using the “Badger” app, volunteers created a digital map to help families more easily locate loved ones buried there.

Seldin said she felt veterans who fought for the country deserved to be remembered and respected. After more than a year of work, she says the project may be ending, but the stories of those veterans will continue to live on.