American Girl introduces Summer McKinny as Girl of the Year

American Girl is not willing to close out the year, or the summer, without revealing Summer McKinny, their choice of 2025's Girl of the Year.

Naturally, Summer McKinny would not be named Girl of the Year without American Girl developing a background and personality for her.

Summer McKinny is not your average, ordinary little girl. She is excited to get a jump start on her future in entrepreneurship by starting out at the young age of ten years old, leading the charge of her own dog-walking business. For kids wondering where she lives, Summer McKinny is from Columbia, Maryland, which includes tourist attractions such as the Artists' Gallery and B&O Railroad Museum, among other exciting places.

If you hire Summer McKinny to walk your dog, you too are doing a public service, as Summer shares some of the profits she makes with a local animal shelter. Summer even has her own dog, Crescent, whom she adopted from a dog shelter near her home.

When she is not playing with Crescent or walking her neighbors' dogs, Summer can be found baking and excitedly decorating the food when it comes out of the oven. Rather than learn it all on her own, Summer relies on her aunt and sister to help give her tips and turn a potentially one-person job in the kitchen into a fun group activity.

When Summer leaves Maryland, it might be to see her grandparents in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Whether it be walking the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk or visiting the amusement parks, Funland or Jungle Jim's, there are plenty of fun activities for Summer to do when she joins her grandparents in their hometown.

As a way to recognize Summer and continue American Girl's connection to the importance of reading, American Girl is donating over $100,000 in the retail vlaue of American Girl books. The donations will go to Save the Children's U.S. education programs.

Make sure to celebrate American Girl's choice of 2025's Girl of the Year, Summer McKinny.