News release
Madison Lee of Valencia has been honored with the Congressional Award Gold Medal, which is Congress’ highest honor for civilian youth, according to a news release from the Congressional Award organization.
Established to law in 1979, the Congressional Award was created to honor, encourage, and inspire America’s youth, the release said. In the ensuing years, Congress has recognized thousands of outstanding young Americans who have earned and deserve our admiration and recognition.
Through The Congressional Award, Congress urges young people to challenge themselves. Any interested, motivated student, aged 13 and 1/2 through 23 years old, may participate in the Congressional Award by setting and achieving individually challenging goals in four program areas: Voluntary Public Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness and Expedition/Exploration.
The Congressional Award adapts to meet the needs of every participant as they set goals according to their own interests and level of abilities. The Award is geared toward motivated, interested youth who set their own personally challenging goals and activities.
To earn the Gold Medal, each participant must complete at least 400 hours of voluntary public service, which means sharing their time and talent for the betterment of the community, 200 hours of personal development, which can include developing social and life skills as well as interests, and 200 hours of physical fitness, spent in any way that improves their health and quality of life, according to the release.
Additionally, they must spend at least five days and four nights exploring a new environment or culture, and must have been consistently working to achieve this award for over 24 months, the minimum time frame to earn the Gold Medal.
“Earning the Congressional Award Gold Medal strengthened my consistency, discipline, and follow-through across multiple areas of my life,” Lee, a senior at West Ranch High School, said in the release. “The voluntary public service was the most impactful part of my experience. I dedicated over 200 hours to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, assisting nurses, delivering supplies, responding to patients, and training new volunteers. This experience confirmed my passion for medicine and showed me how compassionate care can meaningfully impact a patient’s experience.”
Lee also volunteered over 200 hours to Loving Hearts Youth, participating in food drives and shelter-serving events, raising funds, and delivering donations to underprivileged families, the release said. “Through this work, I gained a deeper understanding of food insecurity and homelessness and learned that meaningful change begins with taking initiative.”
For personal development, Lee “spent over 200 hours improving my piano skills and achieving Level 10 in Certificate of Merit. For physical fitness, I dedicated over 200 hours to hip-hop dance, developing my skills and creating choreography for school events.”
Lee added: “For my expedition, I planned a five-day trip to New York City, navigating transportation and a packed itinerary for my family. This taught me to stay organized, remain calm under pressure, and problem-solve in real time.”
