Eighteen IUSD students earned the , the United States Congress’s highest honor bestowed upon a youth civilian.
The Congressional Award is a testament to the dedication and perseverance of young individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment in various areas. To earn this award, participants must complete a minimum of 400 hours of voluntary public service, 200 hours of personal development, 200 hours of physical fitness and a five-day, four-night expedition or exploration over at least two years. Only 724 youth were awarded this award this year.
The following IUSD students met these rigorous requirements and were honored with the prestigious award:
- Ananya Vuppula, Portola High School
- Isaac Kwon, Northwood High School
- Jaehee Park, Portola High School
- Aryan Mukherjee, University High School
- Miles Hexun, University High School
- Erin Hwang, Northwood High School
- Chloe Won, Irvine High School
- Jason Khauv, Portola High School
- Joseph Kim, Irvine High School
- Betul Zeynep Arat, Northwood High School
- Namrata Motwani, Portola High School
- Ria Kupumbati, Portola High School
- Audrey Shiono, Portola High School
- Sophia Kim, Portola High School
- Krrish Singh Sardar, University High School
- Chaoming Guo, Irvine High School
- Zidong (Jerry) Hu, University High School
These medalists were invited to join the other award recipients to be honored at the annual three-day Gold Medal Summit in Washington, D.C. The awardees had the opportunity to meet with Members of Congress, attend panel discussions at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center's Congressional Auditorium, hear from industry experts in STEM, finance and global sustainability, and visit the Washington Nationals' field.
Congratulations to these students for their exemplary accomplishments!
For a full list of honorees, please visit the .