close

Upper St. Clair pair win congressional awards

2 min read
1 / 2

Shivani Jajoo

2 / 2

Autumn Ma

Shivani Jajoo and Autumn Ma of Upper St. Clair were the recipients of honors from the Congressional Award Program.

A 2022 Upper St. Clair High School graduate, Jojoo earned a gold medal and was recognized during the annual celebration held in August. In addition, she earned a STEM Star for completing activities in her pursuit of her gold medal.

Earning a gold medal takes a minimum of two years, as one of the key aspects of the program is instilling proficiency in long-term goal setting.

Each participant must complete 800 activity hours across four program areas – 400 hours of voluntary public service, 200 hours of personal development, 200 hours of physical fitness, and conduct a five-day, four-night expedition or exploration trip.

With 549 youth from 41 states across the nation being honored, this is the largest gold medal class in the program’s 43-year history. Jajoo is among just 11 such medalists from Pennsylvania in 2022.

Meanwhile, Ma gained a silver medal. The USCHS junior won a bronze medal in 2021.

Ma committed her voluntary time to working at and fundraising for the Jubilee Soup Kitchen. She collected donation items and sold baked goods.

For her personal development goal, she learned how small businesses operate and obtained entrepreneurial skills for a potential career in business management. She satisfied the exploration requirement by self-planning a trip to Lisbon for five days and four nights.

As a dual enrollment student, Ma has earned 35 college credits from the Community College of Allegheny County. There she has achieved Dean’s List for four semesters. She is also a member of the high school varsity tennis team.

Ma is currently working to earn a gold medal.

The Congressional Award Program is open to all youth in the United States between the ages of 14 and 24. Participants earn bronze, silver, and gold Certificates as well as bronze, silver, and gold Medals.

The award has no minimum grade point average requirements. It accommodates young people with special needs or disabilities who are willing to take the challenge. It is not an award for past accomplishments. Instead, individuals are honored for setting goals, creating an action plan, and meeting the challenge.

According to the program’s website, “the Congressional Award provides opportunities for young people to unleash their potential by achieving personal goals focused on volunteerism, character development, and fitness.”

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $/week.

Subscribe Today