Toby Chen Earns Congressional Gold Medal

Senior Toby Chen has earned the Congressional Award Gold Medal! This award is the highest honor Congress bestows upon a youth civilian. The award program encourages young Americans to explore new and different activities to become well-rounded individuals. There are typically only ~300 recipients of this award every year.

 

Toby received the award because of his 400+ hours of voluntary public service, 200 hours of personal development, 200 hours devoted to physical fitness, and a trip to China. Toby met these requirements through his dedication to swimming, playing piano, and volunteering at the Cleveland Veterans Affair Medical Center.

 

Toby will receive his Congressional Award at the Gold Medal ceremony at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center Congressional Auditorium in Washington, D.C. in June 2018. Nearly 70 Members of Congress attended the last year’s ceremony to present their constituents with the award.

 

When asked about the significance of the award, he said, “It was satisfying to know that I would be recognized for my progress, but more importantly, I formed life-long bonds and had life-changing experiences.

 

Congratulations Toby, your willingness to give yourself to voluntarily help others in the community is truly inspiring.