Southeast Raleigh Magnet High student Neel Mandavilli was presented with the U.S. Congressional Award Silver and Bronze medals by Congressman David Price who commended Mandavilli for his services to the community.
For the Bronze Medal program, Mandavilli volunteered at the Marbles Kids Museum. For personal development, he attended Sunday School classes conducted by Chinmaya Mission. For athletic goals, he worked with his soccer coach at the Capital Area Soccer League to improve his kicking techniques. For the expedition, he planned and completed a camping trip with whitewater rafting in the Gauley River in West Virginia.
For the Silver Medal program, Mandavilli volunteered at Rex Hospital, Eva Perry Library, and the Food Bank of North Carolina. For the exploratory trip, he visited Cochin, India to learn about town’s local history, geography, culture, economy, food habits, and tropical vegetation. For personal development, he took a course at the University of Michigan on genes and genomics, and attended Sunday School classes held by Chinmaya Mission. For his athletic goals, he took lessons in table tennis from a coach, and practiced to achieve proficiency in forehand and backhand strokes.
The U.S. Congressional Award program was established in 1979 by Congress and President Jimmy Carter to recognize initiative, service, and achievement in young people. Guided by an adviser, students set measurable goals with a defined timeframe for volunteering, personal development, athletics, and an exploratory or expedition trip.
Each year, over 200 students and youth in the U.S. are honored in Washington DC with the U.S. Congressional Award Gold Medal. Locally, Congressmen honor the recipients of their district who earned the Bronze and Silver medals.
Congressman Price congratulates Southeast Raleigh Magnet High student Neel Mandavilli.