Service garners trio Congressional Awards

They took the challenge and they have reaped the award. Matthew Ardakanian, Mindy Sprung and Megha Patel, all 17-year-olds from Ocean Township, received the Congressional Award Gold Medal in recognition of their volunteer service and commitment to rise to the challenges they faced.

The three participants said they learned about the award before they entered high school through friends and by word of mouth. They carefully planned their individual paths of accomplishing the requirements of each level — Bronze, Silver and Gold.

According to Ardakanian, Sprung and Patel, many of the activities they are involved in satisfy at least one of the four program areas, although they also participate in a wide variety of additional extracurricular activities that are not related to the award requirements.

For each level, the Congressional Award requires a set number of hours of volunteer public service, personal development, physical fitness, as well as a four-night expedition or exploration. The Gold Medal is the highest award bestowed on young people by the U.S. Congress.

At the age of 13, Ardakanian found that many of the activities he would be interested in would qualify as one of the four program areas. "It was worthwhile and productive to simultaneously pursue achieving the award and doing what I would already plan to do and enjoy anyway," Ardakanian said.

Some of his activities in pursuit of the gold award included volunteering at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch. He built a massive treasure chest and initiated toy drives to fill the chest so that children needing medical care could be preoccupied with the toys as opposed to feeling uneasy about being in the hospital.

He also developed his computer and clerical skills, worked through the ranks of Boy Scouts to become an Eagle Scout, improved his tennis game by learning how to serve with a continental grip, and organized a trip for his Boy Scout troop to Resica Falls in Pennsylvania.

In addition to fulfilling the requirements of the gold level, some of Ardakanian’s extracurricular high school activities include being the varsity tennis team captain, a class officer for four years, the co-correction editor-in-chief of the yearbook, and memberships in the drama club and the National Honor Society. He will be entering his senior year at Ocean Township High School in September.

Sprung found that the path to achieving the gold award served as a wonderful foundation for development.

"The award is not something you win; rather, it’s something that is earned," she explained. "It is very structured and goal-oriented, and as long as you work hard and choose activities that satisfy the requirement and complete the minimum number of hours required for that specific program area, you can get the award(s)."

Sprung volunteered at the Wayside Retirement Center, providing the elderly with entertainment, such as arts and crafts, news, stories, exercises, cooking lessons and beginner computer instruction.

Like Ardakanian, Sprung was involved in tennis and improved her skills and was on the Ocean Township High School varsity tennis team. She was also a junior counselor at Seashore Day camp and worked with children ages 4, 6 and 7 during her summers.

She spent seven days in a Blackfeet Indian reservation in Montana, volunteering at their local facilities and learned about their culture and land.

Some of Sprung’s additional high school activities include being class valedictorian, president of peer education, the business editor of the yearbook, and secretary of the National Honor Society.

She was also a head teacher at Temple Beth Torah and the second runner-up for Miss New Jersey National Teenager Pageant. This summer, she is working at Janet Studios and will attend the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, in September.

Patel found that pursuit of the award was a great source of motivation. "The diversity of activities one would need to do to fulfill the program areas is very beneficial and productive," she said. "In order to earn the award, you must satisfy the time requirement in each area, which makes you become more driven to continue pursuing your goals. It provides you with further inspiration."

She volunteered at Jersey Shore Medical Center, Neptune, helping patients and staff, and worked at a retirement community where she befriended many of the residents.

Patel also plays for the Ocean Township High School concert band and was involved in field hockey, basketball and bowling. She also learned about different cultures and traditions during her travels to England, Ireland and Wales.

Patel’s extracurricular activities include being the activities editor of the yearbook, treasurer of the Key Club. She is also a member of the intergenerational club, varsity club, math club and the National Honor Society. She will be entering her senior year at the Ocean Township High School in September.

All three received certificates and medals recognizing their achievements when they attended the 2003 Gold Medal Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C., on June 25.

Participants earn the Bronze, Silver and Gold Congressional Award certificates along with award medals. Each level involves setting goals in, and completing, the following four program areas: 400 hours volunteer public service, 200 hours of personal development, 200 hours of physical fitness, and a four-night expedition or exploration.

Information about the program can be found on the Internet at www.congressionalaward.org.