Alpharetta High School student Divyanshi Dubey has earned the Congressional Award Silver Medal, a national honor from the U.S. Congress.
The award demands serious commitment. To earn the Silver Medal, participants must log at least 400 total hours across three areas: 200 hours of voluntary public service, 100 hours of personal development and 100 hours of physical fitness, plus two consecutive overnight expeditions, according to the program's requirements. The process takes a minimum of 12 months.
AHS Principal Mike Scheifflee announced the award on X on Wednesday, Oct. 14, highlighting Dubey's work supporting blood donors with the Red Cross and leading coding tutoring for middle school students.
"She turned service, leadership, wellness, and personal growth into an incredible accomplishment," Scheifflee wrote.
Congress established the Congressional Award in 1979 to recognize initiative, service and achievement in young Americans, according to a Congressional Research Service guide. The program is open to youth ages 14 to 24, non-partisan, voluntary and non-competitive. It has six levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold Certificates, and Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals. Each level is cumulative, meaning time spent on one carries forward to the next.
Participants design their own programs rather than following a set curriculum. The Congressional Award program describes the honor as recognizing goal-setting and follow-through, not past accomplishments.
Students interested in pursuing the award can register through the Congressional Award website at congressionalaward.org. The program has no minimum grade point average requirement and accommodates young people with disabilities.
