Congressional Award Gold Medalist Linxi Cai of Saipan International School visited U.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan at the CNMI congressional office recently. She was attending a summit for gold medalists nationwide at the U.S. Capitol.
LINXI Cai of Saipan International School has just been awarded the Congressional Award Gold Medal — Congress’ highest honor for civilian youth. This medal honors youth for their commitment to voluntary public service, as well as personal development and physical fitness.
Through the Congressional Award, Congress urges young people to challenge themselves. Any interested, motivated student, aged 14 through 24 years old, may participate in the Congressional Award by setting and achieving individually challenging goals in four program areas: voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness and expedition/exploration.
The Congressional Award adapts to meet the needs of every participant as they set goals according to their own interests and level of abilities. The award is geared toward motivated, interested youth who set their own personally challenging goals and activities.
To earn her award, Linxi Cai completed the following:
“Through the Congressional Award program, I engaged in a wide range of activities to broaden my interests and gain valuable experience,” she said.
“At the Division of Fish & Wildlife and Friends of the Marianas Trench, I joined the scientific community’s effort to raise environmental awareness among Saipan residents. At the coral restoration laboratory Johnston Applied Marine Science, I had the opportunity to go into the field to help protect the indigenous corals of Saipan. Additionally, I was inspired to earn my advanced diving certificate to make further appreciating my surrounding environment possible.
“Furthermore, I dedicated my high school years to support the Saipan community by facilitating a platform for middle and high school students to express themselves. As the main organizer and coach of NMIMUN, a student-led organization, I organized regional Model United Nations conferences and taught debate and research skills to local students. During the challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic, I volunteered with the CW-1 Helpers hot meal distribution group. This experience exposed me to inspiring stories of resilient guest workers, motivating me to persist in my pursuit of a better education. Moreover, my involvement in the organization fostered friendships and enhanced my collaboration skills through teamwork with other volunteers.”
To earn the gold medal, each participant must complete at least 400 hours of voluntary public service, which means sharing their time and talent for the betterment of the community, 200 hours of personal development, which can include developing social and life skills as well as interests, and 200 hours of physical fitness, spent in any way that improves their health and quality of life. Additionally, they must spend at least five days and four nights exploring a new environment or culture.
Linxi Cai has consistently worked to achieve this award for over 24 months, the minimum time frame to earn the gold medal.
