Eagle Scout Aaron Earns Congress' Highest Youth Honor
Aaron, an Eagle Scout from Troop 1857 in Alpharetta, was awarded the Congressional Award Gold Medal in May 2025 – exemplifying the qualities both Scouting and the Congressional Award recognize in its members: exceptional initiative, service, personal growth, and perseverance. This award is the highest honor Congress can bestow upon America's youth.
The Congressional Award
Established in 1979, the Congressional Award is a non-competitive, non-partisan, and voluntary program open to young people ages 14-24 who set long-term goals across four areas: Voluntary Public Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness, and Expedition/Exploration.
As an official partner for 25 years, Scouting has produced numerous Congressional Award Gold Medalists. Many of the activities, projects, and trips Scouts already complete for rank advancements, such as Eagle Scout Projects and Merit Badges, also qualify toward the Congressional Award.
The program has six levels – Bronze, Silver, and Gold Certificates, followed by Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medals – and participants can start at any level except the Gold Medal, which requires a minimum of two years and at least 800 hours of dedicated effort.
Visit CongressionalAward.org to learn more about how youth can participate and earn this prestigious award.
Aaron's Story
Aaron started his Scouting journey at 10½ years old and was inspired by the staff of Bert Adams Scout Camp, who taught him new skills and encouraged him to become more involved in Scouting. That early inspiration carried through to his Gold Medal journey, which began when his father told him about the program after serving as an advisor to another Scout. Aaron wanted to challenge himself. He consistently set high goals and was already trying to earn all 138 merit badges when he decided it would be great to work toward both goals simultaneously. He signed up in November 2022 and after taking a few months to determine his goals, began working on the award, earning his Silver Medal in July 2024. By May 2025, after meeting the requirements of 400 hours of voluntary public service, 200 hours of personal development, 200 hours of physical fitness, and one cultural exploration or outdoor expedition, Aaron earned his Gold Medal.
Public Service
To meet his public service goals, Aaron volunteered as a Scout leader, logging over 1,000 hours of service during and after his Gold Award experience. He taught leadership and outdoor skills in his troop, staffed National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) for the council and National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE) for national, and was elected by his peers to the Order of the Arrow, Scouting's National Honor Society.
"I loved the time I spent teaching leadership in NYLT and NAYLE," said Aaron. "I met Scouts from all over the world and learned from each of them while also helping them become better leaders."
Personal Development
Aaron achieved his personal development goals by earning all the Scouting merit badges – including the new ones added while working on his goal, logging over 500 hours in the process. Along the way, he learned to horseback ride, scuba dive, and went snowshoeing in the Rocky Mountains, among many other new skills. His favorite was the Fishing merit badge – it sparked a love for fishing that led him to teach the fishing and fly fishing merit badges at camp and later earn the Georgia Bass Slam Award and Youth Angler Award.
"This was one of the best goals I have ever set," said Aaron.
Physical Fitness
As captain of his school's fencing team and an engaged member of a recreational basketball team, Aaron worked on developing his sports skills, as well as backpacking and hiking, to work toward his Physical Fitness goals. His high adventure treks at Philmont, Northern Tier, Summit, and SeaBase specifically contributed to his 300 hours of physical fitness, bringing him experiences he will remember for his entire life. These experiences truly impacted him. "I have met so many people at each of these adventures that have helped me become who I am today," said Aaron.
Cultural Exploration/Outdoor Expedition
For the final requirement of a 5 day/4 night cultural exploration or outdoor expedition, Aaron served as the crew leader for his troop's Philmont trip. This experience taught Aaron that "I can do things that are hard and have experiences that I will remember my entire life."
The Gold Medal Summit
Upon earning the Congressional Award Gold Medal, recipients are invited to the Gold Medal Summit in Washington, DC to accept it in person. Aaron had an amazing time there, receiving his medal and meeting youth from across the country who are also working to make their communities better. He spent time in the Capitol watching the House and Senate at work from the galleries, learned from experts on a range of topics, and capped it off by meeting Georgia Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, along with other award recipients who were also Scouts.
For Aaron, the entire Congressional Award program was a truly unforgettable experience. "Some people think Scouts is all about checking off requirements, but Scouting is really about learning who you can be and what you can do, and having amazing experiences along the way," said Aaron. "The awards and rank advancements are fantastic, but what I really love are the memories and the friends I've made."
If you or someone you know is interested in taking on this kind of challenge, learn more about the Congressional Award Program at congressionalaward.org.