The Congressional Award is the highest honor the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives can bestow upon a youth civilian.
It hasn’t been awarded to a Delawarean since 2017 until John Dickinson School rising senior Zachary Walton recently received it.
To earn it, participants between the ages of 13 ½ and 24 must rack up a minimum of 400 hours of Voluntary Public Service, 200 hours of Personal Development, 200 hours of Physical Fitness, and a five-day, four-night Expedition or Exploration.
“I did 847 hours of community service over the 4 years I did it, as well 900 hours of personal fitness, and, gosh, how many hours of personal development? I think it was 1,200, and then I stopped counting,” said Walton.
Walton stresses that while it was hard work, the award ultimately allowed him to pursue things he was interested in, while pushing him to persevere when he encountered roadblocks.
For his public service, he worked on improving his school’s girls volleyball program- helping it to run smoothly and coordinating with other schools.
“You can do what you want to do and just get rewarded for it. One of my big passions is volleyball, so being able to help out the state and help volleyball run smoothly was fantastic,” Walton explained. “That’s something I already wanted to do, and something I already did before I even thought about the award.”
For personal growth, he studied the science behind roller coasters - which aligns with his plan to study analytical engineering in college.
Walton has one more year at The John Dickinson School before entering college and hopes this award will help set him apart in the application process.
There is no limit to the number of winners in each state. The award is non-partisan, voluntary, and non-competitive.
Walton encourages more Delawareans to take advantage of the opportunity- noting that some states had over 60 students winning the award this year.
