Spring Lake Student to receive congressional award

Sat, Feb 6, 2010    to del.icio.us

She is a typical teenager spending her time playing sports, studying and trying to figure out where she will be attending college next year. That 17-year-old Spring Lake High School student can now add receiving congressional recognition to her list of activities next week.

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Shannon McAvinchey, senior at SLHS, will be awarded the Congressional Award Bronze Medal, one of the highest awards given to America's youth, Monday morning at her school.

"It is completely a first for me," said McAvinchey, who said she isn't used to all of the hoopla surrounding the recognition associated with receiving such high honors.

U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, will be presenting the award at an 8:30 a.m. ceremony at Spring Lake High School. Following this presentation, Hoekstra will address nearly 100 junior and senior high school students in the building's auditorium.

"Shannon has certainly worked extraordinarily hard to win the Congressional Bronze Medal, and it is an honor to present it to her," Hoekstra said in a press release. "She represents the best of America by committing to setting high standards for bettering herself and giving back to the Spring Lake community."

According to McAvinchey, she learned about the award several years ago when her mother read about it in a home-school magazine. She decided to apply for the award in order to become eligible for a scholarship for a trip to go to Jordan.

To be eligible for the award, applicants must meet criteria in areas of voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness and expedition. For her bronze medal, Shannon said that she provided more than 100 hours of voluntary public service to her community.

This includes working at food pantries, soup kitchens and working closely with Love INC Tri-Cities. For personal development, she worked weekly in her church's infant nursery, and she also worked two jobs at the local library and Subway.

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As her goal for physical fitness, she received a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do, and McAvinchey also worked on her skills in soccer.

"I have been in Tae Kwan Do for two years," McAvinchey said, adding she also plays soccer for her Spring Lake school team.

For the expedition portion, McAvinchey said she went on a solo overnight camping trip near her grandparents' cottage.

And though she will officially be receiving her bronze award on Monday morning, she has already set her sights and aimed at a higher level. According to her mother, Helen McAvinchey, she has submitted paperwork to be considered for the Congressional Award Gold Medal.

"My goal from the very beginning was to go for the gold medal," Shannon McAvinchey said.

If she receives this medal, she will be able to take a take a trip to Washington, D.C., in June. There, she will take part in a week-long program that includes a behind-the-scenes look at the nation's capitol and a ceremony for the gold medal recipients.

To be considered for this honor, applicants must take part in the same four core areas of service and personal development.

"For the gold medal, my parents and I hiked the Grand Canyon," Shannon McAvinchey said of her expedition portion of the application.

She said she has all of the paperwork submitted for the gold medal award.

"I am just waiting to hear back," Shannon McAvinchey said, adding that she expects to find out if she has been chosen by May.

For both Shannon and her mother, they are stressing that the goal of applying for the award wasn't for all of the recognition, but instead for the self achievement.

"This is way more than we wanted," said Helen McAvinchey.

Congress established the Congressional Award in 1979 to recognize people between the ages of 14 to 23.