South Barrington Teen Honored with Congressional Award Gold Medal

A Barrington area teenager was honored with a Congressional Award Gold Medal in Washington, D.C. last month.

Jack Kieffer of South Barrington was one of 276 recipients of the award. Held in the U.S. Capitol, the event highlights and honors students who have put in hundreds of hours of community service.

“This bipartisan initiative champions American values in young people from all fifty states recognizing their achievements in the areas of personal development, physical fitness, and volunteer public service,” said Thomas P. McDevitt, President of the Washington Times. The Washington Times is the official media sponsor of the event.

“To earn the Congressional Award Gold Medal, I completed over 400 hours of Voluntary Public Service in my community. My activities included volunteering at a recreational program for children with special needs (NWSRA), working the front desk of my local hospital (St. Alexius Medical Center), and tutoring math students at Barrington High School,” Kieffer said.

Kieffer said his personal development goal was to improve his writing skills. He decided to pair this with his passion for working with special needs children by founding a website with touch screen technology called Autism Plugged In.

“These efforts have raised over $1,700 for autism research, and the site has reached more than 50,000 people seeking help with special needs technology,” Kieffer said.

Kieffer’s physical fitness goal was to earn a 3^rd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, which he accomplished this year. He also planned a five-day hiking trip to document prairie wildflowers of Illinois.

“The Congressional Award Program has taught me that I can set goals for myself, follow through, and make a difference in the lives of others.”

Avni Bavishi of Hoffman Estates is another area student honored with the Congressional Award Gold Medal this year.