Ramapo College Student Earns Congressional Award Gold Medal

MAHWAH, NJ – A Ramapo College of New Jersey student received the Congressional Award for Young Americans, one of the highest honors for youth in the country.

Ryan Greff, a Fair Lawn High School graduate, is among the 10 New Jersey students to be given the Congressional Award’s Gold Medal this year. He was recognized at a Sept. 21 ceremony in Summit with U.S. Representatives Tom Malinowski and Donald Payne, Jr. A national ceremony for Gold Medal recipients will be held next spring in Washington, D.C.

Greff, a senior at Ramapo College, said, “I am so honored to receive this award. Being involved in volunteer work and leadership programs can be challenging at times, but it’s also so very rewarding. It’s been quite a remarkable ride for me."

The requirements for the award include 400 hours of service and 200 hours of personal development, starting when he was in high school. At Ramapo College, Greff serves as student governor within the Ramapo College Foundation, a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the Golden Key Honor Society and the New Jersey Business Administration Association Honor Society.

He has also been involved in the Boy Scouts of America and serves as an Assistant Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 53, as well as a merit badge counselor.

Greff, a finance major with a minor in information technology, also interns at Morgan Stanley in Manhattan.

Christopher Romano, Ramapo College’s Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, said the school is “extremely proud and delighted” that Greff was selected for the award.

“He has been an active student leader since the moment he stepped onto our campus and he continues to bring energy, advocacy and intellect to the various leadership roles he assumes,” Romano said. “We, as a campus, are proud to call him a Roadrunner.”

Launched in 1979, the Congressional Award Program challenges young people between the ages of 13 to 24 to set goals in four program areas: volunteer work, personal development, physical fitness and expedition/exploration. The award is non-partisan and funded through private-sector donations.