FOXX AWARDS LEWISVILLE STUDENT WITH CONGRESSIONAL SILVER MEDAL

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx presented the United States Congressional Silver Medal to Lewisville, NC student Shelby Birkedal Thursday in the Clemmons Office of North Carolina’s 5^th Congressional District.  Birkedal, a recent Tuscany Academy home school graduate, completed more than 200 hours of community service and 100 hours of physical activity in pursuit of her award.

Congresswoman Foxx presents Shelby Birkedal of Lewisville with the Congressional Silver Medal.

“Shelby worked tremendously hard and devoted a great deal of time and effort to qualify for the prestigious Congressional Silver Medal,” Congresswoman Foxx stated. “I congratulate her on this accomplishment and encourage other students to follow her example by taking initiative to set goals for themselves while giving back to their communities. Shelby will take the lessons she learned through this program with her to Wake Forest in the fall, and if her experience is any indication for future participants, young people will discover the most rewarding part of the Congressional Award program to be found in acts of service to others.”

“I heard about the program through a friend and liked its concept of developing well-rounded individuals as well as encouraging community service,” Shelby Birkedal said. “I hoped that in pursuing this goal I would grow into a more well-rounded student, but I never realized how much I would truly enjoy the community service aspect. It was a wonderful experience and I look forward to continuing to help my community.”

Congresswoman Foxx and the Birkedal Family: John, Mary Lynn, Shelby, and Ryan.

About Miss Shelby Birkedal:Shelby Birkedal just completed her senior year as a Tuscany Academy home school student in Lewisville, NC. She is headed to Wake Forest University in the fall. In earning her Congressional Award Silver Medal, Shelby dedicated more than 200 hours to tutoring, mentoring and teaching life skills to underprivileged children. She worked to improve her leadership skills by enrolling in a weekly leadership course focusing on the role of character and integrity in leadership. Shelby devoted in excess of 100 hours to dance classes where she improved her consecutive pirouettes from two to three. For her expedition, Shelby studied historic locations and planned a trip to South Carolina to see those places firsthand.

About the Congressional Award:The Congressional Award is the United States Congress' award for young Americans. The non-partisan Congressional Award Program is all about challenge. Participants earn Bronze, Silver and Gold Congressional Award Certificates and Bronze, Silver and Gold Congressional Award Medals. Each level involves setting personal goals in four program areas: Volunteer Public Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness and Expedition/Exploration. Participants range in age from fourteen to twenty-three.