Presley Frye Earns Congressional Award Silver Medal

Congratulations to Academy of the Holy Names' own Presley Frye on earning the Congressional Award Silver Medal!

Established by law in 1979, the Congressional Award was created to honor, encourage, and inspire America's youth. Since then, thousands of outstanding young Americans have earned this prestigious recognition through their commitment to service, personal growth, physical fitness, and exploration.

Through the Congressional Award, young people are encouraged to challenge themselves by setting and achieving individualized goals in four program areas: Voluntary Public Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness, and Expedition/Exploration. Any motivated student between the ages of 13½ and 23 may participate. The program is designed to meet participants where they are, allowing them to set goals based on their own interests and abilities. Participants aren't necessarily straight-A students—they are young people who choose to challenge themselves and pursue meaningful goals outside the classroom.

Presley earned the Congressional Award Silver Medal by completing at least 200 hours of Voluntary Public Service, 100 hours of Personal Development, and 100 hours of Physical Fitness, along with an Expedition/Exploration lasting at least three days and two nights in a new environment or culture. The minimum time required to earn the Silver Medal is 12 months.

Reflecting on her accomplishment, Presley shared:

"I earned a Silver Youth Congressional Award in 2025 through SMART goals I set Freshman Year and achieved by the end of December 2025. My focus was on public service goals in the areas of food insecurity, children in need, and caring for shelter animals in Tampa Bay; personal development goals through time spent on new driver education and preparing for college entrance exams; physical fitness goals of improving and acquiring new skills in team sports; and through an expedition goal of planning, executing and experiencing an extended expedition in the North East United States where I visited historical places like the JFK Museum, Plymouth Rock, and the JFK Library. I spent over five hundred hours working towards achieving my goals to earn this award. It was an experience that required significant dedication, and I feel proud to have earned the award at the silver medal level. I am most thankful for the experience in setting achievable goals as I prepare for my senior year of high school and college."

Presley didn't simply receive this award—she earned it through dedication, perseverance, and more than 500 hours of work toward her goals.

To learn more about the Congressional Award, including how Presley earned this distinction and how other students can get involved, please contact the Congressional Award office at sesay@congressionalaward.org.

Congratulations, Presley, on this outstanding achievement!