Lucas Johnson didn’t set out to make history. He just wanted to make the most of his time.
But after two years of volunteering, personal growth, athletic achievement and cultural exploration, the Polk County High School senior has earned the Congressional Award Gold Medal – the United States Congress’ highest honor for young Americans – becoming the first student in Polk County history to do so.
“I think that’s definitely near the top of the list,” Johnson said of the accomplishment. “I would say that’s probably my greatest achievement, because it took about as much effort and time as my entire high school career.”
Johnson received his medal Monday evening during the Polk County Board of Education meeting, a fitting venue to honor a milestone achievement for the school system.
Established by Congress in 1979 as a bipartisan effort, the Congressional Award recognizes initiative, service, and achievement in young people ages 14 to 24. The program is non-partisan, voluntary and non-competitive, and is open to all youth in the United States regardless of ability, circumstance or socioeconomic status. Only around 700 high schoolers earn the Gold Medal each year out of millions eligible nationwide.
To reach the Gold Medal level, Johnson was required to log a minimum of 400 hours of voluntary public service, 200 hours of personal development, 200 hours of physical fitness and complete a five-day, four-night expedition or exploration – all sustained over at least two years.
For his volunteer hours, Johnson leaned on his already active role in the community, serving with Big Brothers Big Sisters, participating in Kiwanis and Interact events and helping around his school. Personal development came through violin, an instrument he had been playing for several years and continues to play today. His athletic hours were fulfilled through three sports – football, wrestling and track. For his expedition component, Johnson completed a virtual exploration of Italy, researching daily life, cuisine and landmarks.
“Part of it was kind of stuff I was already doing,” Johnson said. “The idea of being able to get this medal and say, ‘Hey, I accomplished this,’ that was the main push factor.”
Time management was key. Johnson said he carved out volunteer time on free afternoons and weekends, fit in violin practice after school and tackled his written exploration work on weekends as well.
“I’ve always tried to make the best of my time,” he said.
Johnson completed the award requirements by the beginning of his junior year. Each year, Gold Medalists are invited to a multi-day celebration in Washington, D.C., where members of Congress, public and private partners, and civic leaders honor recipients alongside their families and peers. Johnson said the timing of the event wasn’t workable for him at the time.
But for Johnson, the honor is about more than the medal itself.
“It helped teach me a lot about expanding my horizons and setting my focus on multiple fields and being able to be a sort of multifaceted, expansive person,” he said.
Johnson will carry that perspective with him this fall to Davidson College, where he plans to major in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, a path he sees as a strong foundation for law school and an eventual career in contract law.
