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St. Luke’s Senior Receives Congressional Service Award

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Kayleigh Bowler ‘20 only one of three in the entire state to receive this national award.
From Center for Leadership Director Kate Parker-Burgard:

It was when Kayleigh Bowler ‘20 was in 7th grade that she was introduced to the Congressional Service Award. Kayleigh was already interested in service and athletics so this award seemed like a great way to structure her work. As soon as she turned 13 ½ (the minimum age for starting the award), Kayleigh enrolled in the program.

The award is structured around service, physical fitness, personal development, and an exploration project. Kayleigh has done many service projects through Lion's Heart Service Organization, her church, and St. Luke’s – logging more than 400 hours toward her gold medal. Her participation in volleyball and lacrosse fulfilled the physical fitness requirement. As for personal development, the program encourages students to deepen their individual interests, so Kayleigh chose to highlight both her passion for theater as well as her global philanthropy work at her church.

Kayleigh’s work toward the award culminated this past summer with a historical tour of Boston, which she chose as her exploration project. The program requires that the student plan every bit of the trip: transportation, accommodations, budget, etc. Kayleigh applied herself to the task with her usual vigor and embarked on a fascinating trip, which included the Freedom Trail, John F. Kennedy Library, and other important sites. She noted, “The trip was really great, but it was hard to work with a rigid schedule, especially when things don’t go according to plan.” Pouring rain on the day they were to start the Freedom Trail, for example, required some quick changes to the schedule, but they were still able to get in everything Kayleigh had planned.

“My motivation for doing the Congressional Award was to build on my passion for community service. Being a part of different communities has always mattered a lot to me. Through this award, I was able to put together all the important pieces of my life. It was really in line with my values and what matters to me.”

Kayleigh’s hard work paid off when she learned that she is one of three Connecticut students to earn the Gold Congressional Medal. She and her parents will fly to Washington, D.C., in the spring for the awards ceremony.

Kayleigh encourages any SLS student, middle schoolers especially (since it’s best to start the program as soon as you can), to look into this award. “It’s an amazing process to go through, and if you start early and really plan, it’s manageable and an exciting program to be a part of.”

 
 
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St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 35 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Center for Leadership builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.