Bridgewater-Raritan Student Earns Congressional Award Gold Medal

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Jishnu Kalaivan, who will enter his senior year at Bridgewater-Raritan High School in September, received the Congressional Award Gold Medal during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., June 8-10, the district said.

The Gold Medal is the U.S. Congress's highest honor for youth, requiring at least two years of goal-setting and community involvement. Recipients must 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 expedition. Kalaivan was among 877 Gold Medalists nationwide recognized in the Class of 2026.

"These four main areas were the largest parts of the program, and it took me two to three years to complete," Kalaivan said in a statement. "At the Gold Medal ceremony itself, I was able to meet all the Gold Medalists from around the country and met different members of Congress. Specifically, I met many representatives from New Jersey, like (Senators) Andy Kim and Cory Booker."

For voluntary public service, Kalaivan volunteered at the Regency Senior Center, playing guitar for music therapy sessions and helping lead Alzheimer's awareness fundraising.

He learned guitar for his personal development component and fulfilled his physical fitness requirement as a varsity track athlete — this spring, he joined juniors Max Pasewaldt, Kenny Graham and Justin Reid to set the school's all-time 4x1000 relay record of 42.88 at the Group 4 state championships in late May.

For his expedition, he spent five days in Arizona hiking and visiting sites including the Grand Canyon.

"Overall, I thought it was a great experience and that many high schools should look into it," Kalaivan said. "This is because you can develop yourself and also help your community."

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