This award is the highest honor bestowed upon youth civilians through the U.S. Senate and House. Congress established The Congressional Award in 1979 “to recognize initiative, service, and achievement in young people”.

According to Brother Rodriguez-Luna, “The program recognizes initiative, leadership and service and focuses on four different areas of development. This award represents the culmination of over 400 hours of community service, 200 hours of personal development, 200 hours of physical fitness, and the completion of a five day, four night cultural exploration. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but that motivated me even more to earn this honor.” It took her seven years of hard work and dedication to finally earn her Gold Medal.

Daniela was first introduced to the award while getting some test prep at a testing and consulting office. According to Daniela, “What attracted me to this award is it encouraged me to set objectives, to have something to work toward and to challenge myself. It was also 100% voluntary; I think the best projects in life are those you do with passion and heart.” She started her journey in 2013 and received her Silver Medal two years later at a ceremony hosted by Senator Cory Booker in Newark, NJ.

The award encouraged her to take on leadership roles and make a difference. Daniela’s time as Vice President-Community Service for Mu Omega Chapter helped her work toward her public service goal while helping people, inspiring her brothers and making a difference. The skills she gained as a Deltasig helped her earn an internship, which in turn helped her with her personal development goals for the award. Now, Daniela is a pricing analyst for Innophos and she hopes to pursue her MBA in the coming years.

“This award is like a road map for anything I want to achieve,” said Rodriguez-Luna. “I learned that you cannot achieve goals overnight. When you really want something you have to plan and work hard for many years and keep working even when life gets busy. The best lesson I will take with me in my future endeavors is that I didn’t win the gold, I earned it.”

Learn more at congressionalaward.org.