BY DEVIKA CHHIBBER
LOS ANGELES, CA - This year, three Indian-American students from Southern California have brought a ‘golden shine’ to the sunny state, as they have been honored with the prestigious 2018 Congressional Award Gold Medals. Jagannathan Rangarajan, of Thousand Oaks, chosen from the 26th Congressional District; Ishan Gaur,
LOS ANGELES, CA - This year, three Indian-American students from Southern California have brought a ‘golden shine’ to the sunny state, as they have been honored with the prestigious 2018 Congressional Award Gold Medals. Jagannathan Rangarajan, of Thousand Oaks, chosen from the 26th Congressional District; Ishan Gaur,
of Ranchos Palos Verdes, from the 33rd Congressional District; and Neil Kamdar, of Placentia, from the 39th Congressional District are among 35 other Indian- American achievers from many hundreds of students to be recognized with the Congress’ highest honor. Following their success, the three achievers and their parents took time out from their hectic schedules for an interview with IJ. Rangarajan said, “When I heard about the award, I was incredibly pleased and satisfied that my work and service to myself and those around me for the past few years had achieved tangible value.” To receive the Congressional Award, there are a few requirements that have to be completed
both in terms of hours dedicated within a certain time period. Detailing, he added, “To achieve the Gold Award, one must invest at least 400 hours of volunteer service. Over the course of two years, I gave 200 hours of Personal Development (violin) , 200 hours of Physical Exercise (tennis and running) and a 4 night 5 day expedition to Vancouver. Simply shaping everything I did into a physical entity really illustrated to me how much time not only me, but also everyone that I knew invested in apart from academics and how the extra time invested really served to make up one’s true passions in life.”
The award has not only shaped his life for the better, but also redirected his professional career. Earlier, Rangarajan, who always thought of doing engineering now dreams of becoming a doctor. “During my freshman year, my vision of becoming an engineer was destroyed as soon as I joined Westminster Free Clinic, a clinic that offers free health care to the low-income and uninsured population in the community. Simply watching the gentleness and quiet intelligence of the volunteer doctors, RN’s, and pharmacists made me reconsider my denunciation of the medical field. Now I don’t want a future surrounded by machines, but by people,” he stated.
His message to the world is quite simple- “ The mind is such a powerful entity that if one puts their mind to any sort of idea, may it be beneficial to you or beneficial to all, that it is incredibly difficult to dissuade the mind off such a mind altering course.”
Rangarajan’s proud parents are also delighted to see ‘Jagan’ grow into a adult boy. His mother Akila and father Rangarajan told IJ, “We never had to remind him about his duties starting from high school and he strives very hard and doesn’t quit on things easily.”
Another proud winner, Gaur also shares a similar journey. He informed, “I started working towards the Congressional Award during my sophomore year of high school and had aimed to get the gold medal before I graduated. In the last two years, I have spent over 1,100 hours to earn the Gold Medal. I regularly volunteered at Habitat for Humanity until closing, often working eight hours on Saturdays. Last summer, I did door-to-door advertising for a Habitat donation drive I set up in my community and raised $25,000’s-worth of furniture in one day, and, as part of my fitness requirement, I became a second-degree black belt in taekwondo. During my expeditions, I biked the South Bay coast, backpacked in the East Bay hills, and traveled through the foothills of the Himalayas to meet the Dalai Lama.”
On being asked- “How the Congressional Award has made his life different”, he answered, “It has vastly broadened my worldview. The diverse perspectives I have come across and the myriad of tasks I completed in pursuit of the medal have brought me closer to a more human understanding of society.”
His proud parents feel that by earning this award Gaur has made the whole family proud. “The achievement suits his personality: always curious and seeking out new challenges. Definitely, earning this award helped him step out of the academic bubble many kids live in and have a very holistic and rich high school experience,” they excitedly reckoned.
Last but not the least, Kamdar is yet another shining example of effort, determination and pursuit. Like the others, he too was ecstatic to hear the announcement. “All of the hours I had put in and all the experiences I had over the two- and- a- half- years had culminated in a great award. I couldn’t wait to go to Washington D.C. and receive the award at Capitol Hill,” Kamdar said.
He believes, “My journey was not easy but was richly rewarding. I completed 400+ hours of public voluntary service, 200+ hours of personal development, 200+ hours of physical fitness, and 4+ nights of exploration. I set countless goals for myself in these fields, as I was compelled to push myself to reach and complete them. The Congressional Award Gold Medal required a lot of time management skills, which I have developed during a course of time, and it has made me a more well-rounded individual through the hours needed in the four areas. I am also incredibly thankful to my parents for their unconditional support of my activities, and their dedication to make achieving the award a reality.”
Kamdar, who now knows how to balance challenging school work, a social life, and extracurricular activities, aspires to major in Computer Science and minor in Chemistry. “I am particularly interested in the field of artificial intelligence and how machines are programmed to continuously learn and adapt. I am inspired by the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, and his vision of a safer future with self-driving vehicles. I strive to be a part of this innovative revolution. My dream universities are Stanford and UC Berkeley. The skills I have learned through the Congressional Award have astronomical implications in preparing me for the future. If I could give any advice, it would be to find something you really love to do, and spend your time helping in the community. If that means creating a new program or club at school, go ahead.” Kamdar’s parents Raj and Kaajal are extremely elated and told IJ, “He is a high achiever. His commitment, determination and hard work have paid off. We are very proud of our son.” The awards ceremony is set to take place on June 21 in Washington, D.C. followed by a special event for Gold Medalists and their families on June 22.
both in terms of hours dedicated within a certain time period. Detailing, he added, “To achieve the Gold Award, one must invest at least 400 hours of volunteer service. Over the course of two years, I gave 200 hours of Personal Development (violin) , 200 hours of Physical Exercise (tennis and running) and a 4 night 5 day expedition to Vancouver. Simply shaping everything I did into a physical entity really illustrated to me how much time not only me, but also everyone that I knew invested in apart from academics and how the extra time invested really served to make up one’s true passions in life.”
The award has not only shaped his life for the better, but also redirected his professional career. Earlier, Rangarajan, who always thought of doing engineering now dreams of becoming a doctor. “During my freshman year, my vision of becoming an engineer was destroyed as soon as I joined Westminster Free Clinic, a clinic that offers free health care to the low-income and uninsured population in the community. Simply watching the gentleness and quiet intelligence of the volunteer doctors, RN’s, and pharmacists made me reconsider my denunciation of the medical field. Now I don’t want a future surrounded by machines, but by people,” he stated.
His message to the world is quite simple- “ The mind is such a powerful entity that if one puts their mind to any sort of idea, may it be beneficial to you or beneficial to all, that it is incredibly difficult to dissuade the mind off such a mind altering course.”
Rangarajan’s proud parents are also delighted to see ‘Jagan’ grow into a adult boy. His mother Akila and father Rangarajan told IJ, “We never had to remind him about his duties starting from high school and he strives very hard and doesn’t quit on things easily.”
Another proud winner, Gaur also shares a similar journey. He informed, “I started working towards the Congressional Award during my sophomore year of high school and had aimed to get the gold medal before I graduated. In the last two years, I have spent over 1,100 hours to earn the Gold Medal. I regularly volunteered at Habitat for Humanity until closing, often working eight hours on Saturdays. Last summer, I did door-to-door advertising for a Habitat donation drive I set up in my community and raised $25,000’s-worth of furniture in one day, and, as part of my fitness requirement, I became a second-degree black belt in taekwondo. During my expeditions, I biked the South Bay coast, backpacked in the East Bay hills, and traveled through the foothills of the Himalayas to meet the Dalai Lama.”
On being asked- “How the Congressional Award has made his life different”, he answered, “It has vastly broadened my worldview. The diverse perspectives I have come across and the myriad of tasks I completed in pursuit of the medal have brought me closer to a more human understanding of society.”
His proud parents feel that by earning this award Gaur has made the whole family proud. “The achievement suits his personality: always curious and seeking out new challenges. Definitely, earning this award helped him step out of the academic bubble many kids live in and have a very holistic and rich high school experience,” they excitedly reckoned.
Last but not the least, Kamdar is yet another shining example of effort, determination and pursuit. Like the others, he too was ecstatic to hear the announcement. “All of the hours I had put in and all the experiences I had over the two- and- a- half- years had culminated in a great award. I couldn’t wait to go to Washington D.C. and receive the award at Capitol Hill,” Kamdar said.
He believes, “My journey was not easy but was richly rewarding. I completed 400+ hours of public voluntary service, 200+ hours of personal development, 200+ hours of physical fitness, and 4+ nights of exploration. I set countless goals for myself in these fields, as I was compelled to push myself to reach and complete them. The Congressional Award Gold Medal required a lot of time management skills, which I have developed during a course of time, and it has made me a more well-rounded individual through the hours needed in the four areas. I am also incredibly thankful to my parents for their unconditional support of my activities, and their dedication to make achieving the award a reality.”
Kamdar, who now knows how to balance challenging school work, a social life, and extracurricular activities, aspires to major in Computer Science and minor in Chemistry. “I am particularly interested in the field of artificial intelligence and how machines are programmed to continuously learn and adapt. I am inspired by the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, and his vision of a safer future with self-driving vehicles. I strive to be a part of this innovative revolution. My dream universities are Stanford and UC Berkeley. The skills I have learned through the Congressional Award have astronomical implications in preparing me for the future. If I could give any advice, it would be to find something you really love to do, and spend your time helping in the community. If that means creating a new program or club at school, go ahead.” Kamdar’s parents Raj and Kaajal are extremely elated and told IJ, “He is a high achiever. His commitment, determination and hard work have paid off. We are very proud of our son.” The awards ceremony is set to take place on June 21 in Washington, D.C. followed by a special event for Gold Medalists and their families on June 22.
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