Meet a Taunton Teen, the First From the Area to Win the Congressional Gold Medal

Lina Portman4 weeks ago

0 4 minutes read

TAUNTON — Madison Cable, 16, of East Taunton, likes to show off her very thick binder that she compiled over two years. The binder details every hour she dedicated, the missions she completed and the activities she participated in, all to achieve one of the highest honors a young person can receive in the country: the Congress.

From June 12 to 14, Cable and his family will be in Washington DC, by personal invitation. Cable will be one of 724 young people from across the country to receive the gold medal of the Congressional Award before the United States Congress.

“To travel to the nation's capital, with my family and guests, is extremely exciting,” Cable said.

What is the Congressional Award?

The Congressional Award, founded in 1979, is a program for young people ages 14 to 24, where, according to its website, young people “unlock their potential by achieving personal goals focused on volunteerism, character and physical form.

Applicants set goals for community service and academic and physical achievement over a period of time. Depending on the amount of time and dedication they put in, participants can earn bronze, silver and gold certificates, followed by bronze, silver and gold medals.

Madison Cable receives the Gold Medal, the highest congressional honor to be earned.

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A performer from the start

Cable began his path to a Congressional Gold Medal at the age of 13.

She said she has been very active in volunteering since she was little, so the program “gave me the formal opportunity to document that,” with new hours of engagement, as well as “to explore new activities, that’s how we grow as volunteers.” a person.”

She added that she had always “wanted to make a difference in the community.”

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Requirements

To earn a gold medal, a participant must complete at least 400 hours of volunteer public service, 200 hours of personal development activities, 200 hours of physical fitness and a five-day, four-night expedition or exploration through travel, research. and/or document.

The Congressional Award guide states that one of the main purposes of participating in the program is to set long-term goals. For those seeking a gold medal, all hours required in each category must be spread over a minimum of 24 months.

Cable started in May 2021 and completed its requirements in July 2023.

Taunton's first ever recipient

Madison Cable is the greater Taunton area's first-ever Congressional Award Gold Medal recipient, said Lukas Meyer, northern program manager of the Congressional Award program.

This year, Madison is one of seven gold medalists from Massachusetts out of a total of 724 nationally.

Public Service

Cable's volunteer work included teaching and serving as a student leader for a youth choir with the Orchestra and Chorus of the Handel and Haydn Society of Boston, in which she has been involved as a singer since the age of 8 years.

Other public service work included collecting clothing at drives for the Salvation Army, organizing a Christmas drive to raise funds and items for the Taunton Animal Shelter, and preparing and serving meals to the needy and homeless through Corline Cronan's Family, a nonprofit organization that provides hot holiday meals to the less fortunate in the greater Taunton area on Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas.

Cable has been volunteering with Corline Cronan since he was 5 years old.

Personal development

Personal development isn't just about exploring new interests or learning new skills. It is also about advancing those that already exist. Taking classes, whether at school or other institutions, is eligible, provided you do not receive credit for them.

Cable took additional performing arts classes, including music, diction, acting and singing.

A large part of his personal development needs consisted of a two-year research project related to his other love: STEM. Cable lists science and math as two of his favorite subjects.

Her two-year project focused on the effects of antibiotics and essential oils on different types of bacteria. His project won him first place at the Massachusetts Region III Science and Engineering Fair last year.

Fitness

To meet Cable's physical needs, she developed a hiking program in which she tracked her distance, time and pace.

“I hiked everywhere,” she said, including Massasoit State Park and the Blue Hills Preserve.

Dancing, another passion, occupied most of her fitness goals, she said. This included studying and training in different dance forms including ballet, tap, lyrical, modern and jazz.

Expedition/Exploration

Due to pandemic restrictions, Madison was unable to make any trips for her expedition. The program allowed him to lead this category through virtual means.

She focused on two parts of the world: colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, and Renaissance-era London, England.

The exploratory work included writing several essays based on virtual tours of museums, virtual tours of monuments, literary reviews of related literature, research on specific historical periods and cultural aspects, architectural criticism and reviews documentaries.

There was even a “taste of the world” component in which Cable prepared a few dishes based on that destination’s studied era. For Colonial Williamsburg, she made a cream of peanut soup, which “didn't taste good,” she said.

Worked and completed at his own pace

Cable is partially homeschooled. Its program includes both independent and teacher-to-student learning at home, as well as in-person classes through dual enrollment at Bridgewater State University.

“I was able to be more independent, more creative and more flexible,” Cable said of her weekly schedule and strategizing.

“I'm very proud of her. She busted her butt and held on,” said Jill Lagace, Cable's adviser on her congressional awards program.

Lagace explained that her role, as required by the program, was to “make sure she is on the right track” in terms of developing and monitoring her strategic plan to accomplish all hours and requirements, as well as “ensuring that it was thorough” and that its activities were qualified.

Lagace said: “I was always impressed by her. »

Next steps

Cable, who is soon entering her senior year of high school, said she will definitely go to college after graduation. She is considering a minor in vocal performance, while majoring in a STEM-related field.

Cable said she is most interested in medical laboratory sciences, but is also considering programs in mathematics and/or cybersecurity.

What is the Congressional Award?

A performer from the start

Lina Portman

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