Aiming High

The Congressional Award gold medal is the highest honor presented to youth by the United States Congress — and this year’s recipients include two Baylor Bears. 

Recent graduate Andy Kim, B.A. ’22, and freshman Welles McDevitt were recognized for achieving challenging goals in four areas: voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness and expedition/exploration, the category for an immersion experience in an unfamiliar environment or culture. 

Kim and McDevitt are two of just 47 students from Texas to earn the distinction this year. 

Kim graduated from Baylor in 2022 as a University Scholar from the Honors College (concentrations in medical humanities and anthropology), with minors in biochemistry and biology. He is now studying abroad in Changhua, Taiwan, as a Fulbright Scholar, before beginning studies next year at McGovern UT Health Medical School.

Kim said of his Baylor experience, “While I am immensely thankful for all the resources and connections that Baylor has provided for my foundational professional life, it was the people that I got to know that made my everyday life special.”

McDevitt, a pre-psychology major, spent countless hours over five years completing the award’s requirements.

“I fell in love with Baylor the first time I visited!” he remembers. “I appreciated the school’s commitment to service and helping those in need. I talked to students who all said how dedicated the faculty and staff are to students’ well-being and success.”