MIDWAY, Texas — Editor's Note | The videos above and below are other Midway ISD related segments.
Midway High School senior Eliana White worked a total of 1,300 hours to be recognized for one of the highest honors for youth by U.S. Congress.
This fall, White earned the Congressional Award Bronze Medal, which honors students for setting personal goals and being a leader in the community, according to Midway ISD.
For White, she said that the experience helped her learn that the time you invest really makes a difference.
“The combination of service and being able to achieve a goal through daily work is important,” Eliana said. “I learned that what you invest in really matters.”
To fulfill her public service goals, Eliana set and worked toward goals in four program areas: voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness and expedition/exploration, according to the Congressional Award Program. These have been set by the program when it was founded in 1979.
Eliana served the community through several local nonprofits, including the Hewitt Public Library, Mission Waco and Caritas. As a volunteer, she taught children creative arts, helped with their homework, served food to families and sorted clothes.
“Volunteering gives you the unique opportunity to make a difference where you live,” Eliana said. “I enjoy helping others because it’s a practical way to make a difference.”
Additionally, for her personal development goals, she logged over 650 hours building her music skills through one-on-one training, rhythm and ear training and studying music theory. She also spent nearly 400 hours weight training, biking, and running to improve her swim times and meet her physical fitness goals.
Eliana said receiving a Congressional Award helped set her up for success by demonstrating the need of everyday discipline. Eliana plans to attend Wheaton College Conservatory of Music in Chicago. She also hopes to one day join the Navy or Air Force Band.
“I learned so much about pursuing smaller goals daily to complete a big goal in the end,” Eliana said. “I know I can do hard things, and this will help me as I enter college and strive to achieve equally difficult goals later in life.”
The most impactful takeaway however for Eliana is the experience and importance of helping others.
“My faith teaches me that there is a bigger picture to life and that not everything is about me,” she said. “Every day I can do something to help make another person’s day a bit better. We can all do something to help someone else.”
Congrats Eliana!
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