Students receive Congressional Awards

Guy Erickson and Brett Miller of Encampment earned the Congressional Award in late June in Washington, D.C. Sen. Mike Enzi and Sen. John Barrasso presented the prestigious award in a national ceremony and Congressman Cynthia Lummis attended the recognition dinner to congratulate the recipients.

"The Congressional Award allows you to discover what you are made of," said Paxton Baker, Vice Chairman of BET (Black Entertainment Television).

Guy Erickson mentored youth, participated in community service days and helped provide food for families in need. His love of hunting sparked an idea to hunt wild game and then donate the meat to local individuals needing extra help to feed their families. For his personal development, he fine-tuned his cooking skills, improved his golf game and learned to fly fish. Guy also improved his upper body strength and vertical leap.

Brett Miller volunteered as tutor and mentor for elementary students. He developed a more detailed feeding plan for his steers and improved his free throw shooting percentage in basketball to complete his personal development and physical fitness requirements. Brett and Guy planned a five-day pack trip into the Encampment River Wilderness for the expedition component of the program.

Janice Peterson, Executive Director, highlighted Guy and Brett's work, "These young men are outstanding role models and have made a difference in the lives of many children, including my own. Their service has set a high standard of excellence in achieving your personal best in all endeavors."

The Wyoming Congressional Award was established in 1979 to recognize initiative, achievement and service in young people. The Wyoming Congressional Award provides youth, between the ages of 13 ½ to 23, with an opportunity to set personal goals to better themselves and their communities in four program areas: Voluntary Public Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness and Expedition/Exploration.