Sioux Falls student awarded Congressional Award Gold Medal

Ronan Maher, a 16-year-old homeschooled junior from Sioux Falls, was awarded a Congressional Award Gold Medal earlier this month at the three-day 2024 Congressional Award Gold Medal Summit in Washington, D.C.

Maher was one of 724 youth awardees from 47 states and territories to receive the high honor from Congress, which has been awarded to 13- to 23-year-olds in recognition of their initiative, service and achievement. Grace Belcher from Rapid City was the only other South Dakotan to win the medal this year.

To earn a Gold Medal, youth must achieve 400 hours of voluntary public service, sharing their time and talent to better their community, 200 hours of personal development of social and life skills as well as interests, 200 hours of physical fitness spent in any way to improve their health and quality of life, and five days and four nights exploring a new environment or culture in an expedition or exploration.

Maher has worked on those qualifications for more than two years, which is the minimum time frame to earn the Gold Medal, with voluntary public service in search and rescue organizations, personal development in founding his own business in lawn care and car detailing, physical fitness in rowing training for the national team, and an expedition leading a wilderness trip to remote locations in British Columbia.

His voluntary public service started when he and his parents lived on and off in Washington state with Maher’s immunocompromised grandmother during the COVID-19 pandemic, caring for her needs and helping her with errands like groceries. While in Washington, Maher worked in search and rescue operations in Whatcom and Snohomish counties in Washington.

He said he also virtually interned with the University of Washington to create drone search and rescue systems to navigate treacherous terrains, and create artificial intelligence software for drones.

Maher started rowing when he lived in Washington, and each fall from late September to mid-November, and springs from late February to early May, he trains in Portland, Oregon with his team. He’s currently in Sarasota, Florida for the U.S. Rowing Beach Sprints Trials for the U.S. national team.

Maher was also recognized as a “STEM Star” at the summit for his work with science, technology, engineering and math.

“The Congressional Award program has been very beneficial,” Maher said. “Through this process, I have been able to meet a lot of great people, experience things I have not experienced before, and have had the opportunity to give back to my community.”

Maher said after he earns his high school diploma, he plans to go to college for a degree in finance or economics to work on Wall Street.