MHS junior Akash Sriram earns Congressional Award Gold Medal for volunteerism
Through his commitment to volunteerism and passion for working with younger generations of Milpitas Unified School District students, 16-year-old Milpitas High School junior Akash Sriram was recently awarded the 2026 Congressional Award Gold Medal.
“I aspire to become a pediatrician because I love working with kids and helping them. Through my current tutoring work, I've learned how to connect with children in a positive way and be more understanding of their different needs,” Akash shared. “I've been lucky to have amazing mentors both at school and in my community who have guided me and shown me what good mentorship looks like.”
To earn this congressional honor, the MHS-Curtner Elementary-Thomas Russell Middle School alumnus logged a minimum of 400 hours of Voluntary Public Service, 200 hours of Personal Development, 200 hours of Physical Fitness, and a five-day, four-night Expedition or Exploration. From April 2023 through August 2025, Akash reached 400 volunteer hours. The document requirements included Akash’s reflections and implication for the future.
“Through my experiences, I’ve seen that many kids from underprivileged backgrounds don't have the same opportunities or mentors that I've had,” Akash said. “This prompted me to try to make such opportunities and guidance more accessible through volunteering towards the MUSD and the Milpitas community. By combining my goal of becoming a pediatrician with my passion for tutoring, I hope to make a real difference in the lives of children who need it most.”
Akash, who focused on his two passions of tutoring and music, began his journey by volunteering at the Milpitas Library as a freshman and then continued as a Read Partners tutor for English proficiency at Pomeroy Elementary School before founding the local chapter of Genxl, an international tutoring organization.
“I tutored in phonics, reading comprehension, and vocabulary [at Pomeroy],” he said. “Through Genxl, I was able to tutor students in Thomas Russell Middle School’s Science Olympiad team. I have also had the pleasure to work with several students one-on-one for math tutoring sessions towards helping them prepare for math acceleration.”
In addition to tutoring, Sriram, a highly-decorated vocalist with the Milpitas HS choir, volunteered at two MHS Music in the Park festivals, which promote music interest in youth through giving live adjudication to music ensembles from many schools.
For his personal development goals, Akash set out to advance his musical journey, representing Milpitas HS upon selection into the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) All-National High Honor Choir (a first for MHS) which allowed him to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Additionally, he received multiple selections for the Western ACDA Honor Choir, California All-State Honor Choir, and the Coastal Regional Honor Choir.
“A huge thanks to Ms. Moore for inspiring and supporting me,” said Akash, who fulfilled the physical fitness requirements by joining the MHS water polo team and improving his swimming skills.
“To me, the Congressional Award is a culmination of the work I have put towards attaining my goals and getting a step closer towards my dream to be a pediatrician,” he added. “I feel happy to be able to meet all requirements for the award, especially throughout the busy years balancing with high school grades, and the more than 1000 hours I had to dedicate to meeting such goals.”
As for what the future holds after high school, Akash plans to pursue a career in pediatric medicine and conduct research towards easily accessible treatments and cures for chronic diseases and conditions in children, like Type 1 Diabetes.
