Sahana Sundar, a sophomore at Jericho High School in New York, is one of the recipients of this year’s prestigious Congressional Gold Medal Award, one of the highest honors conferred upon youth in the United States for achievement in voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness, and expedition or exploration. The award was presented during the Congressional Gold Medal Summit, held in Washington, D.C., from June 11 to 13, 2025. The event brought together accomplished young Americans from across the country and offered them the opportunity to engage with professionals from various fields and meet national leaders, including Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Thomas Suozzi at the U.S. Capitol.
In addition to receiving the Congressional Gold Medal, Sahana Sundar was named a STEM Star in recognition of her contributions to community service in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. She is currently a science research student at Jericho High School and interns with Dr. Nathan Cohen, a postdoctoral research fellow at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine in the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health. Her dedication to research and education extends beyond the classroom, as she has previously interned with the Business & Leadership Academy, supported social media initiatives for Global United Planet and International Cultural Youth Exchange Tanzania, and contributed to her school’s theater program.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sahana Sundar took on a leadership role in the Girls Computing League, a national nonprofit promoting STEM education in underrepresented communities. She served as the New York Chapter Leader and National Director of Workshops, helping organize outreach initiatives to expand access to computer science and technology education. Her efforts in service and advocacy are matched by her involvement in the Girl Scouts, where she earned the Silver Award, and by her long-term pursuit of Indian classical dance. She has completed Level 3 of the RSL Awards certification through Griffin College in London.
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Sahana Sundar’s academic achievements include contributing a chapter to the book “Path to Nobel,” which was published and released at the New Delhi World Book Fair in 2023 under the guidance of Dr. Srinivas Rao. Her research focused on the work of Nobel laureates Dr. John O’Keefe, Dr. May-Britt Moser, and Dr. Edvard Moser. She also presented a community-based tech employment project called “Diamond Finders” to Microsoft’s New England Research and Development team in 2021. The project aimed to bridge gaps in employment access for underrepresented tech talent in the Boston area by utilizing existing infrastructure and networks.
Her leadership and public speaking abilities have been recognized through her involvement with One World Girl’s Junior Youth Advisory Council and Changemakers Council, both platforms for youth leadership development. In 2023, she placed first in the New York State History Day competition in the performance category and went on to become a national finalist at National History Day, finishing in the Top 10 runoff round. Most recently, she won first place at the Future Business Leaders of America New York State Leadership Conference in the Introduction to Public Speaking category and will advance to compete at the National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, California, later this summer.
In addition to her academic and extracurricular accomplishments, Sahana Sundar is also an athlete, having participated in her school’s varsity softball team as well as the junior varsity soccer and badminton teams. Her multifaceted achievements reflect a commitment to excellence across academic, artistic, service, and athletic domains.