Honolulu-based Jessica Lee’s 420 hours of volunteer service, success on the varsity I golf team, experience as a violinist and a trip to Boston earned her the Congressional Award Gold Medal this year.
The Congressional Award Gold Medal is awarded to young people who log 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 during a two-year period.
Lee became one of 877 gold medalists from across the U.S. this year. She told Aloha State Daily that she aspires to serve the community and treat everyone with kindness.
Congressman Ed Case presented the award, a gold medal from U.S. Congress and a certificate of special recognition to Lee in August. He said that the award encourages high expectations, perseverance, resilience and achievement. Lee is the seventh person to receive the gold medal in his district in the last quarter-century, Case said.
Lee told ASD she was excited when she learned that she would receive the award, and that she found joy in the application process, which reinforced time management skills, discipline and resilience, she said, adding that her volunteer service led her to make new connections and get more involved in her community.
Lee’s volunteer service in health care stems from her grandfather’s experience in Korea after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. She said that her grandfather received misinformation about his diagnosis and treatment, and this experience led her to volunteer in the medical field in Hawaiʻi.
Lee spent time with elderly patients in the adult care centers at St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaiʻi, interacted with patients and doctors and shadowed medical professionals.
When she started volunteering at St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaiʻi, she saw families facing language barriers that prevented them from fully understanding the information they received from medical professionals. Lee said that when language barriers are removed, patients can ask the right questions and have a greater sense of agency over their medical decisions.
“I noticed that there were different underserved pockets in our community and I wanted to help address those pockets,” she said.
She started a nonprofit called Cancer Health Awareness & Mindfulness Program (CHAMP) to empower patients to empower patients through health literacy. Through CHAMP, Lee organizes workshops on cancer risks, prevention strategies and local resources. This summer, CHAMP partnered with the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center Skin Van to host a skin cancer awareness event at Ala Moana Beach Park.
Lee also helps lead Caring of the Elderly at Punahou School, which serves kūpuna in Mānoa twice a month.
Golf has been a big part of Lee’s life since she was 4 years old when her family moved from New York to Hawaiʻi, she noted.
“Sports are very addicting in a way because you just have this adrenaline, love, passion, for the sport,” she said, adding that playing golf has made her more resilient and taught her about failure.
“Even if you fail or even if you have this one terrible shot, you can still move on and have the bravery and courage to move forward," she continued. "It’s taught me to step out of your comfort zone to do something brave and try.”
The Punahou Varsity I girls golf team won the state championship three years in a row and Lee placed second in the state in 2024.
Lee started playing violin in fourth grade and got involved with the school orchestra in fifth grade.
“I really enjoy playing the violin and experiencing the different repertoire and music that they select,” she said.
During Lee’s trip to Boston in the spring of 2025, she toured college campuses, visited museums, explored the city and tried new foods.
She said that navigating the transportation system was the most challenging part of the trip. It was her first riding the subway, known as the “T," and admittedly got lost at times.
Lee has been advocating for Korean heritage and language in school curriculums since she was in the seventh grade. It started when she voiced to include Korean as part of the Punahou School curriculum during the Damon Speech. She created a petition that 300 students signed and advocated to neighborhood boards and the Hawaiʻi Legislature to include Korean heritage initiatives in schools.
“Families often lose their heritage language in three generations,” she said. “If you can be taught during schools, you can understand your culture more and connect with your grandparents.”
As a senior, Lee is applying to colleges and hopes to pursue the intersection of public health and culture to become a physician. She said she hopes to empower people to have more agency over their medical decisions through health literacy.
“The best way to empower patients is with the information and knowledge and questions to ask.”
Haley Lehman can be reached at haley@alohastatedaily.com.
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