Special for IFN

Nachammai Annamalai, a senior at South Iredell High School, received the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of her volunteer work at the Mooresville Public Library and the Mooresville Youth Council.

Congressman Patrick McHenry awarded Annamalai the highest civilian youth honor on October 23.

Applicants commit to at least two years of goal setting and community engagement. Along the way, Annamalai completed 400 hours of volunteer public service, including time at the Mooresville Public Library and the Mooresville Youth Council; 200 hours of personal development; 200 hours of physical fitness; and an exploration trip of five days and four nights.

In 2023, she worked with Teen Librarian to offer a series of virtual and in-house STEM programs with experts in STEM fields. The Pathways to STEM series was held weekly and recorded to be accessible to all participants. The series offered participants opportunities to learn about STEM workforce development and the ability to network with professionals in the field.

“From start to finish, he displayed maturity and professionalism far beyond his years in developing and implementing the series,” said Megan Mosher, teen librarian at the Mooresville Public Library. “She took on additional responsibilities to ensure it was extremely successful, from recruiting efforts to coordinating schedules to serving as a moderator at each event.”

The series reached more than 120 participants in more than 14 different countries. The effort led Annamalai to receive the National Aspirations in Computing Award from the National Center for Women in Computing and Technology.

“She is an ambitious, creative and bright teenager who has impressed me from the beginning with her passion and drive for STEM and her contribution to the community,” Mosher said. “I’m so proud of her and can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.”

Annamalai also participated in the Mooresville Youth Council during the 2023-2024 school year. She helped with several events, including A Classic Christmas and initiatives like the Crafting Hope with Zippy winter drive.

“Annamalai is a very intelligent young woman who will go far in life and achieve amazing things,” said Youth Council advisor Nick Lynch. “She has already contributed a lot to her community and has not yet graduated from high school. We are so proud of her for receiving the Congressional Gold Medal!

Only 724 young people nationwide received the gold medal in 2024, according to the Congressional Prize website. She is one of 21 recipients in North Carolina this year.