Three Hermosa girls given Rare Congressional Award

Olivia MacDougall, Izzy Bacallao, Rep. Ted Lieu, and Jade Siegel receive the Congressional Award at Lieu’s field office earlier this summer. Photo by Ron Siegel

Like many of her technologically inclined teenage peers, Izzy Bacallao typically gets around with the help of a navigation assistance app like Waze. But last year, the Hermosa resident and her family were braving the wilds of Yosemite with the constant folding and unfolding of dog-eared road maps.

It was all part of the journey for Bacallao, who along with fellow young Hermosans Olivia MacDougall and Jade Siegel received the Congressional Award earlier this summer in a ceremony at the local field office of Rep. Ted Lieu.

The award honors youths between 13 and 24 for exceptional community service and is the only official charity of the U.S. Congress, according to a congressional report. Created four decades ago, the Congressional Award remains a rarified accomplishment: about 440 were given out in the entire country last year, and the award is considered “the highest honor that a representative or senator may bestow on a youth civilian.”

The three girls all had pre-existing commitments to various community service projects, then decided to push themselves to meet the award’s remaining requirements after learning of the award through Bacallao’s mother and the National Charity League.

Bacallao, who has accumulated some 800 hours of community service, made the Yosemite trip to fulfill the Exploration/Expedition requirement of the award, in which a young person is responsible for planning all aspects of a journey. She avoided using a navigation app to learn a new skill, and chose Yosemite to deepen her understanding of the place she calls home. Along with seeing one of California’s greatest natural wonders, she also learned about the impact of the recent wildfires, and the state’s American Indian population.

“For me, it was really important to learn about the history of the place I live, and what it was like before,” Bacallao said.

Siegel, who graduated from Mira Costa and recently began attending the University of Colorado, Boulder, was involved in many service groups in high school, including Heal The Bay and Jam Club, in which she and others played music to raise money for teachers. She also volunteered with the Lovejoy Foundation.

Siegel acknowledged there was a bit of truth to the accusations frequently hurled at her generation that they were setting new records for self-involvement — “They’re spending time on their phone, they’re obsessed with what they look like,” she said, nodding as she recited the charges — but said the generalization missed out on those who were giving back. The key for getting kids involved, she said, was for them to realize how every contribution counts.

“It’s important for kids to realize that, even if you can’t change the whole world, you can help out town, help your community,” she said.

MacDougall also accumulated ample community service hours through her experience with a local Girl Scout Troop. She earned the Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards, the last of which is equivalent to the Boy Scout’s Eagle Scout honor. The legacy of her volunteering can be seen in a number of ecologically inclined projects throughout the city, including the community garden at South Park, and the wall garden at Hermosa City Hall.

MacDougall said her volunteer efforts initially began as a way to stand out in the college application process. But as she went through the process of completing the demanding requirements of the award, she began to notice a feeling of “empowerment” that she anticipates will serve her in college and beyond.

“It has given me skills like leadership and initiative, and I think those are really important to have,” she said. “Obviously, mom and dad aren’t always going to be there to help you.”

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