Congressman Dave Reichert presented Blaine Mitchell, a senior at The Bear Creek School, with the Congressional Award Silver Medal on Feb. 1.

The medal represents a minimum of 200 hours of voluntary service, 100 hours of personal development, 100 hours of physical fitness and an expedition or exploration. Mitchell planned, trained for and executed a four-night rafting expedition on the Deschutes River. He served as a volunteer, tutoring children after school with Camp Fire Camps, Timberlake Church and the King County Library System. The hours of personal development were earned while developing public-speaking skills with the Bear Creek’s forensics team. He improved his physical fitness by pursuing weight training, basketball and golf.