Principal Dr. Randi Riesbeck was given the pleasure to bestow the Award of Excellence to junior Merrick Gessler for the successful completion at the Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Boston, Massachusetts.

Gessler not only represented his school, but the Commonwealth of Virginia, at the National Leadership Academies this summer, surrounded by peers from around the country who were also honored as high-achieving students dedicated to medicine or the S.T.E.M. subjects.

According to the National Leadership Academy, the theme of each Congress is “Greatness Awaits,” offering some of the nation’s top students the opportunity to be mentored by some of the world’s most prestigious medical prize winners to date, as well as top medical school academic leaders, and standout prodigies in the medical field.

In order to be nominated to the Congress, students  must aspire to become physicians, scientists, or technologists, possess leadership potential, and hold a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above.