Ayaan Jeraj, a freshman student in the Huntsman Program in International Studies and in business in the Wharton School, from Vancouver, Canada, has been awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal.

Commemorating the coronation of King Charles III as King of Canada, the medal recognizes Canadians who have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region, or community, or have made an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada. Mr. Jeraj, one of the youngest recipients of the award, was recognized for his volunteer and community service work and his dedication to youth initiatives.

While in high school during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Jeraj created the first virtual model UN conference in British Columbia. The conference included students from more than 10 countries and featured several distinguished elected officials and parliamentarians as keynote speakers. During his third year of high school, Mr. Jeraj transformed the session into an in-person event that became the largest in-person day conference in British Columbia. The Premier of British Columbia served as the keynote speaker. In his fourth year, Mr. Jeraj worked diligently to mentor the younger students so the event could continue, and it endures today.

Mr. Jeraj has been involved with the scouting community since he was five years old. During the pandemic, he organized a drive to deliver more than 1,500 masks to various food banks and shelters in his community and led several food drives for homeless people. He also organized an effort to collect used cell phones and donate them to individuals in need in Africa to provide them with essential technology and to reduce e-waste.

Mr. Jeraj was also involved in the British Columbia Premier’s Youth Council. He worked with the Premier throughout high school, providing consultation and a young person’s perspective on policy issues and youth initiatives. He is passionate about model UN because it provides an opportunity to meet like-minded people who want to discuss and solve some of the world’s most pressing issues.

“I was very humbled and honored to receive this award because it highlights my involvement and commitment to youth in the community,” he said. “I really hope that it serves as an inspiration for other youth in the community, that you really can achieve anything, and you can make a difference.”

This article is adapted from a Penn Today story.