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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

CdA Charter grad puts ideas into action

Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy senior Mason Magee smiles as he talks about a few of his medals including the Congressional Award Gold Medal for  efforts in the areas of physical fitness, personal development and volunteer service. He is photographed at the school in Coeur d’Alene on Wednesday, March 14, 2017. (Kathy Plonka / The Spokesman-Review)
By Tyler Wilson For The Spokesman Review

Mason Magee, a senior at Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy, has a resume that rivals a successful 40-year-old.

His accomplishments include the Congressional Award Gold Medal in 2015, given to distinguished young Americans by the United States Congress. The gold medal is the highest achievement in the program, open to people ages 13-23, and requirements include 200 hours of physical fitness, 200 hours of personal development and 400 hours of volunteer service.

“There were only about 200 people nationally that got it that year,” Magee said. “I was probably one of the youngest by far.”

Magee exceeded the minimum hours for volunteer service. He teaches younger children music through Lake City Community Church and has logged more than 600 hours at Kootenai Health, including a position on the hospital’s teen volunteer board of directors for the past two years.

“When I first started out I worked in a bunch of different departments – the pre-operation rooms to senior care or I’d transfer patients around the hospital,” he said.

He recently shadowed Dr. Duane Craddock at Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics and is now interested in being a pediatrician. This fall he will attend Baylor University in Waco, Texas, majoring in medical humanities with a minor in biology.

Part of his desire to enter pediatrics sprang from supporting his younger brother, Carson, who has Type 1 diabetes.

“I hope to be able to change a couple things about testing kids for blood sugars,” Magee said. “There are a lot of kids who are dying and it goes undiagnosed.”

Mason has a knack for invention. He placed first in the 2015 Invent Idaho state competition with the QmediR, a QR code bracelet that would allow medical staff to access a complete medical history for an unresponsive patient. Though he hasn’t pursued the invention further, he’s continued to volunteer for the I3 (I Cubed) young inventor’s program.

And if for some reason Magee decides to shift away from medicine, he can fall back on a history of entrepreneurship. He gives private guitar and drum lessons and founded a freelance landscaping business, Coeur d’Alene Grass Masters. Magee and his brother also started an entertainment enterprise called Pockets Productions. They’ve performed for businesses, private parties and events, including functions for the Festival at Sandpoint and Northern Quest Casino.

There are other honors – he participated in the Idaho Music Educators Association All-State band in 2016, was named a Duke University Talent Identification Program Scholar in 2012, and earned a Superior Rating on the National Latin Exam in 2013.

If all that wasn’t enough, Magee works at Coldstone Creamery in Coeur d’Alene, and claims to have occasional free time.

“I like the outdoors, to go kayaking or camping with my friends,” Magee said. “I’m not a guy who likes to stay cooped up playing video games.”

If he were, he’d probably find a way to make it sound impressive.