Caroline Carter, 16, of Dover and Quinn Griffith, 12, of Lee today were
named New Hampshire's top two youth volunteers of 2014 by The Prudential
Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people
for outstanding acts of volunteerism. Caroline was nominated by St.
Thomas Aquinas High School in Dover, and Quinn was nominated by
Strafford County 4-H in Dover. The Prudential Spirit of Community
Awards, now in its 19th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in
partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals
(NASSP).
Caroline, a sophomore at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, has worked
tirelessly since she was 11 years old to help find a cure for Type 1
diabetes and to assist other young people who, like her, are living with
the disease. Over the years, Caroline has helped raise money for
diabetes research by working with the Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation and the American Diabetes Association, and testified before
Congress about the need for more funding. She spreads awareness of
diabetes through a website, blogs and her own nonprofit organization,
called “Cara’s Crusade.” She is particularly dedicated to helping other
young diabetics understand their diagnoses and learn how to stay
healthy. She has mentored newly-diagnosed children, authored a book
about diabetes for elementary school students, and served as a peer
support leader for middle school diabetics. “It is important to embrace
your diagnosis, be educated quickly and make the lifestyle changes
necessary for a healthy future,” said Caroline.
She also is passionate about supporting American servicemen and women.
She volunteers regularly with a group that greets servicemen and women
when they depart for tours of duty from Portsmouth and welcomes them
upon their return. At these airport celebrations, Caroline has performed
the national anthem more than 100 times. “It is a privilege to support
our heroes with love and respect,” she said.
Quinn, a home-schooled seventh-grader, combines his love of music and
history by using his fiddle to teach others about the Oregon Trail and
the nation’s westward expansion. Quinn was playing his fiddle at a local
farmers market when a family friend invited him to perform for her fifth
grade class in conjunction with a lesson on the Oregon Trail. He jumped
at the chance, but first had to research the songs and history of the
trail. He read several books, watched historical documentaries, and
talked to a couple of local music and history teachers. Then he planned
his presentation and bought simple period instruments so the students
could play along with him.
In addition to playing songs with his fiddle, Quinn explained
traditional dance and social life on the Oregon Trail. “The kids learned
a lot and had a great time,” he said. “They were engaged, excited, and
having a lot of fun.” Quinn ended up delivering his presentation to
seven elementary school classes and at nursing homes, community events
and a program for adults with developmental disabilities. “My goal is to
keep early American music and culture alive by increasing public
interest and knowledge of the subject,” he said.
As State Honorees, Caroline and Quinn each will receive $1,000, an
engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to
Washington, D.C., where they will join the top two honorees from each of
the other states and the District of Columbia for four days of national
recognition events. During the trip, 10 students will be named America’s
top youth volunteers of 2014.
Distinguished Finalists
The program judges also recognized two other New Hampshire students as
Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service
activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion.
These are New Hampshire's Distinguished Finalists for 2014:
Timothy Andrews, 17, of Dunbarton, N.H., a senior at Goffstown
High School, directed, filmed and edited “Stand Up,” an anti-bullying
video produced by his school’s Agents of Change club that he helped to
form. Timothy, who worked with a core group of 15 students to create the
video, was invited to present the movie at a regional anti-bullying
summit, and is developing an educational component to accompany school
presentations.
Elizabeth West, 14, of Loudon, N.H., a freshman at Merrimack
Valley High School, created and implemented a sun safety campaign at her
school after getting a severe sunburn during an outdoor school event.
Elizabeth, who earned her Girl Scout Silver Award for this project,
encouraged school administrators to adopt sun safety regulations,
including providing shaded areas at all outdoor events; she also secured
donations from sunscreen companies, and posted flyers throughout the
local middle school about the importance of wearing sunscreen and the
dangers of tanning beds.
“We applaud each of these young people for their exemplary volunteer
service,” said Prudential Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld. “They use
their time and talents to make a meaningful difference in their
communities, and we hope their example inspires others to do the same.”
“By going above and beyond in their volunteer service, these students
have brought positive change to communities across the country,” said
JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. “Congratulations to each
and every one of them on this well-deserved honor.”
About The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards represents the United States’
largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteer service. All
public and private middle level and high schools in the country, as well
as all Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross
chapters, YMCAs and HandsOn Network affiliates, were eligible to select
a student or member for a local Prudential Spirit of Community Award.
These Local Honorees were then reviewed by an independent judging panel,
which selected State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists based on
criteria including personal initiative, effort, impact and personal
growth.
While in Washington, D.C., the 102 State Honorees – one middle level and
one high school student from each state and the District of Columbia –
will tour the capital’s landmarks, meet top youth volunteers from other
parts of the world, attend a gala awards ceremony at the Smithsonian’s
National Museum of Natural History, and visit their congressional
representatives on Capitol Hill. On May 5, 10 of the State Honorees –
five middle level and five high school students – will be named
America’s top youth volunteers of 2014. These National Honorees will
receive additional $5,000 awards, gold medallions, crystal trophies and
$5,000 grants from The Prudential Foundation for nonprofit charitable
organizations of their choice.
Since the program began in 1995, more than 100,000 young volunteers have
been honored at the local, state and national level. The program also is
conducted by Prudential subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan,
Ireland, India and China. In addition to granting its own awards, The
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program also distributes
President’s Volunteer Service Awards to qualifying Local Honorees on
behalf of President Barack Obama.
For information on all of this year’s Prudential Spirit of Community
State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists, visit http://spirit.prudential.com
or www.nassp.org/spirit.
About NASSP
The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the
leading organization of and national voice for middle level and high
school principals, assistant principals, and all school leaders from
across the United States and more than 36 countries around the world.
The association connects and engages school leaders through advocacy,
research, education, and student programs. NASSP advocates on behalf of
all school leaders to ensure the success of each student and strengthens
school leadership practices through the design and delivery of high
quality professional learning experiences. Reflecting its long-standing
commitment to student leadership development, NASSP administers the National
Honor Society, National
Junior Honor Society, National
Elementary Honor Society, and National
Association of Student Councils. For more information about
NASSP, located in Reston, VA, visit www.nassp.org.
About Prudential Financial
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader, has
operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
Prudential’s diverse and talented employees are committed to helping
individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth
through a variety of products and services, including life insurance,
annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment
management. In the U.S., Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for
strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century.
For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com.
Editors: For full-color pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards
program logo and medallions, click here: http://bit.ly/Xi4oFW.
Copyright Business Wire 2014