Ashlin Wildun, 18, of Nashville and Ryan Kirst, 15, of Maryville today
were named Tennessee'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. Ashlin was nominated
by Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee in Nashville, and Ryan was nominated
by Carpenters Middle School in Maryville. 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).
Ashlin, a senior at John Overton High School, built a portable
greenhouse out of 1,500 plastic bottles and used it to conduct a
campaign to educate others about the benefits of growing and eating
organic produce. After reading a book about the widespread use of
chemicals in agriculture, Ashlin became alarmed and started researching
the differences between organic and nonorganic foods. “I discovered that
numerous products are more beneficial to the body if homegrown,” she
said. Because organic produce costs more than many families can afford,
Ashlin decided to do something that could both promote healthy eating
habits and show people how to grow their own organic foods.
She found plans for a greenhouse constructed out of recycled materials
and then set out to build one using a wood frame, PVC pipes and 1,500
two-liter plastic bottles. Ashlin placed collection bins at schools and
other locations to collect the bottles and wrote letters to area
hardware stores seeking donations of other materials. Then she found a
contractor who contributed a wood frame that would fit onto her family’s
trailer, and recruited a team of volunteers to help her put it all
together. Ashlin transported her greenhouse to area schools to stress to
students and teachers the importance of buying locally grown food, and
demonstrate how they, too, could grow organic produce. She also spread
her message by using social media and preparing books on how to build a
greenhouse, which she distributed to local libraries. Ashlin’s
greenhouse is now available year-round to families that want to grow
their own produce.
Ryan, an eighth-grader at Carpenters Middle School, volunteers in
several capacities to help younger kids with sports and school
activities, deliver food to the hungry, and give hope to people in
crisis situations. As part of a church-going family, Ryan learned early
the importance of giving back. “I like helping others,” he said. So it
was natural for him to volunteer as an assistant coach when he became
too old to continue playing in his basketball program. “I wanted to help
boys and girls learn about basketball, teamwork and sportsmanship,” said
Ryan. Later, when he found out he couldn’t play football anymore because
of a heart defect, he became an assistant football coach as well. At
school, Ryan was asked by several teachers to be a “peer teacher,” a job
that has him helping students with their studies, grading papers,
running errands, and leading gym activities.
Ryan also travels on mission trips every summer with his church’s youth
choir. They go to juvenile detention centers, homeless shelters and
domestic violence facilities to sing songs of hope and praise. Ryan also
volunteers with his mother at an anti-hunger program in his county,
boxing food on Friday nights and delivering it to people in need on
Saturdays. “There are so many ways to help,” said Ryan. “It makes you
feel good about yourself to make a difference in people’s lives.”
As State Honorees, Ashlin and Ryan 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 six other Tennessee students as
Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service
activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion.
These are Tennessee's Distinguished Finalists for 2014:
Madison Blackstock, 18, of Spring Hill, Tenn., a senior at Summit
High School, founded a service project through her school’s Interact
Club that provided all 150 club members with $5, along with instructions
to multiply the amount and donate it to a cause they deemed worthy
within the community. Madison is now planning to expand the project,
called “Living a Better Story,” beyond Tennessee.
Savannah Blaylock, 17, of Rockvale, Tenn., a senior at Central
Magnet School, worked with her friend to honor the 18,000 children who
die from starvation every day by raising $18,000 for charity – and ended
up surpassing the goal. In less than eight months, Savannah and her
friend hosted lock-ins, sold T-shirts, wristbands and concessions, and
raised more than $22,000, which they donated to Heifer International and
an orphanage in Africa.
Alexandra Christopoulos, 17, of Knoxville, Tenn., a senior at
Hardin Valley Academy, created “Project BeanSprout” in 2010 to raise
awareness about the dangers of taking drugs during pregnancy and to
encourage legislators to fund education programs about the problem.
Alexandra, who has volunteered with the East Tennessee Children’s
Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the past, has worked with her
volunteers to make and deliver homemade blankets and sheets to newborns
undergoing drug withdrawal, as well as to create educational materials
about the problem for middle and high schools in the area.
Carrie Deese, 17, of Brentwood, Tenn., a senior at Brentwood High
School, helped to raise $59,000 over the past three years with the
annual “TelForce Group Charity Golf Tournament” that she founded to
benefit the Special Olympics of Williamson County. Carrie, who works
closely with her father to plan the tournament, secured sponsors, helped
with advertising, coordinated entertainment and food, and presented the
funds to the Special Olympics.
Hannah Denson, 17, of Adams, Tenn., a senior at Rossview High
School, has volunteered hundreds of hours to support organizations
including The Salvation Army and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
through her church, her school Key Club and on her own. Motivated by the
experiences of a friend who died from cancer, Hannah recently created
and hosted a benefit concert for St. Jude that raised money for
chemotherapy treatment.
Samantha Laubacher, 18, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., a senior at
Blackman High School, co-founded “$18,000 for 18,000,” a project for
which she and her friend raised $22,000 to honor the 18,000 children who
die each year of hunger. Samantha, who donated the funds to Heifer
International and the Neema House Orphanage in Africa, designed and sold
T-shirts and coordinated many other fundraisers to support the cause.
“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