Jessie Swofford, 18, of Tacoma and Mia Nguyen, 13, of Lynnwood today
were named Washington'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. Jessie was nominated
by Curtis Senior High School in University Place, and Mia was nominated
by Alderwood Middle School in Lynnwood. 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).
Jessie, a senior at Curtis Senior High School, has helped improve the
lives of children with autism and their families for the past five years
through her volunteer work for FEAT (Families for Effective Autism
Treatment). Jessie knows what it’s like to live with challenges, and to
overcome them. When she was an infant, she survived a digestive disorder
and a subsequent botched surgery. In second grade, after her teacher
noticed she had difficulty reading and writing, Jessie was diagnosed
with dyslexia. “Despite overwhelming attention and help from my teachers
and parents, I still spent my childhood ashamed and embarrassed of my
learning disability,” she said. Though she is now enrolled in honors and
AP classes, Jessie said she has “a first-hand understanding of what it
means to be different from the status quo.” That is what drew her to
volunteer for FEAT.
As a FEAT volunteer, Jessie lends a hand in several ways. Every month
the organization hosts “Super Saturdays,” a social gathering run by
volunteers to provide a respite to families of children with autism.
Jessie and the other volunteers organize games, and gym and
theme-oriented activities to give parents a much-needed break for a few
hours. Jessie also serves as a mentor to 10 teenagers with autism four
times a month, and spends her summers working in an intensive
intervention program for children with autism. She is also involved with
the FEAT group that gives the teens the opportunity to serve their
community while learning valuable social skills by volunteering at
rescue missions, food banks, a local YWCA and the library. Jessie said
that her work with FEAT helped her to discover her true passion: to work
with people with autism as a speech pathologist.
Mia, an eighth-grader at Alderwood Middle School, made and sold more
than 100 bows to raise money for Seattle Children’s Hospital in honor of
a friend being treated there for leukemia. Prior to 2012, Mia’s
volunteer experience consisted mostly of helping out with school
activities and with big events at her Buddhist temple. But then her
friend was diagnosed with leukemia, a disease that had claimed the lives
of some of Mia’s family members. “I didn’t think it was fair that a
young, carefree girl had to deal with this, so I started to think about
what I could do to help or just make her feel better,” said Mia.
She went online to look for something she could make to raise money. She
decided to make bows. First, Mia taught herself how to make a proper
bow. Then she went to a fabric store and, with her own money, bought
fabric, a glue gun, hairclips and hair ties. Once production was under
way, she promoted the project to family and friends, “and soon a lot of
people knew about it, and they all wanted some!” said Mia. “I even had
some guys who wanted to buy bows just to support the cause.” Mia ended
up raising more than $300 for the hospital. “I would tell others that
true friends are hard to find, and you don’t know when they could be
gone,” she said. “So treat them with kindness, love, respect and trust!”
As State Honorees, Jessie and Mia 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 Washington students as
Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service
activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion.
These are Washington's Distinguished Finalists for 2014:
Katelyn Dolan, 17, of Liberty Lake, Wash., a senior at Central
Valley High School, co-founded “Life Enhancement Through Education in
Music (LETEM)” in 2012, an organization that has distributed $13,000
worth of musical instruments to students in need. Katelyn, who says
music is an integral part of her life, collects and repairs used
instruments, secures grants and donations, builds partnerships with
music stores and music teachers, and hosts music clinics through local
youth organizations.
McKinley Goble, 18, of Tacoma, Wash., a home-schooled senior, is
a spokesperson and ambassador for the Pierce County Toys for Tots, and
in her role has helped to raise more than $36,000 and collect donations
of clothing, blankets and other items. McKinley, who began her work with
the organization in 2011, helps to promote Toys for Tots through
speaking engagements, and also does hands-on volunteer work at the
warehouse, where she sorts, organizes and delivers donations for
children in need.
Dansil Green, 16, of Granite Falls, Wash., a junior at Granite
Falls High School, co-founded “Technology Education Center & Outreach
(TECO),” an organization that encourages young boys and girls to pursue
science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers. Dansil, who
co-founded the nonprofit with her father in 2012 and currently serves as
its Youth Council president, works with elementary robotics teams and
hosts a 3-D printing class for middle schoolers.
Philip Howard, 17, of Veradale, Wash., a senior at Central Valley
High School, co-founded “Life Enhancement Through Education in Music
(LETEM)” in 2012, an organization that has distributed $13,000 worth of
musical instruments to students in need and hosted music clinics taught
by high school musicians. Philip, who says LETEM is a combination of his
passion for music and his mission to help those in need, has developed a
long-term plan to get instruments into the hands of those who otherwise
could not afford them, and to provide children with opportunities to
develop their own passion for music.
Austin Schuver, 17, of Enumclaw, Wash., a junior at Enumclaw High
School, founded “Spring to the Tap,” a nonprofit organization that
raises awareness about the environmental dangers of bottled water
consumption and the benefits of tap water. Austin, who first began his
project as an eighth grade assignment, has since worked with community
and business leaders, conducted awareness events, recruited a dedicated
team of volunteers, and is currently working on the installation of a
custom water fountain for city residents.
Carolyn Van Der Meulen, 17, of Mukilteo, Wash., a member of
United Way of Snohomish County and a senior at Kamiak High School,
co-founded “Foster Bikes,” an organization that has collected and
repaired more than 60 bicycles to donate to children in foster care.
Carolyn, who founded the organization in 2012 with her brother, works
with local agencies to secure donations, coordinates promotion and
advertising, recruits volunteers, and took a class so she can personally
repair the donated bikes.
“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