Katie Cowie, 17, of Milton and Olivia Smith, 14, of Belleville today
were named West Virginia'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. Katie was nominated
by Cabell Midland High School in Ona, and Olivia was nominated by the
Wood County 4-H in Parkersburg. 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).
Katie, a senior at Cabell Midland High School, has raised money for a
variety of causes by making and selling “tie-knot” blankets through a
nonprofit organization she created. Katie’s project grew out of a church
retreat that focused on making a difference. “It was here I realized I
was focusing too much on myself and not enough on others,” she said.
During the retreat, the group discussed ways in which individuals could
volunteer. But none of the ideas appealed to Katie.
When she got back home, she did some brainstorming and decided to make
blankets to sell. Her nonprofit, “Blossom,” was born. With $100 of her
own money, Katie filed the necessary paperwork for nonprofit status,
purchased fabric and went to work on her first blanket. Her blanket
sales have enabled her to support causes including providing shelter for
homeless families and helping women quit prostitution. When she was in
the 11th grade, Katie went to a local laundromat one Saturday a month to
pay for customers’ laundry. She also organized a “hat day” for the
elementary schools in her county to raise funds for the American Cancer
Society. “Spending time on other people instead of myself is better than
anything I could have experienced in high school,” said Katie. “I cannot
explain the love I now feel for those in my community.”
Olivia, an eighth-grader at Blennerhassett Junior High School, is a
dedicated advocate for youth and adults with disabilities in her
community, helping them participate in social and recreational
activities, serving as a mentor and teacher, and encouraging others to
use respectful language when referring to people with disabilities.
Olivia’s sister has Down syndrome, her aunt uses a wheelchair, and her
mother is the director of The Arc of West Virginia, which provides
programs and services for people with disabilities. “Having them in my
life and watching what they have to overcome has inspired me to help
others,” she said.
One of the wrongs that Olivia set out to right was the use of
insensitive and even derogatory words some people use when referring to
people with intellectual disabilities. So she started a campaign urging
people to reject the “R” word and replace it with more sensitive words.
She also met with elected officials and legislators to raise awareness
of disability-related issues, and mentored 36 teens with disabilities to
speak up and be their own advocates. Olivia has assisted at many social
and recreational events -- coordinating logistics, serving snacks,
playing games, conducting arts and craft projects, and helping with
sports. She also shopped for and wrapped gifts for a Christmas project,
helped process donations to The Arc’s thrift shop, and taught children
with disabilities how to groom and show their animals for competition.
“I’ve been around people with disabilities all my life and seen that
they are treated differently,” said Olivia. “People shouldn’t be judged
by their disability but should be recognized as a person just like
everyone else.”
As State Honorees, Katie and Olivia 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 West Virginia students as
Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service
activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion.
These are West Virginia's Distinguished Finalists for 2014:
Kristen Falconi, 14, of Morgantown, W. Va., a freshman at
University High School, raised $2,300 to support the West Virginia
University Randolph Cancer Center’s mobile mammography unit. Kristen,
who is currently Miss Central West Virginia’s Outstanding Teen,
organized a dance and a walk at her middle school and made breast cancer
awareness her platform.
Peter Welcker, 17, of Parkersburg, W. Va., a senior at
Parkersburg South High School, has conducted scientific research to find
a way to remove the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) from food and water.
Peter, who has a patent pending for his process, was inspired to action
after hearing that his nephew was born with health complications that
the doctors think are linked to BPA exposure during pregnancy.
“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