For community service initiatives that range from feeding the hungry to
helping victims of the Boston Marathon bombings, 10 students were named
America’s top youth volunteers of 2014 today by The Prudential Spirit of
Community Awards, a national program sponsored by Prudential Financial
in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School
Principals (NASSP).
These National Honorees, named during the program’s 19th annual national
award ceremony at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, range in age from 11 to
18. They were selected first from a field of more than 30,000 middle
level and high school youth volunteers nationwide, and then from 102
State Honorees, based on their initiative, effort, impact, and the
personal growth demonstrated in the course of their volunteer service.
The National Honorees each received $5,000 personal awards, engraved
gold medallions, crystal trophies for their schools, and $5,000 grants
from The Prudential Foundation for charities of their choice.
Today’s ceremony was part of a four-day celebration that brought each
state’s top two youth volunteers of 2014 to Washington, D.C., for
sightseeing and special recognition events. These 102 State Honorees –
one middle level and one high school student from each state and the
District of Columbia – were personally congratulated by Academy
Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker last night at a gala dinner
reception at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Each
State Honoree received a $1,000 award.
These are the 10 National Honorees named today:
Jessica Bird, 18, of Atherton, Calif., a senior at Sacred Heart
Preparatory, is a dedicated advocate for young sex-trafficking victims
around the world, and last year led a team to Costa Rica to provide
girls at a safe house with the skills to build a life outside of
prostitution.
Lillian Diuble, 11, of Manchester, Mich., a sixth-grader at
Manchester Middle School, leads a team that has raised more than $78,000
over the past four years for the Foundation Fighting Blindness, which is
devoted to developing treatments and cures for eye diseases like the one
affecting Lillian.
Sean Egan, 18, of Staten Island, N.Y., a senior at Monsignor
Farrell High School, founded an organization of more than 300 students
who assist and thank veterans of the U.S. armed forces by sponsoring
events, providing goods and services, and visiting military hospitals.
Elijah Evans, 16, of Youngsville, La., a sophomore at Comeaux
High School, works in his community to raise awareness of child abuse
and improve the lives of foster children by promoting and hosting an
annual Christmas party for children in foster care.
Kaylee Graham, 14, of Florence, Ore., an eighth-grader at Siuslaw
Middle School, initiated an annual citywide day of service in her town
that has motivated more than 3,000 residents to work on community
improvement projects, raise money for charity, donate food, and take
part in other volunteer activities over the past three years.
Morgan Guess, 11, of Paducah, Ky., a fifth-grader at Lone Oak
Intermediate School, has worked with her mother to focus local, state
and national attention on the problem of bullying through a variety of
measures, after Morgan herself was bullied.
William Lourcey, 11, of Fort Worth, Texas, a volunteer ambassador
with the Volunteer Center of North Texas and a fifth-grader at Trinity
Valley School, is the founder and CEO of a service group that organizes
fun events to raise money and awareness to fight hunger, and to
encourage young people to get involved in their community.
Kinsey Morrison, 17, of Goshen, Ky., a senior at St. Francis High
School, is a motivational speaker who’s delivered more than 50 speeches
on a variety of topics and helped raise a significant amount of money
for dozens of charities.
Katie Stagliano, 15, of Summerville, S.C., a freshman at Pinewood
Preparatory School, established a nonprofit organization that has helped
kids across the country create and maintain more than 60 vegetable
gardens, which have yielded thousands of pounds of fresh produce to feed
people in need.
Michael Stolzenberg, 14, of Weston, Fla., an eighth-grader at
Pine Crest School, has raised more than $225,000 to help rebuild the
lives of people who lost limbs when terrorists detonated two bombs
during the 2013 Boston Marathon.
“These honorees are shining examples of what is possible when young
people use their energy and initiative to help their communities,” said
John Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. “We are
proud to recognize their accomplishments, and look forward to seeing the
great things they achieve in the future.”
“Through their service, these students have not only made a difference
in the lives of others – they’ve provided their peers with a powerful
example of what it looks like to be an outstanding youth volunteer,”
said Barbara-Jane (BJ) Paris, president of NASSP. “Congratulations to
each of the 2014 honorees for a job well done.”
The distinguished selection committee that chose the National Honorees
was chaired by Strangfeld and included Paris of NASSP; Tracy Hoover,
president of Points of Light; Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO of
the National 4-H Council; Andrea Bastiani Archibald, chief girl expert
for Girl Scouts of the USA; James E. Starr, vice president for volunteer
management for the American Red Cross; Robert Bisi, senior marketing
specialist for the Corporation for National and Community Service; Dru
Tomlin, director of middle level services for the Association for Middle
Level Education; André Wesson, senior program associate for strategic
communications, outreach and development for Achieve; Reneé Jackson,
senior manager of education programs at the National PTA; and two 2013
National Honorees: Emma Astrike-Davis of Durham, N.C., a senior at Cary
Academy, and Joshua Williams of Miami Beach, Fla., an eighth-grader at
Ransom Everglades School.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards was created in 1995 to
identify and recognize young people for outstanding volunteer service –
and, in so doing, inspire others to volunteer, too. In the past 19
years, the program has honored more than 100,000 young volunteers at the
local, state and national level.
For more information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and
this year’s honorees, 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 Prudential Spirit of
Community Awards program logo and medallions, visit http://spirit.prudential.com.
For digital photos of the National Honorees, contact Prudential’s Harold
Banks at (973) 802-8974 or (973) 216-4833.]
Copyright Business Wire 2014