MONTGOMERY, Ala., Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Jessica
Bradley, 17, of Hoover and Breanna Bennett, 11, of Montgomery today were named Alabama's top two youth volunteers of 2019 by
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. As
State Honorees, Jessica and Breanna 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 2019.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 24th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in
partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).
These are Alabama's top youth volunteers of 2019:
High School State Honoree: Jessica Bradley
Nominated by Hoover High School
Jessica, a senior at Hoover High School, empowers young women interested in science, technology, engineering and math by
holding monthly meetings that bring them together to learn about STEM subjects and work on technology-related projects. As a
young Latina, Jessica said people have often underestimated her abilities. Once, for example, after a marketing teacher announced
that Jessica was starting her own business, a boy mumbled, "girls can't work as hard as boys – much less a Mexican." Luckily,
Jessica, who is Colombian, had a strong role model in her mother, who had started her own business. Wanting to follow in her
mom's footsteps, Jessica decided to focus on computer science and business, where women are often underrepresented and paid lower
salaries, she said.
So about two years ago, she decided to form a service organization that could give girls the skills and confidence to overcome
gender barriers and succeed in STEM fields. With help from her computer science teacher, Jessica asked every elementary and
middle school principal in her school district to distribute information about her initiative and invite their female students to
a series of monthly workshops. For each meeting, Jessica prepares a short STEM lecture and organizes a technology-related
activity, such as 3D jewelry printing, a fun binary calculator, MicroBit programming, and tearing apart an old computer. Only
three girls showed up for the first meeting, but attendance has since grown to more than 30. Jessica also has organized STEM days
at elementary and middle schools. "No time is more well spent than by teaching girls to be proud of themselves," Jessica
said.
Middle Level State Honoree: Breanna Bennett
Nominated by Montgomery County 4-H
Breanna, a sixth-grader at St. James School, produced a 15-minute educational film with her twin sister about the struggles of
the civil rights movement that premiered at the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery. The girls
decided they wanted to become filmmakers and teach children about black history after their family moved from Dubai to Miami and joined a church attended by leaders in the African
American community there. But the project didn't get far because they soon moved again, this time to Alabama, where they joined the church where the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
served as pastor at the peak of the civil rights movement. That was when Breanna and her sister decided to produce a film called
"Architects of Change" to educate children about the heroes who strived to bring equal rights to all
Americans.
Working with her sister, Breanna began the yearlong project by interviewing church elders about their experiences in the civil
rights movement. Next, they started researching those turbulent times, visited landmarks in Alabama, and enrolled in the Rosa Parks Museum Summer Camp to learn more. They borrowed professional video
equipment from the Rosa Parks Museum and began filming interviews and gathering historical footage. Then they selected background
music, and received editing assistance from the Baltimore School of Arts. The film premiered last December at the museum and was
scheduled for additional viewings in Montgomery. "Our ultimate goal is to distribute the film to
public and private schools throughout the country to educate children about this valuable part of world history!" said
Breanna.
Distinguished Finalists
The program judges also recognized four other Alabama students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community
service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion.
These are Alabama's Distinguished Finalists for 2019:
Duha Aishah, 18, of Hoover, Ala., a senior at Islamic Academy of Alabama, founded
a program that sponsors six orphaned children around the world, providing clothing, meals, education and vaccinations, as well as
an allowance for toys; she has enlisted more than 200 of her fellow students to help with the project. She also co-founded her
school's humanitarian club, which mobilizes students to clean the school and neighborhood, fundraise, visit nursing homes and
feed homeless people.
Maya Harlow, 18, of Ozark, Ala., a senior at Carroll
High School, fosters, trains and socializes future assistance dogs for the nonprofit Canine Companions for Independence.
Conscious of the needs of people with disabilities and other challenges -- especially invisible ones, such as her brother's Type
1 diabetes—she wanted to help provide eyes, ears, mobility, independence and peace of mind to people who need them; the first dog
she trained now works with hundreds of victims of sexual and domestic abuse in South
Carolina.
Kayla Jolly, 18, of Tallassee, Ala., a senior at
Tallassee High School, helps provide soldiers and their families with logistical and emotional support through the Alabama
National Guard Youth Program and the Alabama National Guard Advisory Board. At weekend Yellow Ribbon reintegration events, she
uses her experience from her father's deployment to help her peers understand the practical and emotional effects of a parent's
active military service.
Katelyn McInerney, 18, of Birmingham, Ala., a senior at
Mountain Brook High School, founded "Special Siblings," a monthly support group for young people who, like her, have a sibling
with special needs. She plans and lead meetings, coordinates with mental health professionals, does advertising and publicity,
maintains a website and hosts fundraisers, promoting understanding and acceptance of both siblings with special needs and the
students whose own needs can go overlooked.
"These young volunteers learned and demonstrated that they can make meaningful contributions to individuals and
communities through their service," said Prudential CEO Charles Lowrey. "It's an honor to
recognize their great work, and we hope that shining a spotlight on their service inspires others to consider how they might make
a difference."
"Each of these honorees is proof that students have the energy, creativity and unique perspectives to create positive change,"
said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. "We commend each of the 2019 honorees for
their outstanding volunteer service, and for the invaluable example they've set for their peers."
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 affiliates of Points of Light's
HandsOn Network, 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 6, 10 of the State
Honorees – five middle level and five high school students – will be named America's top youth volunteers of 2019. 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 125,000 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, China and Brazil. 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.
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 voice for principals and
other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school
leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student's potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the
success of each student. 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
Student Council. Learn more at 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.
For Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallion
graphics, please visit https://spirit.prudential.com/resources/media
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