ST. PAUL, Minn., Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Annika
Kovar, 18, of Frazee and Ryan Stoltz, 14, of Eden Prairie today were named Minnesota'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, Annika 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 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 Minnesota's top youth volunteers of 2019:
High School State Honoree: Annika Kovar
Nominated by Perham High School
Annika, a senior at Perham High School, created a charity that has encouraged and helped 105 childcare facilities in 21 states
to grow vegetable gardens for their kids, and is engaged in numerous other projects to promote healthy eating and physical
activity among young people. In 2012, Annika suffered a concussion in a gymnastics accident and had to refrain from any physical
activity for six months. "Over the course of my recovery, I experienced first-hand the effects that lack of exercise and poor
eating habits can have," she said. Afterward, "I was determined to become the healthiest version of myself, and inspire others to
do the same."
So while she was volunteering as an activities leader at a local daycare facility, Annika planted a garden to teach the
children "where real food comes from" and to feed them healthy produce. Other daycares in Minnesota heard about her garden, and before long, Annika was providing free vegetable seeds, advice and, in
some cases, hands-on planting assistance to 35 childcare facilities. Last year, her "Little Sprouts Garden Gang" program expanded
to 21 states, and she published a children's book to extol the virtues of gardening and to help fund her program. Annika also has
produced exercise videos and taught a short fitness routine to encourage kids to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity
every day. In addition, she promotes both nutrition and exercise through speeches, food drives, benefit concerts, radio public
service announcements, social media and a personal website. "Working together, we can educate and encourage today's youth to move
more, eat healthier, and help lower childhood obesity," said Annika.
Middle Level State Honoree: Ryan Stoltz
Nominated by Central Middle School
Ryan, an eighth-grader at Central Middle School, has spent more than 1,000 hours over the past four years researching and
writing 55 news stories as a reporter for the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps, and is also working to supply free hearing aids
to people in need around the world. Concerned about frequent attacks on the news media, Ryan is "inspired to deliver facts to
people in a fair and unbiased manner," he said, and considers it his "patriotic duty to uphold and continue the legacy of a free
press." He looks for story ideas that can empower and give voice to young people, pitches them to his editor in New York, conducts research and interviews, and submits his finished pieces for publication in Scholastic's
magazines and on its website, which are available to more than 35 million students.
Ryan became interested in the subject of hearing loss after doing a story on the Starkey Hearing Foundation. So far, he has
led five work sessions in which more than 150 volunteers recruited by Ryan have assembled nearly 8,000 hearing aids for the
foundation. He also is planning to participate in a foundation mission to help fit children in another country with hearing aids,
and then produce video and print news stories to share his experience with classrooms across the country. "I hope my story will
inspire other kids to contemplate the ways in which they can make a positive difference in their communities," he said.
Distinguished Finalists
The program judges also recognized six other Minnesota students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community
service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion.
These are Minnesota's Distinguished Finalists for 2019:
Cameron Anundson, 18, of Excelsior, Minn., a senior at
Minnetonka High School, has been serving with his student government since he was in middle school, and since freshman year has
led numerous committees and played key roles in valued student activities. Cameron has been instrumental in organizing events
including Heart Week, an annual fundraiser with activities from a dance to a trivia night that raises about $35,000 a year for a charity supporting local students and families.
Jacob Bridge, 16, of Excelsior, Minn., a junior at
Minnetonka High School, is an active volunteer with the Lowry Nature Center and Backpack Tutoring, and donates his time to a
number of other community initiatives as well. Jacob started volunteering by getting involved with the activities attended by his
sister, who has special needs; he went on to activities including serving with the Nature Center's summer camps, where he ensures
the safety of children as they embark on educational adventures.
Briana Clifton, 17, of Coon Rapids, Minn., a
senior at Coon Rapids High School, is dedicated to raising awareness about mental illness and educating students about career
opportunities in the mental health field. She worked with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Morningsong Therapy Center and
her school activities director to organize an educational event at her school last year, which featured speeches from survivors
and mental health professionals and was attended by more than 50 students.
Gabriella Feygin, 11, of Excelsior, Minn., a
sixth-grader at Minnetonka Middle School West, learned about the devastating statistics around childhood cancer when she was 6
years old; since then, she has raised more than $250,000 for organizations centered on child
health. She has championed yearly fundraising drives and been instrumental in getting other children involved in helping
others—something she believes kids can do at any age.
Camden Patterson, 17, of Sauk Rapids, Minn., a
senior at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School, played a key role in a student council initiative that raised more than $13,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Camden worked on a small committee to launch her school's first-ever
"Survivor Week," an event that engaged the whole school community and put 14 contestants through unique challenges; her primary
responsibilities included securing business donations and planning more than 25 challenges.
Sanya Pirani, 12, of Prior Lake, Minn., a
seventh-grader at Hidden Oaks Middle School, manages her own nonprofit organization, "Sanya's Hope For Children," which aims to
assist children in her school with basic necessities. She has led hundreds of her peers to participate in projects including
clothing, diaper and book drives; her "Christmas Bag Project" unites volunteers to sew and stuff bags full of toys, school
supplies and books for homeless children.
"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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