COLUMBIA, S.C., Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Adom Appiah, 15, of Spartanburg and Jazmine
Sepulveda, 13, of Rock Hill today were named South
Carolina'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, Adom and Jazmine 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 South Carolina's top youth volunteers of 2019:
High School State Honoree: Adom Appiah
Nominated by Spartanburg Day School
Adom, a freshman at Spartanburg Day School, has raised more than $40,000 for 11 nonprofit
organizations in his community by organizing celebrity basketball games and donation drives through "Ball4Good," a charity he
started in 2016. Two years ago, Adom's history teacher challenged his class to research a community need and then work
independently to seek a solution. A varsity soccer player, Adom is passionate about sports, so not surprisingly, he thought about
an athletics-oriented service project. "I felt helping my community through sports was important because sports is a unifier," he
said.
Adom consulted with his teacher and family on his idea for a charity that would collect donations for community causes. He
then picked a name, created a website and established a social media presence. He used donations received on his 13th birthday as
seed money for his first celebrity basketball game in 2017, which drew 800 spectators and benefited a Boys and Girls Club. A
second game followed the next year. Adom also worked with school sports teams to collect toiletries, clothing accessories, toys
and gift cards for the homeless and winter hats for cancer patients. Cash donations from Adom's events have bought uniforms for
Boy Scouts who couldn't afford to buy their own; supported summer camps for Girl Scouts and a Boys and Girls Club; helped
families struggling with cancer bills; and funded an advocacy center that combats child abuse. In addition, Adom has written two
books to inspire students to change the world, and donates 50 percent of his book sales to nonprofit
organizations.
Middle Level State Honoree: Jazmine Sepulveda
Nominated by Riverwalk Academy
Jazmine, a seventh-grader at Riverwalk Academy, helps provide clothing and school supplies to children living in poverty in
the Dominican Republic by selling bracelets that she makes, as well as traditional rings made by
Dominican artisans. "I've always had a heart for others," Jazmine said. "My mother tells me that when I was only 2 years old, on
Christmas day I saw all of the gifts under the tree and grabbed the smallest gift for me and left the others for my cousins." A
native of the Dominican Republic, Jazmine has visited her birth country with her mother and seen
how many people there lack basic necessities. This made her determined to be part of the solution.
Two years ago, she began making bracelets to sell for a charity in the nation's capital of Santo
Domingo that supports more than 600 children each year. Later, during a trip there, she was impressed with traditional
rings made by local artisans, so she decided to sell those, too, to support both the charity and the local economy. Through her
project, Jazmine has contributed uniforms, shoes, school supplies, clothing and cash to help more than 200 children. "I hope my
initiative brings them joy," she said. "My hope is to continue and expand the collection of basic items and keep sending them for
many more years." Jazmine's other community service efforts have included providing information about underage drinking at
community health fairs, volunteering for an organization that promotes cultural identity and bilingual education, and performing
as a folkloric dancer to introduce her culture to others.
Distinguished Finalists
The program judges also recognized four other South Carolina students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive
community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion.
These are South Carolina's Distinguished Finalists for 2019:
Iliriana Lekani, 17, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., a senior at Socastee High School,
played a key role in evacuating and relocating people and animals, filling and delivering many thousands of sandbags and packing
1,000 lunches in preparation for Hurricane Florence and the subsequent flooding. Iliriana spread education about hurricane
preparedness and recruited volunteers through social media campaigns and by talking to local news outlets about her cause.
Katelyn Lisznyai, 17, of Columbia, S.C., a senior
at Spring Valley High School, started the project "#StudentsHelpingStudents: No Girl Left Behind," which collected and assembled
more than 1,100 "period packs" for girls at five schools in her district. Along with raising awareness through flyers, social
media and a video for her school's morning announcements, Katelyn also partnered with a local charity to provide menstrual health
supplies in the future.
Marshall Mattingly Nord, 17, of York, S.C., a
senior at Westminster Catawba Christian School, is a founding member of "Pantry Works," which has established a new food pantry
in his community and an endowment to help fill the pantry when donations are low throughout the year. Marshall started this
project four years ago with a group of friends, and together they raised nearly $25,000 through
yard sales, bike races and donations.
Rodney Wilson, 17, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., a senior
at Socastee High School, helped his community prepare for hurricane flooding by helping homeowners move furniture and
irreplaceable belongings, as well as filling and delivering many thousands of sandbags. Rodney helped recruit several hundred
volunteers, including 200 of his high school classmates, for this three-day operation through word of mouth and social media.
"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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