America's Top Ten Youth Volunteers Named in 14th Annual Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
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For their extraordinary efforts in serving others through volunteerism, ten middle and high school students from across the country were named America's top ten youth volunteers for 2009 today in a ceremony at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters, capping the 14th year of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.
Ranging in age from 12 to 18, the ten National Honorees received personal awards of $5,000, engraved gold medallions, crystal trophies for the schools or organizations that nominated them, and $5,000 grants from The Prudential Foundation for the charities of their choice. [The ceremony can be viewed at http://spirit.prudential.com.]
This year's National Honorees include a formerly homeless girl who led a school project to write and publish a book of stories about homeless people, a Vietnamese-American boy who raises money to provide scholarships and school supplies for poor students in Vietnam, and an autistic girl who supports numerous charities with her singing and artwork. Also among the honorees are a 14-year-old student who hosts monthly birthday parties for children at a homeless shelter, a 12-year-old girl who collects and purchases vitamin tablets for malnourished kids in Guatemala, and a high school senior who recycles cell phones to provide prepaid phone cards to American soldiers.
The ceremony was part of a four-day celebration that brought the top two youth volunteers from each state to Washington, D.C., with their parents to be recognized for their outstanding acts of community service. Selected as State Honorees in February from nearly 20,000 applicants across the country, they were personally congratulated by former First Lady Laura W. Bush at a gala dinner reception last night at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.
"The young people receiving these awards genuinely care about making a difference in the lives of others and have accomplished so much - in their own communities and around the world," said Mrs. Bush. "I thank and congratulate them for their outstanding volunteer work. Students with this kind of commitment and leadership ability are essential to the future of our nation."
The ten National Honorees named today were selected on the basis of their personal initiative, creativity, effort, impact and personal growth. They are:
Brittany Bergquist, 18, of Norwell, Mass., who co-founded a nonprofit organization that has purchased nearly 700,000 prepaid phone cards worth $2.5 million for American servicemen and women throughout the world - by recycling used cell phones. Working with her younger brother, Brittany developed a website to solicit donated phones, recruited volunteers in all 50 states and Canada to set up collection sites, and secured a large donation and other assistance from a phone company.
Jeremy Bui, 18, of Enfield, Conn., who founded the Viet-Sun Foundation with his two brothers to help educate poor Vietnamese children. Their activities so far have raised enough money to fund elementary-school scholarships for six children and buy a year's worth of textbooks and school supplies for four other students in Vietnam, where Jeremy's parents grew up.
Shardy Camargo, 18, of Orlando, Fla., who led 40 high school students in writing and publishing a book about homeless people, after experiencing homelessness herself a few years earlier. The students interviewed 30 adults at a local homeless shelter and drafted chapters to tell their stories. Then Shardy spent months editing the manuscript, and after it was published, she arranged book signings at local libraries and spoke at service-learning conferences.
Amanda LaMunyon, 14, of Enid, Okla., who uses her artistic, singing and speaking talents to support a variety of charities, and draws upon her experience with autism to educate others about the disorder. She performs and shows her paintings at charitable events, raises money for sick children by selling prints and cards of her artwork, and frequently addresses audiences about overcoming the challenges of autism.
Colin Leslie, 17, of Rye, N.Y., who organized an annual walkathon in his community that has raised more than $150,000 over the past three years to benefit people who suffer from celiac disease, a genetic disorder triggered by the gluten in wheat, barley and rye products. About 1,000 people have come to Colin's event each year, not only to walk and contribute, but also to learn about celiac disease and enjoy a gluten-free food fair.
Morgan Mariner, 13, of Douglas, Wyo., who has conducted a vigorous campaign over the past three years against the problem of bullying in schools. Since she began speaking frequently on the subject at schools and community meetings, Morgan has influenced many of her friends to join her cause and has seen her school district take a more serious stance against bullying.
Melissa Monette, 16, of Mililani, Hawaii, who founded a nonprofit organization that has provided more than 13,000 pounds of fresh produce and canned goods to low-income senior citizens and homeless people over the past two years. She also arranged for nutritionists to speak to senior citizens about healthy eating, and developed a monthly aerobic exercise program to help the seniors stay in shape.
Sean Nathan, 14, of Shreveport, La., who throws birthday parties every month for children staying at a local homeless shelter. At each "Providence House Birthday Bash," he and his brother serve pizza and cake, organize games, play music, and give out presents that they pay for by giving musical performances at functions around town.
Shelby Romero, 12, of Hutto, Tex., who organized a charity bicycle ride and other events that have raised nearly $400,000 over the past three years for a horseback-riding therapy center for disabled children. The money has enabled the riding center to build a covered arena and to provide scholarships to children who cannot afford therapy.
Beatrice Thaman, 12, of Toledo, Ohio, who started a donation and fund-raising drive to provide vitamin tablets for malnourished children in Guatemala. She has asked drug manufacturers and local retailers for free tablets, raised funds at public events, and even used some of her own Christmas gift money to buy vitamins. So far, Beatrice has collected 175,000 vitamins, a year's supply for more than 500 Guatemalan children.
"These extraordinary young people exemplify the spirit of community that is so important to the future of our neighborhoods, our towns and our nation," said John R. Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "By honoring them, we hope not only to give them the recognition they so richly deserve, but also to inspire others to follow their example."
The national selection committee that chose the ten National Honorees was chaired by Strangfeld. Also serving on the committee were Larry Bradley, president of the National Association of Secondary School Principals; Michelle Nunn, president and CEO of the Points of Light & HandsOn Network; Marguerite Kondracke, president and CEO of the America's Promise Alliance; Kathy Cloninger, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA; Donald T. Floyd Jr., president and CEO of National 4-H Council; Pamela Farr, the American Red Cross' national chair of volunteers; Elson Nash, associate director for project management at the Corporation for National and Community Service; Michael Cohen, president and CEO of Achieve, Inc.; and two 2008 Prudential Spirit of Community National Honorees: Kristen Allcorn of Sedalia, Mo., and Shanna Decker of Plainview, Minn.
Conducted in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards were created 14 years ago by Prudential to encourage youth volunteerism and to identify and reward young role models. Since then, the program has honored nearly 90,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level.
Applications for the 2009 awards program were submitted last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of the Points of Light Institute's HandsOn Network. The top middle level and high school applicants in each state were announced in February; each received a $1,000 prize and an engraved silver medallion.
"The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program is a fabulous partnership between NASSP and Prudential, allowing us to recognize the outstanding young people in our schools and communities," said NASSP President Larry Bradley. "This year's honorees exemplify the true spirit of helping others and by doing so they give America and the world a promising future, a future filled with compassion and hope."
Also honored on Sunday night were eight top youth volunteers from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Ireland who won Prudential Spirit of Community Awards in their countries in recent months. They were congratulated by Strangfeld and presented with special commemorative trophies.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards are supported by the American Association of School Administrators, the National Middle School Association, the National School Boards Association, the Council of the Great City Schools, Girl Scouts of the USA, National 4-H Council, the American Red Cross, YMCA of the USA, the Points of Light Institute, and other national education and service organizations.
More information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year's honorees can be found at http://spirit.prudential.com or www.principals.org/prudential.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards represent the United States' largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteer service. The program is part of a broad youth-service initiative by Prudential that includes a youth leadership training program administered by the Points of Light Institute; a free booklet of volunteer ideas for young people offered through the Federal Citizen Information Institute; and a website featuring profiles of outstanding youth volunteers, volunteer tips and project ideas for students, an electronic newspaper on youth volunteerism, and more.
In existence since 1916, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the preeminent organization of and national voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and aspiring school leaders from across the United States and more than 45 countries around the world. NASSP's mission is to promote excellence in school leadership. The National Honor Society(R), National Junior Honor Society(R), National Elementary Honor Society(TM), and National Association of Student Councils(R) are all NASSP programs. For more information about NASSP, located in Reston, Va., visit www.principals.org or call 703-860-0200.
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) is a financial services leader with operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Leveraging its heritage of life insurance and asset management expertise, Prudential is focused on helping approximately 50 million individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth. The company's well-known Rock symbol is an icon of strength, stability, expertise and innovation that has stood the test of time. Prudential's businesses offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, investment management, and real estate services. For more information, visit www.news.prudential.com/.
For their extraordinary efforts in serving others through volunteerism, ten middle and high school students from across the country were named America's top ten youth volunteers for 2009 today in a ceremony at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters, capping the 14th year of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.
Ranging in age from 12 to 18, the ten National Honorees received personal awards of $5,000, engraved gold medallions, crystal trophies for the schools or organizations that nominated them, and $5,000 grants from The Prudential Foundation for the charities of their choice. [The ceremony can be viewed at http://spirit.prudential.com.]
This year's National Honorees include a formerly homeless girl who led a school project to write and publish a book of stories about homeless people, a Vietnamese-American boy who raises money to provide scholarships and school supplies for poor students in Vietnam, and an autistic girl who supports numerous charities with her singing and artwork. Also among the honorees are a 14-year-old student who hosts monthly birthday parties for children at a homeless shelter, a 12-year-old girl who collects and purchases vitamin tablets for malnourished kids in Guatemala, and a high school senior who recycles cell phones to provide prepaid phone cards to American soldiers.
The ceremony was part of a four-day celebration that brought the top two youth volunteers from each state to Washington, D.C., with their parents to be recognized for their outstanding acts of community service. Selected as State Honorees in February from nearly 20,000 applicants across the country, they were personally congratulated by former First Lady Laura W. Bush at a gala dinner reception last night at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.
"The young people receiving these awards genuinely care about making a difference in the lives of others and have accomplished so much - in their own communities and around the world," said Mrs. Bush. "I thank and congratulate them for their outstanding volunteer work. Students with this kind of commitment and leadership ability are essential to the future of our nation."
The ten National Honorees named today were selected on the basis of their personal initiative, creativity, effort, impact and personal growth. They are:
Brittany Bergquist, 18, of Norwell, Mass., who co-founded a nonprofit organization that has purchased nearly 700,000 prepaid phone cards worth $2.5 million for American servicemen and women throughout the world - by recycling used cell phones. Working with her younger brother, Brittany developed a website to solicit donated phones, recruited volunteers in all 50 states and Canada to set up collection sites, and secured a large donation and other assistance from a phone company.
Jeremy Bui, 18, of Enfield, Conn., who founded the Viet-Sun Foundation with his two brothers to help educate poor Vietnamese children. Their activities so far have raised enough money to fund elementary-school scholarships for six children and buy a year's worth of textbooks and school supplies for four other students in Vietnam, where Jeremy's parents grew up.
Shardy Camargo, 18, of Orlando, Fla., who led 40 high school students in writing and publishing a book about homeless people, after experiencing homelessness herself a few years earlier. The students interviewed 30 adults at a local homeless shelter and drafted chapters to tell their stories. Then Shardy spent months editing the manuscript, and after it was published, she arranged book signings at local libraries and spoke at service-learning conferences.
Amanda LaMunyon, 14, of Enid, Okla., who uses her artistic, singing and speaking talents to support a variety of charities, and draws upon her experience with autism to educate others about the disorder. She performs and shows her paintings at charitable events, raises money for sick children by selling prints and cards of her artwork, and frequently addresses audiences about overcoming the challenges of autism.
Colin Leslie, 17, of Rye, N.Y., who organized an annual walkathon in his community that has raised more than $150,000 over the past three years to benefit people who suffer from celiac disease, a genetic disorder triggered by the gluten in wheat, barley and rye products. About 1,000 people have come to Colin's event each year, not only to walk and contribute, but also to learn about celiac disease and enjoy a gluten-free food fair.
Morgan Mariner, 13, of Douglas, Wyo., who has conducted a vigorous campaign over the past three years against the problem of bullying in schools. Since she began speaking frequently on the subject at schools and community meetings, Morgan has influenced many of her friends to join her cause and has seen her school district take a more serious stance against bullying.
Melissa Monette, 16, of Mililani, Hawaii, who founded a nonprofit organization that has provided more than 13,000 pounds of fresh produce and canned goods to low-income senior citizens and homeless people over the past two years. She also arranged for nutritionists to speak to senior citizens about healthy eating, and developed a monthly aerobic exercise program to help the seniors stay in shape.
Sean Nathan, 14, of Shreveport, La., who throws birthday parties every month for children staying at a local homeless shelter. At each "Providence House Birthday Bash," he and his brother serve pizza and cake, organize games, play music, and give out presents that they pay for by giving musical performances at functions around town.
Shelby Romero, 12, of Hutto, Tex., who organized a charity bicycle ride and other events that have raised nearly $400,000 over the past three years for a horseback-riding therapy center for disabled children. The money has enabled the riding center to build a covered arena and to provide scholarships to children who cannot afford therapy.
Beatrice Thaman, 12, of Toledo, Ohio, who started a donation and fund-raising drive to provide vitamin tablets for malnourished children in Guatemala. She has asked drug manufacturers and local retailers for free tablets, raised funds at public events, and even used some of her own Christmas gift money to buy vitamins. So far, Beatrice has collected 175,000 vitamins, a year's supply for more than 500 Guatemalan children.
"These extraordinary young people exemplify the spirit of community that is so important to the future of our neighborhoods, our towns and our nation," said John R. Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "By honoring them, we hope not only to give them the recognition they so richly deserve, but also to inspire others to follow their example."
The national selection committee that chose the ten National Honorees was chaired by Strangfeld. Also serving on the committee were Larry Bradley, president of the National Association of Secondary School Principals; Michelle Nunn, president and CEO of the Points of Light & HandsOn Network; Marguerite Kondracke, president and CEO of the America's Promise Alliance; Kathy Cloninger, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA; Donald T. Floyd Jr., president and CEO of National 4-H Council; Pamela Farr, the American Red Cross' national chair of volunteers; Elson Nash, associate director for project management at the Corporation for National and Community Service; Michael Cohen, president and CEO of Achieve, Inc.; and two 2008 Prudential Spirit of Community National Honorees: Kristen Allcorn of Sedalia, Mo., and Shanna Decker of Plainview, Minn.
Conducted in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards were created 14 years ago by Prudential to encourage youth volunteerism and to identify and reward young role models. Since then, the program has honored nearly 90,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level.
Applications for the 2009 awards program were submitted last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of the Points of Light Institute's HandsOn Network. The top middle level and high school applicants in each state were announced in February; each received a $1,000 prize and an engraved silver medallion.
"The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program is a fabulous partnership between NASSP and Prudential, allowing us to recognize the outstanding young people in our schools and communities," said NASSP President Larry Bradley. "This year's honorees exemplify the true spirit of helping others and by doing so they give America and the world a promising future, a future filled with compassion and hope."
Also honored on Sunday night were eight top youth volunteers from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Ireland who won Prudential Spirit of Community Awards in their countries in recent months. They were congratulated by Strangfeld and presented with special commemorative trophies.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards are supported by the American Association of School Administrators, the National Middle School Association, the National School Boards Association, the Council of the Great City Schools, Girl Scouts of the USA, National 4-H Council, the American Red Cross, YMCA of the USA, the Points of Light Institute, and other national education and service organizations.
More information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year's honorees can be found at http://spirit.prudential.com or www.principals.org/prudential.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards represent the United States' largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteer service. The program is part of a broad youth-service initiative by Prudential that includes a youth leadership training program administered by the Points of Light Institute; a free booklet of volunteer ideas for young people offered through the Federal Citizen Information Institute; and a website featuring profiles of outstanding youth volunteers, volunteer tips and project ideas for students, an electronic newspaper on youth volunteerism, and more.
In existence since 1916, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the preeminent organization of and national voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and aspiring school leaders from across the United States and more than 45 countries around the world. NASSP's mission is to promote excellence in school leadership. The National Honor Society(R), National Junior Honor Society(R), National Elementary Honor Society(TM), and National Association of Student Councils(R) are all NASSP programs. For more information about NASSP, located in Reston, Va., visit www.principals.org or call 703-860-0200.
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) is a financial services leader with operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Leveraging its heritage of life insurance and asset management expertise, Prudential is focused on helping approximately 50 million individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth. The company's well-known Rock symbol is an icon of strength, stability, expertise and innovation that has stood the test of time. Prudential's businesses offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, investment management, and real estate services. For more information, visit www.news.prudential.com/.
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