NEWARK, N.J., Feb. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Katie Chai, 18, of Charlotte and Michael
Chen, 12, of Raleigh today
were named North Carolina's top
youth volunteers of 2021 by The Prudential Spirit of Community
Awards, America's largest youth recognition program based
exclusively on volunteer service.
As State Honorees, Katie and Michael will each receive a
$2,500 scholarship, a silver
medallion and an invitation to the program's virtual national
recognition celebration in April, where 10 of the 102 State
Honorees will be named America's top youth volunteers of the year.
Those 10 National Honorees will earn an additional $5,000 scholarship, a gold medallion, a crystal
trophy for their nominating organization and a $5,000 grant for a nonprofit charitable
organization of their choice.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, conducted annually by
Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association
of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), honors students in grades
5-12 for making meaningful contributions to their communities
through volunteer service.
"We created the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards 26 years
ago to highlight and support the work of young people taking on the
challenges of a changing world – a mission that rings truer than
ever given the events of last year," said Charles Lowrey, Prudential's chairman and
CEO. "We are proud to celebrate the vision and determination of
Spirit of Community's Class of 2021, and all the ways they're
making their communities safer, healthier and more equitable places
to live."
These are North Carolina's top
youth volunteers of 2021:
High School State Honoree: Katie Chai
Nominated by Charlotte Latin School
Katie, a senior at Charlotte Latin School, helped start a
grassroots effort to address the shortage of personal protective
equipment (PPE) in her city by using 3D printers to make more than
100,000 face shields, which were ultimately distributed to health
care workers across North Carolina
and in 12 other states. As the daughter of two doctors, Katie was
really worried about her parents' safety when the COVID-19 pandemic
struck in March of 2020. "Our quarantine dinner conversations
mainly revolved around our communal and nationwide shortage of
PPE," she said. But one night her father showed her an article
about engineers in Italy who were
3D printing parts for their respirators. Having taken some
engineering classes in school, Katie wondered whether face shields
could be made with her school's 3D printer.
She immediately called her engineering teacher, who agreed to
help. Within three days, they had printed and laser-cut their first
face shield in the school's engineering lab. Five days later, they
delivered 40 shields to a local hospital. To ramp up production,
Katie sought donations through GoFundMe and media interviews, drove
around town to buy supplies, and began assembling shields with her
family every night. As word of her project spread, more than 400
volunteers offered to help with the assemblies, and other high
schools, universities, businesses and local engineers began
producing shields with their own 3D printers. In a little over a
month, Katie's initiative raised more than $114,000 and delivered more than 106,000 face
shields to protect healthcare workers.
Middle Level State Honoree: Michael Chen
Nominated by Triangle Math and Science Academy
Michael, a seventh-grader at Triangle Math and Science Academy,
has made more than 580 mask "buckles" with his 3D printer to lessen
the discomfort that wearing face masks for extended periods can
cause behind the ears. In March of 2020, Michael and his family had
many conversations about COVID-19. "My mother showed us images of
healthcare workers with sores on their faces left by the masks they
needed to wear for long hours," Michael said. "But what wasn't
visible were the sore marks behind the ears. This can be very
painful for the mask-wearer." He wondered if there was a way he
could use the 3D printer he had purchased earlier to solve that
problem. Could he make something that could keep the mask's elastic
ties from touching the area behind the ears and still keep the mask
on tight?
After some research, Michael discovered mask buckles, a piece of
plastic worn on the back of the head that allows a mask wearer to
anchor the ear elastic strings there instead of behind the ears.
With a design that would fit different head sizes and hairstyles,
Michael began making his buckles for healthcare workers in his
community and for a cardiologist friend who was working on the
frontlines in New York. As news of
his project spread, he began getting requests for mask buckles from
other area hospitals and physicians. The most difficult part,
Michael said, was filling a request for 250 buckles just as his
printer broke down. Luckily, he had two neighbors who offered to
use their own 3D printers to help fill the order, often printing
all through the night, he said.
State Honorees in The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
Class of 2021 – the top middle level and high school volunteer from
all 50 states and the District of
Columbia – were selected for service initiatives completed,
at least in part, between the fall of 2019 and the fall of 2020.
Selection was based on criteria including impact, effort,
initiative and the personal growth demonstrated over the course of
the project. Several Distinguished Finalists and runners-up were
also selected in each state, and all qualifying applicants received
President's Volunteer Service Awards.
"It speaks volumes about the character of today's secondary
school students that the Spirit of Community program heard from
more than 21,000 applicants this fall – most of them stories of
young volunteers overcoming the hardships of a global pandemic to
support those in need," said Ronn
Nozoe, Chief Executive Officer, NASSP. "While we're
especially proud to celebrate this year's 102 State Honorees, NASSP
applauds every student who's found a way to volunteer this past
year. You inspire your peers and adults alike to remember that,
even in times of crisis, we all have something to give."
To read the names and stories of all of this year's State
Honorees, visit http://spirit.prudential.com.
About Prudential Financial
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial wellness
leader and premier active global investment manager, has operations
in the United States, Asia, Europe
and Latin America. Prudential's
diverse and talented employees help to make lives better by
creating financial opportunity for more people. Prudential's iconic
Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and
innovation for more than a century. For more information, please
visit news.prudential.com.
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 http://nassp.org.
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