NEWARK, N.J., Feb. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Griffin
Thompson, 17, of Boiling Springs
and Marley McLaurin, 11, of Surfside
Beach today were named South
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, Griffin and Marley 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 South Carolina's top
youth volunteers of 2021:
High School State Honoree: Griffin Thompson
Nominated by
Boiling Springs High School
Griffin, a senior at Boiling Springs High School, founded a
nonprofit organization called "Lil Lifesaverz" dedicated to
improving public health and youth health literacy in his community
and throughout South Carolina,
through instructional health curricula, CPR/first-aid training, and
free health screenings. "I am passionate about public health in my
community," said Griffin. This passion led him to volunteer at a
free medical clinic, where he witnessed the inequities of American
healthcare. "I saw people of all ages, walks of life, and cultural
groups whose needs were not being met by the traditional healthcare
system," he said.
Griffin began researching public health issues, and after
recruiting two professors and a public health professional as
mentors, he drafted a youth health literacy curriculum for at-risk
teens. Then he established a 501(c)3 organization and authored
another curriculum on COVID-19 prevention, which was shared with
all public school districts in South Carolina. As his initiative
gained momentum, Griffin built a website and began preparing
promotional materials, raising money, and attracting volunteers and
partner organizations to help him teach CPR and first-aid to
children and conduct free health screenings in underserved areas.
He is now planning a health fair for the spring of 2021 that will
address the specific needs and interests of diverse
communities.
Middle Level State Honoree: Marley
McLaurin
Nominated by Palmetto Academy of Learning and
Success
Marley, a sixth-grader at Palmetto Academy of Learning and
Success, started a service club that has raised more than
$42,000 and recruited a hundred kids
for over 20 service projects benefiting local and national
charities over the past three years. "My mother always said, 'If
you see a need, meet a need'," said Marley, "so I grew up looking
for ways to help others." When she realized that her schoolmates
weren't familiar with volunteering, Marley decided to form a club
that could connect kids with community service opportunities in her
area. But when she discovered that most charities and community
groups didn't want help from kids, Marley resolved to organize her
own projects.
The first one was a food drive to stuff backpacks for kids from
food-insecure households. In subsequent projects, Marley led other
young people in collecting leftover Halloween candy for troops
overseas, creating an anti-bullying contest and assembly for local
schools, and hosting a fashion show and clothing drive to benefit
children in foster care. She also has undertaken projects to raise
funds for families struggling with medical bills, and to provide
supplies to animal shelters. "I am determined to crush the mindset
that kids are not capable of more than hosting lemonade stands, and
prove that kids with big hearts can do big things" said Marley.
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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SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc.