PHOENIX, Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Nathaniel Simmons, 18 and Eden Sapien, 13, both of Phoenix, today were named Arizona'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, Nathaniel and Eden 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 Arizona's top youth
volunteers of 2019:
High School State Honoree: Nathaniel Simmons
Nominated by
Sunnyslope High School
Nathaniel, a senior at Sunnyslope High School, is a founding
board member of a nonprofit organization that has mobilized young
people to collect hundreds of thousands of unwanted school
supplies, toys and shoes for kids in need in Arizona and five other countries. While
visiting a school in Africa in
2012, Nathaniel was struck by how little its students had in the
way of tools to support their education. He was even more shocked
after he returned home and saw how many decent school supplies were
discarded by his classmates at the end of the school year –
"supplies that would be cherished in the African school," he said.
Seeing an obvious opportunity, Nathaniel began recruiting young
volunteers and schools to collect surplus school supplies for
African kids, and also for homeless shelters in Arizona.
At the end of each school year, this "Re-Pack Project" delivers
empty boxes to participating schools to encourage students to
donate supplies that would otherwise be thrown away. He and his
fellow volunteers then gather, clean and sort the donations,
package them in backpacks, and ship them off to local shelters and
overseas schools. Nathaniel's initiative collected supplies through
seven schools in three states last year, and is now partnering with
schools and organizations in Arizona, Mexico, South
Africa, Peru, Thailand and Fiji to distribute the donations. In addition
to school supplies, the organization has collected toys and shoes
for thousands of children in need. "Everything I have discovered
through this five-year journey has given me faith in the world, in
people, and in their ability to come together and support each
other," he
said.
Middle Level State Honoree: Eden Sapien
Nominated by Girl
Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council
Eden, an eighth-grader at Stetson Hills Elementary School,
assembled nearly 1,000 toiletry bags of soap, shampoo, conditioner
and lotion collected from local hotels, and then delivered them to
a rescue mission that serves the homeless in her community. Her
project sprang from an article about a charity that recycles soap
from hotels for people living in poverty in other countries. "I
thought it was a great idea," said Eden. "I see more and more
people who are living on the streets and don't have the basics that
we all take for granted, and I wanted to help."
She visited the Phoenix Rescue Mission and learned that handing
out soap and other hygiene products not only prevents disease, but
also is key to creating trust with homeless people and encouraging
them to accept other available services. So Eden sent 30 letters to
hotels in her city, asking for used bars of soap and empty shampoo
bottles. With hardly any response, she made personal visits to each
of the hotels on weekends. Finally, three of them agreed to her
request. After winning a $500 grant
to buy soap-making supplies and shampoo, Eden recruited 18 friends
and family members to shred, melt and mold soap bars in her
backyard, and fill bottles with shampoo, conditioner and lotion.
Over two days, they packaged 965 toiletry bags for the mission to
distribute. Eden also provided people experiencing homelessness
with 144 toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and deodorant
products.
Distinguished Finalists
The program judges also recognized six other Arizona
students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive
community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze
medallion.
These are Arizona's
Distinguished Finalists for 2019:
Vivian Clarke, 17, of
Litchfield Park, Ariz., a
junior at Sunnyslope High School, used her love for music and
passion for business to create "Chords for Comfort," to donate
guitars and music resources to children of divorce. Having
navigated her own parents' divorce by learning multiple
instruments, she implemented her research on the positive effects
of self-expression on children of divorce by raising $1,500, forming partnerships with charitable
organizations and businesses including Fender, and successfully
converting the business to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Aditi Galande, 18, of Glendale,
Ariz., a senior at Mountain Ridge High School, led
fundraising efforts that helped to collect more than $107,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
as part of its Student of the Year initiative. Galvanized by her
uncle's death from cancer, Aditi enlisted the help of local
businesses and other students to raise money for the cause during
the seven-week campaign; she now helps the organization nominate
other student leaders to support the journey to end cancer.
Joel Joseph, 17, of
Gilbert, Ariz., a senior
at Mesquite High School, sourced, assembled, and donated more than
300 health-supply kits for homeless people in his community,
working with his church to provide supplies including bandages,
gauze pads and saline solution; this organizing and fundraising
became his organization, "Bridges4Hope." With the help of computer
professors, he is now developing two software applications to
empower people in need to connect with resources on their own.
Sydney Loudermilk, 16, of
Tucson, Ariz., a member
of Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona
and a sophomore at Brownstown Central High School, wrote,
self-published and publicized Ordinary People Extraordinary
Achievements, a book for readers ages 7-12 about three friends who
explore 25 hiking trails in Pima
County. While managing a team of 35 people, she has donated
more than 500 books to elementary and middle schools and inspired
many new hiking clubs; she has also sold books in multiple states
and in Guam.
Brittany Sharp, 18, of
Goodyear, Ariz., a senior
at Verrado High School, progressed from planning free events for
local families at her local public library to starting a book club
for kids ages 12 to 18 —managing the program, coordinating with
school librarians, choosing the books and leading group
discussions. Through her leadership of the club, she has sparked
students' interest in fiction and critical reading as well as
building social skills; she has also put a succession plan in place
for a continuation of the club after she graduates.
Aviel Waxman, 18, of
Glendale, Ariz., a senior
at Desert Heights Preparatory Academy, helps educate and raise
awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault through social
media and fundraising, publishing three posts a week with
statistics, news stories and resources for people experiencing
abuse and assault. He established both a campus organization and a
curriculum about the dating violence that affects one in three
teens, and plans to undergo the training to teach a course
himself.
"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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