MONTGOMERY, Ala., Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Jessica
Bradley, 17, of Hoover and
Breanna Bennett, 11, of Montgomery today were named Alabama'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, Jessica and Breanna 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 Alabama's top youth
volunteers of 2019:
High School State Honoree: Jessica Bradley
Nominated by Hoover
High School
Jessica, a senior at Hoover High School, empowers young women
interested in science, technology, engineering and math by holding
monthly meetings that bring them together to learn about STEM
subjects and work on technology-related projects. As a young
Latina, Jessica said people have often underestimated her
abilities. Once, for example, after a marketing teacher announced
that Jessica was starting her own business, a boy mumbled, "girls
can't work as hard as boys – much less a Mexican." Luckily,
Jessica, who is Colombian, had a strong role model in her mother,
who had started her own business. Wanting to follow in her mom's
footsteps, Jessica decided to focus on computer science and
business, where women are often underrepresented and paid lower
salaries, she said.
So about two years ago, she decided to form a service
organization that could give girls the skills and confidence to
overcome gender barriers and succeed in STEM fields. With help from
her computer science teacher, Jessica asked every elementary and
middle school principal in her school district to distribute
information about her initiative and invite their female students
to a series of monthly workshops. For each meeting, Jessica
prepares a short STEM lecture and organizes a technology-related
activity, such as 3D jewelry printing, a fun binary calculator,
MicroBit programming, and tearing apart an old computer. Only three
girls showed up for the first meeting, but attendance has since
grown to more than 30. Jessica also has organized STEM days at
elementary and middle schools. "No time is more well spent than by
teaching girls to be proud of themselves," Jessica
said.
Middle Level State Honoree: Breanna Bennett
Nominated by
Montgomery County 4-H
Breanna, a sixth-grader at St. James School, produced a
15-minute educational film with her twin sister about the struggles
of the civil rights movement that premiered at the Rosa Parks
Museum in Montgomery. The girls
decided they wanted to become filmmakers and teach children about
black history after their family moved from Dubai to Miami and joined a church attended by leaders
in the African American community there. But the project didn't get
far because they soon moved again, this time to Alabama, where they joined the church where
the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
served as pastor at the peak of the civil rights movement. That was
when Breanna and her sister decided to produce a film called
"Architects of Change" to educate children about the heroes who
strived to bring equal rights to all
Americans.
Working with her sister, Breanna began the yearlong project by
interviewing church elders about their experiences in the civil
rights movement. Next, they started researching those turbulent
times, visited landmarks in Alabama, and enrolled in the Rosa Parks Museum
Summer Camp to learn more. They borrowed professional video
equipment from the Rosa Parks Museum and began filming interviews
and gathering historical footage. Then they selected background
music, and received editing assistance from the Baltimore School of
Arts. The film premiered last December at the museum and was
scheduled for additional viewings in Montgomery. "Our ultimate goal is to
distribute the film to public and private schools throughout the
country to educate children about this valuable part of world
history!" said Breanna.
Distinguished Finalists
The program judges also recognized four other Alabama
students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community
service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze
medallion.
These are Alabama's
Distinguished Finalists for 2019:
Duha Aishah, 18, of Hoover,
Ala., a senior at Islamic Academy of Alabama,
founded a program that sponsors six orphaned children around the
world, providing clothing, meals, education and vaccinations, as
well as an allowance for toys; she has enlisted more than 200 of
her fellow students to help with the project. She also co-founded
her school's humanitarian club, which mobilizes students to clean
the school and neighborhood, fundraise, visit nursing homes and
feed homeless people.
Maya Harlow, 18, of
Ozark, Ala., a senior at
Carroll High School, fosters, trains and socializes future
assistance dogs for the nonprofit Canine Companions for
Independence. Conscious of the needs of people with disabilities
and other challenges -- especially invisible ones, such as her
brother's Type 1 diabetes—she wanted to help provide eyes, ears,
mobility, independence and peace of mind to people who need them;
the first dog she trained now works with hundreds of victims of
sexual and domestic abuse in South
Carolina.
Kayla Jolly, 18, of
Tallassee, Ala., a senior
at Tallassee High School, helps provide soldiers and their families
with logistical and emotional support through the Alabama National
Guard Youth Program and the Alabama National Guard Advisory Board.
At weekend Yellow Ribbon reintegration events, she uses her
experience from her father's deployment to help her peers
understand the practical and emotional effects of a parent's active
military service.
Katelyn McInerney, 18, of
Birmingham, Ala., a senior at
Mountain Brook High School, founded "Special Siblings," a monthly
support group for young people who, like her, have a sibling with
special needs. She plans and lead meetings, coordinates with mental
health professionals, does advertising and publicity, maintains a
website and hosts fundraisers, promoting understanding and
acceptance of both siblings with special needs and the students
whose own needs can go overlooked.
"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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