SANTA FE, N.M., Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Mia Herrera, 18, of Albuquerque and Hannah
Johnson, 11, of Angel Fire
today were named New Mexico'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, Mia and
Hannah 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 New Mexico's top
youth volunteers of 2019:
High School State Honoree: Mia Herrera
Nominated by Bosque
School
Mia, a senior at Bosque School, responds to medical and trauma
calls as a certified medic with her school's Medical Reserve Corps
(MRC) program, teaches other students how to be emergency medical
technicians, coordinates community volunteer opportunities for
other MRC members, and raised money for the MRC program by selling
a self-published poetry book. Mia had been interested in the MRC
program from the time she was in middle school, but an incident her
freshman year convinced her she had to get involved. "My mom fell
off a chair right in front of me and hit her head on concrete," she
explained. "I didn't know how to help my mom before the EMS
arrived. After this incident, I never wanted to feel helpless
again."
She took a comprehensive first responders course, passed a
national exam, obtained a license and joined her school's
student-run MRC program. Over the past two years, she has tended
many times to fellow students who needed medical attention, doing
things like checking vital signs, cleaning cuts, administering
asthma medications and testing for concussions. When she became MRC
co-president last year, Mia began creating and teaching EMT lesson
plans at biweekly meetings attended by approximately 30 students
and arranging for fellow MRC members to volunteer at community
events such as health care fairs, first-aid courses and roller
derby competitions. In addition, Mia has donated to MRC hundreds of
dollars earned from the sale of her recently published book of
poetry. She had first posted her poems – a different one each day
for a whole year – on her Instagram page in place of her own
photos, in hopes of inspiring other young people to change the way
they use social media.
Middle Level State Honoree: Hannah Johnson
Nominated by Girl
Scouts of New Mexico Trails
Hannah, a fifth-grader at Eagle Nest Elementary School, took on
a project to warn residents of her town about dangerous weather
conditions, and also collected supplies for a firefighting crew
battling a nearby wildfire. Hannah's "Weather Awareness" project
began when she realized last year that many people in her area were
unaware that dry conditions had necessitated a fire ban. She
printed fliers about the ban and posted them at the post office and
local businesses. She subsequently posted fliers about the
possibility of flash floods, strong winds and lightning strikes,
and included information on how residents can keep track of
hazardous weather and local road conditions. After speaking with
her town's fire chief, Hannah also purchased a red flag for his
department to warn the public about wildfires.
When a fire did break out in a neighboring town, Hannah started
collecting supplies for firefighters being housed at her school.
She set up a table in front of a local store and passed out a list
of needed items to shoppers passing by. After they had bought and
donated bottled water, toiletries, T-shirts and other supplies,
Hannah filled her mother's car and delivered them to her school.
"Collecting supplies for the firefighters and seeing the smiles on
their faces was one of my favorite moments," she said.
Distinguished Finalists
The program judges also recognized two other New Mexico
students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community
service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze
medallion.
These are New Mexico's
Distinguished Finalists for 2019:
Richard Sanchez, 18, of
Santa Rosa, N.M., a senior at
Santa Rosa High School, serves as a volunteer firefighter and first
responder for his city's fire department, and has encouraged
friends to join the department, as well. He advanced from his
initial role as a junior firefighter when he turned 18, has been
certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and completed
training in hazardous materials, blood-borne pathogens, vehicle
extractions and other emergency management topics.
Keely Stockham, 17, of
Farmington, N.M., a senior at
Farmington High School, has raised $25,000 for the American Cancer Society over the
past nine years by hosting lemonade stands for several days during
the summer, drawing customers and donors from all over her city
through news coverage, social media, email, fliers and brochures.
She is turning over her operation to a young helper after she
graduates from high school this year.
"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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SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc.