CONCORD, N.H., Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Andrew Silsby,
18, of Newfields and Joli Lunderville, 12, of Lancaster today were named New Hampshire'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, Andrew and Joli 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 Hampshire's top
youth volunteers of 2019:
High School State Honoree: Andrew Silsby
Nominated by Exeter
High School
Andrew, a senior at Exeter High School, organized an annual golf
tournament that has raised $44,000
over the past three years to improve the quality of life of kids
who, like him, have battled brain tumors. Andrew underwent surgery
for a brain tumor at age 5, and soon after began conducting book,
toy and coat drives to benefit other young cancer patients, even
though he was still recovering. That recovery got a big boost when
he was "adopted" by the University of New
Hampshire's men's hockey team through a program of the
Friends of Jaclyn Foundation. "For the past seven years, I have
been an honorary member of this team, and the impact this has had
on my self-esteem and quality of life is immeasurable," he
said.
Three years ago, Andrew decided to celebrate 10 years of good
health by giving back to the program that had done so much for him.
As a member of his high school golf team, he naturally thought
about organizing a golf tournament. He arranged to hold it at a
local golf club, and began working on a plan to attract players,
sponsors and volunteers. Each year, Andrew has secured sponsorships
from 18-20 local businesses, collected more than 70 donated items
from local and national companies for a raffle, filled all of the
tournament's player slots, and recruited more than 15 volunteers to
help on the day of the event. His three tournaments so far have
raised enough money to enable more than 20 kids with cancer to
become honorary members of sports teams through the Friends of
Jaclyn Foundation's Adopt-a-Child Program. "I am one of the lucky
ones," said Andrew. "I am a survivor, healthy and feel like it is
important to give back to those less
fortunate."
Middle Level State Honoree: Joli Lunderville
Nominated by
Groveton High School (Middle)
Joli, a seventh-grader at Groveton High School (Middle), worked
with her Girl Scout troop to make fluffy pillows and toys for dogs
and cats living in animal shelters. When her troop was searching
for an idea for a community service project, Joli suggested doing
something for homeless pets, since she had seen numerous
advertisements about neglected dogs in shelters. "The people who
were trying to help the animals in shelters inspired me," she
said.
Once they had settled on a plan, Joli and her fellow scouts made
posters and began seeking donated materials. They collected mostly
old clothing and used tennis balls for their pillows and toys, then
learned how to sew, and stitched the items together with a sewing
machine that Joli arranged to have donated. When they were
finished, they taught officials at nearby Dog Mountain how to make
the toys so that they can "carry on this tradition," she said. Joli
and her Girl Scout troop also built and painted a bench for a
nursing home the previous year. Community service projects, said
Joli, give her a "great warm feeling in my heart."
Distinguished Finalists
The program judges also recognized two other New Hampshire
students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community
service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze
medallion.
These are New Hampshire's
Distinguished Finalists for 2019:
Samantha Randlett, 18, of
Brookline, N.H., a senior
at Hollis Brookline High School, recruited volunteers, raised
money, and then traveled to Texas
with her youth group so they could rebuild a house that was
destroyed by a hurricane. Over the course of a week and a half,
Samantha and her group made significant progress in reconstructing
a house that had been reduced to just floors and wooden beams, so a
displaced family could once again live in their home.
Tejas Sathyamurthi, 17, of Nashua,
N.H., a senior at Nashua High School South, was inspired
by his experience witnessing a forest fire in California to create a data-driven model that
could predict wildfires and alert emergency services in advance. He
also founded STEM clubs at a Boys and Girls Club, providing about
40 young participants with insights and hands-on examples of how
STEM can be used to solve problems.
"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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