TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Feb. 4,
2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Anik Willig,
17, of Miami and Dominic Fouche, 13, of Tampa today were named Florida's top two youth volunteers of 2020 by
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program
honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. As
State Honorees, Anik and Dominic 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 2020.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its
25th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in
partnership with the National Association of Secondary School
Principals (NASSP).
These are Florida's top youth
volunteers of 2020:
High School State Honoree: Anik Willig
Nominated by Coral Reef
Senior High School
Anik, a senior at Coral Reef Senior High School, organized a
weekly reading program at a homeless shelter, pairing student
tutors from her high school with young readers to improve their
literacy skills during a time in their lives when academic
development is often disrupted. When Anik was in middle school, she
volunteered at the Chapman Partnership Homeless Shelter to help put
on a play and found that many of the children there could not read
their scripts. "I soon learned that homeless children experience a
lot of inconsistencies in their education as a result of often
moving between shelters and subsequently switching schools many
times in the period of one year," said Anik. To address this issue,
she created an organization called "H.E.R.O." (Homeless Empowerment
and Reading Opportunities).
Once a week, Anik and students she has recruited through various
clubs at school provide one-on-one tutoring for an hour at the
homeless shelter. She brings an assortment of books, allowing each
child to choose an age-appropriate one. Also, to motivate them, she
gives each young reader a token after 15 minutes of reading, which
they can use at the end of the session to "purchase" a toy or other
item from a gift shop she sets up. In addition to scheduling
volunteers and working with the shelter's staff to coordinate
activities, Anik has organized several book and toy drives to keep
her program well-supplied. She estimates that she and her
volunteers have made a difference in the lives of several hundred
children in her community, and has laid the groundwork for nearby
counties to adopt similar programs.
Middle Level State Honoree: Dominic Fouche
Nominated by Walker
Middle Magnet School
Dominic, an eighth-grader at Walker Middle Magnet School, works
with his family on the activities of a nonprofit called "Kids 4 A
Cause," with a goal of raising at least $1,000 a month to support a variety of charities
and causes. "I was raised in a family that always placed a high
value on community service," said Dominic. When his family lived in
South Africa, they frequently
supported orphanages and food programs in underserved communities,
inspired by the example of Nelson
Mandela, he said. After immigrating to the U.S., "we wanted
to continue to be of service."
In his role at Kids 4 A Cause, Dominic spends time researching
organizations that need support, developing and selling products
such as organic soaps and essential oils to raise money, promoting
his organization's mission through speeches and news media
coverage, and recruiting local businesses to help. Some of the
organization's projects include: donating $1,000 to buy food and basic necessities for a
children's home; sponsoring eight children for a grief camp;
helping to clean up around the Hillsborough River; supplying 145
supply bags for people experiencing homelessness; and donating
$3,000 to provide necessary items and
help cover expenses for patients undergoing treatment for drug and
alcohol addiction. "The most memorable moment each month is when
the check is presented to the organization we are supporting," said
Dominic. "The happiness and gratitude on everyone's faces gives me
great joy."
Distinguished Finalists
The program judges also recognized eight other Florida
students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community
service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze
medallion.
These are Florida's
Distinguished Finalists for 2020:
Jordan Brown, 17, of
Jacksonville, Florida, a
senior at Paxon School for Advanced Studies, co-founded and helps
run "Homeless Students Empowered through Leadership Partnership and
Service (H.E.L.P.S)," which has raised more than $125,000 to benefit students experiencing housing
insecurity. H.E.L.P.S. raised money by holding telethons as well as
a celebrity basketball game, for which Jordan helped advertise the
event, secure corporate sponsorships and recruit celebrity
participants.
Alexis Dorman, 16, of
Orlando, Florida, a junior at
Orlando Science Middle/High Charter School, founded "Career Aid for
Young Immigrants and Refugees (CAFYIR)," a nonprofit organization
through which she has held academic workshops for nearly 50 young
people; her efforts include soliciting donations, securing learning
space and supplies, and recruiting volunteers. Alexis started her
project after learning about the lack of programs specifically
designed to meet the needs of immigrant and refugee students.
Joseph Justice, 18, of
Ormond Beach, Florida, a
senior at Seabreeze High School, has volunteered hundreds of hours
of his time volunteering with students who have special needs, both
as a United athlete and as an officer of his school's Best Buddies
club; along with participating in practices and games, he helps his
teammates while travelling for competitions. Joseph's Unified
basketball team won a bronze medal in the 2018 Special Olympic
USA Games.
Chase Magnano, 17, of
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, a
senior at Ponte Vedra High School, co-founded "Teens Helping
Refugees Integrate Via Engagement (JaxTHRIVE)," a nonprofit
organization that has provided more than 85 refugee students in the
Jacksonville area with programming
focused on English, STEAM and career and life skills. Chase's
efforts include raising more than $50,000, recruiting volunteers, collaborating
with other local community organizations and establishing JaxTHRIVE
chapters in several schools.
Amira Mansuri, 16, of
Miramar, Florida, a junior at
Everglades High School, is the vice president of "Broward County
Council of Muslim Student Associations (BCC-MSA)," through which
she spreads knowledge about Islam and helps organize a series of
fundraising and community events, including beach cleanups, a
senior citizen ball, car washes and a henna tattoo event. Amira is
also lobbying her local school board to establish the Muslim
celebration of Eid as an official holiday.
Victoria Orcutt, 18, of
Fort Walton Beach, Florida, a
senior at Fort Walton Beach High School, created "Vikings Take Five
to Save Lives" to promote mental health awareness during Suicide
Prevention Week at her high school; she and volunteers put up
posters, organized a hand-painting activity, put positive notes on
students' lockers and organized a "mile for mental health" run.
Victoria was inspired to start this project after losing a friend
to suicide.
Daniela Tejada, 16, of
Plantation, Florida, a junior
at Pine Crest School, founded the "Meds4Kidz Foundation," a
nonprofit that donates medicine and urgent care supplies to benefit
children in need in Bolivia; her
efforts including making and selling bracelets, organizing a
fundraising 5K race and securing
partnerships from local businesses. Daniela also also held drives
to support hurricane relief in the Florida Keys and the
Bahamas.
Colin Wanless, 16, of
Boca Raton, Florida, a
sophomore at American Heritage School of Boca Delray, serves as president of his local
chapter of Joshua's Heart Foundation; his efforts include raising
awareness of food insecurity, recruiting volunteers, setting up
food drives, soliciting donations from local businesses and
farmers, and hosting fundraising events. Since first becoming
involved with the organization in 2009, Colin has raised more than
$11,000 and distributed more than
200,000 meals.
"In our 25th year of honoring young volunteers,
we are as inspired as ever by the work students are doing to
address the needs of a changing world," said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential
Financial, Inc. "We hope that their resolve, their initiative and
their perspectives on society's challenges move others to consider
how they can make a difference, too."
"Middle level and high school students are doing remarkable
things to shape the future of their communities through volunteer
service. They inspire all students and schools to drive learning
with real-world challenges," said JoAnn
Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP.
"Congratulations to each of the 2020 honorees – it's an honor
to celebrate your commitment to creating positive change."
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 Points of Light Global Network members,
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 4, 10 of the State
Honorees – five middle level and five high school students – will
be named America's top youth volunteers of 2020. These National
Honorees will receive additional $5,000 scholarships, gold medallions, crystal
trophies and $5,000 grants from
Prudential for nonprofit charitable organizations of their
choice.
Since the program began in 1995, more than 130,000 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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