ANNAPOLIS, Md., Feb. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Jander
Kugelman, 16, of New Market and
Olivia West, 13, of Annapolis today were named Maryland'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, Jander and Olivia 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 Maryland's top youth
volunteers of 2020:
High School State Honoree: Jander
Kugelman
Nominated by Oakdale High
School
Jander, a junior at Oakdale High School, helped provide crucial
access to medical care for residents of storm-ravaged Puerto Rico by volunteering on a medical van
for several months in 2018. After Hurricane Maria struck the
island, Jander and his family had to wait for weeks to learn
whether their relatives there were alright. "When we heard back
from my grandparents, they described the precarious conditions on
the island," said Jander. "There was no power, food, gas, clean
water or available medical facilities." But Jander's grandfather, a
doctor, had an idea. He and some colleagues wanted to outfit a
medical van to reach areas with no access to medical care. As soon
as school was out for the summer, Jander flew to the island to
help.
Prior to taking the van out, Jander's job was to load supplies
and do an inventory of medical equipment. This included making sure
batteries were charged, power generators were full of gas, extra
gas cans were on board, and basic diagnostic equipment such as
blood pressure cuffs and stethoscopes, as well as common
medications, were ready to go. Twice a week the team traveled to
remote areas on surfaces that bore little resemblance to actual
roads. Sometimes they would park the van on a beach or in a parking
lot to administer care to people who sometimes tried to pay them
with vegetables or chickens, even though their food was in short
supply. "People came together during a difficult time and brought
forward their best," said Jander.
Middle Level State Honoree: Olivia
West
Nominated by Girl Scouts of Central Maryland
Olivia, an eighth-grader at Magothy River Middle School,
organized the planting of native grasses at a nearby beach to help
prevent sand erosion, contain the spread of invasive species, and
reduce storm runoff pollution in the Magothy River. "Ever since I
can remember, I have gone to Lake Claire Beach to relax and be with
family," Olivia explained. But over time she had noticed that the
size of the beach had been significantly reduced and invasive
plants were taking over. A community effort to replenish sand and
replant native grasses had been unsuccessful, so when Olivia
learned that the Cape St. Claire Improvement Association was
planning to replant vegetation in a 150-square-foot buffer zone at
the beach, she volunteered to lead the project.
Olivia began by interviewing community leaders and researching
native grasses. She then presented a plan at the board meetings of
local environmental agencies. Once she had permission, she obtained
donations and recruited volunteers from two Girl Scout troops. She
then took over the care of 250 native grass plants, which she had
to water for six weeks prior to planting. On planting day, last
May, a crew of 16 helped Olivia plant. Afterwards, she posted signs
and put caution tape around the area to keep visitors from
trampling the fledgling plants, and she continued to water the new
plants through the summer and fall months. "It was an incredible
experience to see the grasses go from tiny and brown to fuller
green grasses thriving in the sand," she
said.
Distinguished Finalists
The program judges also recognized six other Maryland
students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community
service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze
medallion.
These are Maryland's Distinguished
Finalists for 2020:
Mackenzie Calloway, 17, of
Hanover, Maryland, a senior at
North County High School, regularly volunteers hours of her time at
Hospice of Chesapeake; she completed training to work directly with
hospice patients, offering support and companionship during the
last stage of their lives. Mackenzie plans to continue this
volunteer project as a way to give back to her community, and hopes
to become a heart surgeon in the future.
Gabriella Chalker, 18, of
Sparks, Maryland, a senior at
Hereford High School, has volunteered hundreds of hours of her time
earning certification and serving as an EMT for the Jacksonville Volunteer Fire Company; in
addition to responding to emergency calls, she also actively
participates in department fundraising events. Gabriella decided to
become an EMT for the opportunity to serve her community while
learning about medicine.
Isabelle Choi, 17, of
Laurel, Maryland, a senior at
Reservoir High School, volunteers her time at the Good Spoon Urban
Ministry, a nonprofit organization that benefits people
experiencing homelessness in Maryland and Virginia; she distributes food packages and
clothing, runs free medical clinics, translates materials in
Spanish and Korean and has contributed to the Korea-U.S. National
Prayer Breakfast. Isabelle was inspired to start her volunteer
project after learning about the high rate of homelessness in
Baltimore.
Dhruv Pai, 15, of Potomac, Maryland, a sophomore at
Montgomery Blair High School, serves as a brand ambassador for
Arts-n-STEM 4 Hearts, through which he helps distribute art and
STEM activity kits to children and seniors in hospitals and nursing
homes. Dhruv, who was inspired to work with senior citizens by his
great-grandmother, also developed a low-cost technology solution
that connects people with dementia with their caregivers or medical
personnel if they get lost.
Karina Vasudeva, 17, of
Chevy Chase, Maryland, a
senior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, started a service
project focused on distributing menstrual hygiene products to women
in need in her community; she has collected and distributed more
than 8,000 pads and tampons and developed an affordable menstrual
cup. Karina has dedicated hundreds of hours to raising community
awareness about menstrual hygiene poverty, and plans to expand her
project to other countries this year.
Arthur Wang, 15, of
Columbia, Maryland, a freshman
at Atholton High School, has participated in a number of
fundraising and volunteer activities, including designing and
selling shirts to benefit people affected by flooding in
Ellicott City, fundraising for the
Overseas China Education Foundation to finance the education of
Chinese students, and volunteering as a teacher in rural
China last summer. Arthur has also
helped write more than 300 pages of educational materials for
students in China.
"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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