SANTA FE, N.M., Feb. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Makayla Gates,
18, of Peralta and Sheree Anderson, 14, of Rainsville today were named New Mexico'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, Makayla and Sheree 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 New Mexico's top
youth volunteers of 2020:
High School State Honoree: Makayla
Gates
Nominated by Valencia High
School
Makayla, a senior at Valencia High School, has
taken a leading role in her community and state in advocating for
computer technology access for rural, low-income and
non-English-speaking students, and in training teachers and
students to use computers. Makayla, who lives in a rural community
and attends a school 11 miles from town, struggled with schoolwork
that increasingly required computers or smart phones, and realized
that many other students faced the same predicament. "I watched too
many very bright students like myself failing classes and unable to
keep up with work that is difficult, if not impossible, to complete
without access to computer technology," she said.
Makayla began writing letters and personally contacting public
officials and local organizations to lobby for technology funding,
made presentations about her concerns, and eventually met with two
different governors. When her school learned it would receive free
Apple laptops, she became a certified Apple Teacher and volunteered
to train teachers, administrators and students on the new
computers. Makayla also has been appointed by Governor Lujan Grisham to a state computer science
education task force, which will enable her to continue advocating
for technology education and implementation, and to visit schools
across New Mexico to assess needs
and devise plans. "Computer and internet competency are essential
21st-century skills," she said, emphasizing that it's critical to
help students who are "risking their futures, through no fault of
their own, just because they are poor and have little or no access
or training in computer technology."
Middle Level State Honoree: Sheree
Anderson
Nominated by Girl Scouts of New Mexico
Trails
Sheree, an eighth-grader at Roy Municipal School,
created a business card to raise awareness of and prevent animal
testing that highlight shampoo and conditioner products that are
not tested on animals, and distributed 600 copies throughout her
community to educate others about this particular form of animal
abuse. "I am very passionate about animals," said Sheree, who has
ridden horses since she was 3 years old and owns several dogs and a
guinea pig. When she discovered that some shampoo and conditioner
manufacturers were testing their products on the eyes of bunnies,
she resolved to spread the word.
Sheree spent hours on the internet researching shampoos and
conditioners that were not tested on animals, then visited local
stores to assess their availability. She compiled a list of
acceptable products, recruited a sponsor, printed her list on 600
cards, and began distributing her "pockets of knowledge" to family
members, friends, fellow Girl Scouts, animal shelters,
veterinarians, health food stores and elsewhere in her community.
Many of the recipients expressed their love of animals, were
shocked to learn about their use in product testing, and vowed to
purchase other products from now on, she said. Sheree plans to
continue her focus on saving animals from abuse as she pursues her
Girl Scout Gold Award. "I feel that I have a voice in
protecting animals, and will continue to teach about animal abuse,"
said Sheree.
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 2020:
Veronica Garcia, 18, of
Artesia, New Mexico, a senior
at Artesia High School, has organized a food drive with her Girl
Scout troop for the last five years, collecting and distributing
Thanksgiving meals for families in the community. Inspired by her
father, who benefited from a similar program as a child, Veronica
partnered with local business, churches and social services to
assemble and deliver 20 Thanksgiving baskets in 2019.
Katherine Smith, 16, of
Los Lunas, New Mexico, a
sophomore at St. Pius X High School, volunteers at Locker #505, a
nonprofit organization that gives clothing to children in need;
along with serving as a junior board member, she has collected more
than 600 pairs of shoes and continually helps fundraise, organize
events and solicit donations from businesses. Katherine is also
organizing "30 Ways in 30 Days," an initiative that will help
students at her school explore different ways to volunteer in the
local community.
"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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