CONCORD, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jennifer Wright, 18, of Nashua and Sarah-Jean Sargent, 14, of Raymond today were named New Hampshire's top two youth volunteers for 2012 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. Jennifer was nominated by Nashua High School North in Nashua, and Sarah-Jean was nominated by Iber Holmes Gove Middle School in Raymond. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 17th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).
Jennifer, a senior at Nashua High School North, is the co-founder and president of a volunteer organization that raises awareness of domestic abuse and bullying through brochures, self-defense seminars and speaking engagements. Jennifer said she suffered from abuse at home as a child, and was teased by school classmates. “I often felt there was no remedy to the pain I felt, because I did not realize what resources were out there,” she said. Now, she is helping to provide an important resource to young people and others in southern New Hampshire through her organization, “Together Against Domestic Abuse” (TADA).
TADA has placed more than 2,000 brochures on healthy relationships in hospitals, schools, youth centers and police stations; Jennifer herself has conducted four self-defense seminars at local martial arts studios for 50 people of all ages, and arranged presentations at schools, churches and YMCAs, as well as at large community events. As president, Jennifer organizes other volunteers, writes articles for a newsletter, schedules meeting engagements, prints brochures, advertises events and manages a website and Facebook page. “Although I am helping others, I have also healed a great deal myself through telling my story,” she said. “There has been no end to the rewards TADA has given me.”
Sarah-Jean, an eighth-grader at Iber Holmes Gove Middle School, volunteers at Lucky’s Legacy, a nonprofit equine rescue facility that provides care and rehabilitation for abused and neglected horses. Sarah-Jean, who has always loved horses, became involved with the rescue facility after her mother started working there. “I went with her the first couple of times and loved it,” said Sarah-Jean. “Lucky’s Legacy is important because it helps to stop horse abuse and is a safe haven for horses.”
Sarah-Jean usually volunteers on the Lucky’s Legacy morning crew, which feeds the horses, fills water tanks, cleans stalls, lets the animals in and out of the paddocks, and generally makes sure the horses are cared for until the night crew arrives. She also helps out with fundraising throughout the year and at semiannual open houses. In addition to working with horses, Sarah-Jean enjoys “just being with other people that like the same thing you like,” she said. “You have fun.”
As State Honorees, Jennifer and Sarah-Jean 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 several days of national recognition events. Ten of them will be named America’s top youth volunteers for 2012 at that time.
Distinguished Finalists
In addition, the program judges recognized two other New Hampshire students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion:
Sabrina Freese, 17, of Bradford, N.H., a senior at Kearsarge Regional High School in North Sutton, is a student leader in her school’s Earth Club. Sabrina’s been passionate about the environment since she was in middle school, and spends a great deal of her time assisting with her school’s recycling efforts and promoting “green” ideas and projects.
Anna Ravenelle, 16, of Goffstown, N.H., a junior at Goffstown High School, made and donated “KareKits” filled with homemade fleece pillow blankets, stuffed animals and activities for seriously ill children undergoing treatment. Anna, whose project was inspired by her family’s experience when her older brother was diagnosed with cancer, solicited donations, made the blankets and delivered the kits to David’s House, an organization that houses families of hospitalized children.
“Through their selfless acts of service, these award recipients have greatly improved the lives of others,” said Prudential Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld. “We hope their stories and their dedication inspire other young people to do the same.”
"We are so pleased to celebrate these student volunteers,” said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. “It’s important to highlight them as powerful examples of how young people can make a difference."
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 HandsOn Network, were eligible to select a student or member for a local Prudential Spirit of Community Award. More than 5,000 Local Honorees were then reviewed by an independent judging panel, which selected State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists based on criteria including personal initiative, creativity, 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, attend a gala awards ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, and visit their congressional representatives on Capitol Hill. In addition, 10 of them – five middle level and five high school students – will be named National Honorees on May 7. These 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 100,000 young volunteers nationwide have been honored by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards at the local, state or national level. The program also is conducted by Prudential subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Ireland and India.
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 on behalf of President Barack Obama.
For information on all of this year’s Prudential Spirit of Community State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists, visit spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit.
About NASSP
NASSP is the leading organization of and national voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and all school leaders from across the United States and more than 45 countries around the world. The association provides research-based professional development and resources, networking and advocacy to build the capacity of middle level and high school leaders to continually improve student performance. Reflecting its longstanding commitment to student leadership development as well, NASSP administers the National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society and National Association of Student Councils. For more information about NASSP, located in Reston, VA, visit 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, investment management, and real estate services. 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 http://www.news.prudential.com/.
Editors: Graphics depicting the award program’s logo and medallions may be downloaded from spirit.prudential.com.