The District Of Columbia's Top Youth Volunteers Of 2018 Selected By National Program

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Samantha O'Sullivan, 17 and Kimber Dickson, 12, today were named the District of Columbia's top two youth volunteers of 2018 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. As State Honorees, Samantha and Kimber each will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and an invitation to join the top two honorees from all 50 U.S. states in late April for four days of national recognition events in Washington. During the trip, 10 students will be named America's top youth volunteers of 2018.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 23^rd year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

These are the District of Columbia's top youth volunteers of 2018:

High School State Honoree: Samantha O'Sullivan
Nominated by School Without Walls Senior High School in Washington

Samantha, a senior at School Without Walls Senior High School, started and leads an after-school club that engages African American middle school students in fun and educational science activities, to promote their interest and self-confidence in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects. "As an African American girl pursuing math and physics, I have often found that professionals in my fields of interest do not look like me," said Samantha. She recalls walking into a physics lab for her first internship and "feeling immediately out of place." Determined that "no student should doubt their own ability or face any kind of hardship because of their race or gender," Samantha launched her "STEM Up!" club.

After meeting with principals and the heads of science departments at several middle schools, Samantha found support and a sponsoring science teacher at Stuart Hobson Middle School. She assembled materials and planned activities for her club, and then began holding club meetings after school every Tuesday and Thursday. About 15 middle schoolers attend each two-hour meeting, engaging in hands-on activities such as robot-building and chemistry and biology experiments. "By creating a space where African American girls feel confident to ask questions and explore STEM amongst other students that look like them, I have seen their self-confidence increase, and their ability and skills in science flourish," said Samantha.       

Middle Level State Honoree: Kimber Dickson
Nominated by Saint Augustine Catholic School in Washington

Kimber, a seventh-grader at Saint Augustine Catholic School, volunteered with her Girl Scout troop to teach children in an after-school program at a local recreation center about basic financial matters. Teaching financial literacy is important, said Kimber, because "people think that money is going to last forever, but the truth is that it is easier to lose money than to earn it." When her Girl Scout troop decided to undertake a financial service project, Kimber and her fellow scouts first had to learn about saving money, bank accounts, the stock market, bankruptcy and other topics. Then they offered to teach the concepts they learned to about 20 kids in an after-school program.

Kimber's troop experimented with several different teaching strategies before settling on a couple that they thought would be most effective. So, in addition to simply making presentations about financial literacy to the youngsters, Kimber and the other scouts played a board game with them to emphasize the importance of saving money and demonstrate how to use a bank account. They also created and performed a skit for the kids, showing them how to be honest with their money and encouraging them to be respectful of their parents' money. Kimber also volunteers at her church and school. At church, she serves as an altar server and a member of the Children's Choir Ministry. She's an altar server at school, as well, helping to serve at Mass every Friday.           

Distinguished Finalists

The program judges also recognized two other The District of Columbia students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion.

These are the District of Columbia's Distinguished Finalists for 2018:

Lekabel Abul, 17, a senior at McKinley Technology High School, is an active member with a team that organizes outdoor play opportunities for kids in low-income communities, sketching prototypes and raising money to bring the group's ideas to life. Lekabel estimates that she and her group have reached more than 100 kids by building out the illustrations she created, providing kids with the opportunity to learn through play.

Winston Wardlaw, 14, a freshman at District of Columbia International School, has used his experience with ulcerative colitis to bring comfort and support to others with inflammatory bowel diseases, sharing his story with kids facing the same surgeries he's had and raising nearly $12,000 for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. Winston was determined to help others benefit from the lessons he learned after three major surgeries, in hopes of helping them feel less alone.

"Prudential is proud to recognize these remarkable young people for using their energy, creativity and compassion to bring meaningful change to their communities," said Prudential Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld. "We hope their stories inspire others to consider how they can do the same."

"These middle level and high school students have not only improved the lives of the people and communities they've served ? they also set an important example for their peers," said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. "These honorees prove that you're never too young to 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 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 April 30, 10 of the State Honorees ? five middle level and five high school students ? will be named America's top youth volunteers of 2018. 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 120,000 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, Brazil and Poland. 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 middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and school leaders from across the United States. The association connects and engages school leaders through advocacy, research, education, and student programs. NASSP advocates on behalf of all school leaders to ensure the success of each student and strengthens school leadership practices through the design and delivery of high quality professional learning experiences. 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. 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 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

SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc.