Arkansas' Top Youth Volunteers of 2021 Selected by National Program

NEWARK, N.J., Feb. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Samia Smith, 15, of Little Rock and Ruby Kate Chitsey, 13, of Harrison today were named Arkansas' top youth volunteers of 2021 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, America's largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer service.

As State Honorees, Samia and Ruby Kate will each receive a $2,500 scholarship, a silver medallion and an invitation to the program's virtual national recognition celebration in April, where 10 of the 102 State Honorees will be named America's top youth volunteers of the year. Those 10 National Honorees will earn an additional $5,000 scholarship, a gold medallion, a crystal trophy for their nominating organization and a $5,000 grant for a nonprofit charitable organization of their choice.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, conducted annually by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), honors students in grades 5-12 for making meaningful contributions to their communities through volunteer service.

"We created the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards 26 years ago to highlight and support the work of young people taking on the challenges of a changing world – a mission that rings truer than ever given the events of last year," said Charles Lowrey, Prudential's chairman and CEO. "We are proud to celebrate the vision and determination of Spirit of Community's Class of 2021, and all the ways they're making their communities safer, healthier and more equitable places to live."

These are Arkansas' top youth volunteers of 2021:

High School State Honoree: Samia Smith
Nominated by Little Rock Central High School

Samia, a junior at Little Rock Central High School, is the co-leader of school organization committed to educating others about gun violence. When Samia's 14-year-old cousin was shot in the shoulder while sitting on her porch, "this served as a wakeup call that anyone, no matter their age, can be affected by gun violence," said Samia. After that, "I felt it was my obligation to do all that I could to encourage voting."

Working with other students in a newly-formed student organization at her school, Samia spent more than 10 months planning events that could encourage and advance gun-safety measures across the country. In the lead-up to the 2020 election, the group decided that one of the first events should be a daylong Super Tuesday event to provide voter information to students and teachers at Little Rock Central High. To prepare, Samia researched candidates' positions on gun safety and where voters could go to educate themselves. "Through the Super Tuesday event, we were able to distribute in-depth voting information to over 75 students and teachers in just one day," said Samia. Afterwards, Samia's group sent postcards encouraging eligible voters in and around their community to register to vote.

Middle Level State Honoree: Ruby Kate Chitsey
Nominated by Arkansas Virtual Academy

Ruby Kate, a seventh-grader at Arkansas Virtual Academy, has raised more than $300,000 to grant wishes for over 4,000 nursing home residents across the country who cannot afford day-to-day expenses such as pet food, haircuts or clothes that fit properly. Three years ago, Ruby Kate met Pearl, a nursing home resident who had to give up her beloved dog because she couldn't afford to feed it. "I learned that most residents at her facility only received $40 a month to take care of extras," said Ruby Kate. "I really felt like if I didn't help them, then no one would." The next time she visited the home, Ruby Kate asked residents: If you had three wishes, what would they be? She thought they would choose fancy vacations or lots of money; instead, "they asked for simple things that most of us have already," she said.

She interviewed hundreds of residents at five local nursing homes, wrote down the small items they needed, and then went to stores to buy them. As her project expanded to eight homes in four counties, Ruby Kate formed a nonprofit, began raising money through GoFundMe and social media, and recruited school friends to help. She also reached out to nurses in other states to obtain the wish lists of their nursing-home patients, and set up an Amazon wish list to fulfill them. In addition, Ruby Kate has created a "new shoe closet" and a pet food pantry for local seniors, and speaks to community leaders, students, teachers and nursing-home administrators across the country to raise awareness for her cause.

State Honorees in The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Class of 2021 – the top middle level and high school volunteer from all 50 states and the District of Columbia – were selected for service initiatives completed, at least in part, between the fall of 2019 and the fall of 2020. Selection was based on criteria including impact, effort, initiative and the personal growth demonstrated over the course of the project. Several Distinguished Finalists and runners-up were also selected in each state, and all qualifying applicants received President's Volunteer Service Awards. 

"It speaks volumes about the character of today's secondary school students that the Spirit of Community program heard from more than 21,000 applicants this fall – most of them stories of young volunteers overcoming the hardships of a global pandemic to support those in need," said Ronn Nozoe, Chief Executive Officer, NASSP. "While we're especially proud to celebrate this year's 102 State Honorees, NASSP applauds every student who's found a way to volunteer this past year. You inspire your peers and adults alike to remember that, even in times of crisis, we all have something to give."

To read the names and stories of all of this year's State Honorees, visit http://spirit.prudential.com.

About Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial wellness leader and premier active global investment manager, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees help to make lives better by creating financial opportunity for more people. Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit news.prudential.com. 

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 http://nassp.org.

SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc.

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