Nebraska's Top Youth Volunteers of 2021 Selected by National Program

NEWARK, N.J., Feb. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mahika Kanchanam, 15, of Omaha and Joslyn Stamp, 13, of Plattsmouth today were named Nebraska's 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, Mahika and Joslyn 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 Nebraska's top youth volunteers of 2021:

High School State Honoree: Mahika Kanchanam
Nominated by the American Red Cross in Omaha

Mahika, a sophomore at Millard North High School, helped protect healthcare workers in her community from COVID-19 by providing more than 4,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to five Omaha-area hospitals, and raised $1,400 for a local food bank by selling hand-sewn cloth face masks. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mahika heard "horrific" stories of healthcare workers in New York who had to work without adequate protection. One story that really struck her, she said, was that of a teenage girl who lost her mother, a physician's assistant, to COVID-19. After hearing that, "I couldn't just sit on the sidelines," said Mahika. "Healthcare workers were risking their lives for us. The least we could do is equip them with PPE."

She began researching how to sew face masks and other protective gear, bought supplies, and started sewing. To amplify her effort, she recruited four other sewing volunteers, appealed for donations on GoFundMe, and reached out to procure PPE items from suppliers in other states and countries. Ultimately, Mahika was able to deliver to local hospitals more than 4,000 PPE items, including face masks, face shields, scrub caps, eye protection and ear savers. In addition, she donated 70 sewn face masks to her school district, and sold 200 more to provide meals at a local food bank.

Middle Level State Honoree: Joslyn Stamp
Nominated by Cass County 4-H

Joslyn, a seventh-grader at Brownell Talbot College Preparatory School, has collected more than 12,000 used-up markers in her community and recycled them so that they didn't end up in landfills. Joslyn is passionate about protecting wild and endangered animals, and sees expanding landfills as a threat to their survival. "Landfills are growing every day and that is taking space away from animals that cannot live without these areas," said explained.

When Joslyn discovered that markers can be recycled, she thought about all the makers that are thrown away each year in her school district. She sought permission from her elementary school principal to collect markers onsite, and then used chore money to buy small collection bins. She worried at first that no one would respond to her initiative, but to her surprise, they collected more than 100 markers the first day! "I learned that people want to recycle," she said. "All they need is an easy way to do it." So she expanded her project by placing collection bins at three other schools, two libraries, a 4-H extension office and a daycare facility, and by setting up a collection booth at an annual county Earth Day event. So far, Joslyn has collected more than 12,000 permanent markers, highlighters and dry-erase markers – more than 336 pounds – for a recycling program operated by Crayola.

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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