Maryland's top youth volunteers of 2020 honored with $2,500 donation for local COVID-19 response

ANNAPOLIS, Md., May 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Maryland's top two youth volunteers of 2020, Jander Kugelman, 16, of New Market and Olivia West, 13, of Annapolis, were recognized this weekend for their outstanding volunteer service during the 25th annual, and first-ever virtual, Prudential Spirit of Community Awards national recognition celebration.

In recognition of the spirit of service that they have demonstrated in their communities, Jander and Olivia – along with 100 other top youth volunteers from across the country – were also each given $2,500 to donate toward the local COVID-19 response efforts of a nonprofit organization of their choice. These funds come in addition to the $1,000 scholarship and engraved silver medallion they earned as Maryland's top youth volunteers of 2020.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), named Jander and Olivia Maryland's top high school and middle level youth volunteers in February.

"Over the past 25 years, this program has honored students spanning three generations, and the common thread between them has been the determination of young people to respond to the challenges of the moment," said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial. "Who better than this group of young leaders from all over the country to help identify and direct resources to community needs arising from COVID-19?"

As State Honorees, Jander and Olivia also earned an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the program's annual national recognition events; the trip, however, was canceled due to COVID-19 and changed to a three-day online celebration this past weekend. In addition to remarks and congratulations from actress Kristen Bell, honorees had opportunities to connect with each other through online project-sharing sessions, learn about service and advocacy from accomplished past Spirit of Community honorees, hear congratulatory remarks from Lowrey and NASSP Executive Director and CEO JoAnn Bartoletti, and more.

"We admire these young leaders for their ability to assess the needs of the communities they serve and find meaningful ways to address them," said Bartoletti. "At a time when everyone is looking for optimism, these students are a bright light for their peers and the adults in their lives."

About the Honorees

Jander (pictured left), a junior at Oakdale High School, helped provide crucial access to medical care for residents of storm-ravaged Puerto Rico by volunteering on a medical van for several months in 2018. After Hurricane Maria struck the island, Jander and his family had to wait for weeks to learn whether their relatives there were alright. "When we heard back from my grandparents, they described the precarious conditions on the island," said Jander. "There was no power, food, gas, clean water or available medical facilities." But Jander's grandfather, a doctor, had an idea. He and some colleagues wanted to outfit a medical van to reach areas with no access to medical care. As soon as school was out for the summer, Jander flew to the island to help.

Prior to taking the van out, Jander's job was to load supplies and do an inventory of medical equipment. This included making sure batteries were charged, power generators were full of gas, extra gas cans were on board, and basic diagnostic equipment such as blood pressure cuffs and stethoscopes, as well as common medications, were ready to go. Twice a week the team traveled to remote areas on surfaces that bore little resemblance to actual roads. Sometimes they would park the van on a beach or in a parking lot to administer care to people who sometimes tried to pay them with vegetables or chickens, even though their food was in short supply. "People came together during a difficult time and brought forward their best," said Jander.

Olivia (pictured right), a member of Girl Scouts of Central Maryland and an eighth-grader at Magothy River Middle School, organized the planting of native grasses at a nearby beach to help prevent sand erosion, contain the spread of invasive species, and reduce storm runoff pollution in the Magothy River. "Ever since I can remember, I have gone to Lake Claire Beach to relax and be with family," Olivia explained. But over time she had noticed that the size of the beach had been significantly reduced and invasive plants were taking over. A community effort to replenish sand and replant native grasses had been unsuccessful, so when Olivia learned that the Cape St. Claire Improvement Association was planning to replant vegetation in a 150-square-foot buffer zone at the beach, she volunteered to lead the project.

Olivia began by interviewing community leaders and researching native grasses. She then presented a plan at the board meetings of local environmental agencies. Once she had permission, she obtained donations and recruited volunteers from two Girl Scout troops. She then took over the care of 250 native grass plants, which she had to water for six weeks prior to planting. On planting day, last May, a crew of 16 helped Olivia plant. Afterwards, she posted signs and put caution tape around the area to keep visitors from trampling the fledgling plants, and she continued to water the new plants through the summer and fall months. "It was an incredible experience to see the grasses go from tiny and brown to fuller green grasses thriving in the sand," she said.

About The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program was created in 1995 to identify and recognize young people for outstanding volunteer service – and, in so doing, inspire others to volunteer, too. In the past 25 years, the program has honored more than 130,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level. For more information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year's honorees, visit http://spirit.prudential.com. For more information about the National Association of Secondary School Principals, visit www.nassp.org. For more information about Prudential Financial, visit www.news.prudential.com.

Learn more at spirit.prudential.com

SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc.