Maryland's Top Youth Volunteers Of 2020 Selected By National Program

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Feb. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Jander Kugelman, 16, of New Market and Olivia West, 13, of Annapolis today were named Maryland's top two youth volunteers of 2020 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. As State Honorees, Jander and Olivia 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 four days of national recognition events. During the trip, 10 students will be named America's top youth volunteers of 2020. 

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 25^th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).
These are Maryland's top youth volunteers of 2020:

High School State Honoree: Jander Kugelman
Nominated by Oakdale High School

Jander, 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.

Middle Level State Honoree: Olivia West
Nominated by Girl Scouts of Central Maryland

Olivia, 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.         

Distinguished Finalists

The program judges also recognized six other Maryland students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion.
These are Maryland's Distinguished Finalists for 2020:

Mackenzie Calloway, 17, of Hanover, Maryland, a senior at North County High School, regularly volunteers hours of her time at Hospice of Chesapeake; she completed training to work directly with hospice patients, offering support and companionship during the last stage of their lives. Mackenzie plans to continue this volunteer project as a way to give back to her community, and hopes to become a heart surgeon in the future.

Gabriella Chalker, 18, of Sparks, Maryland, a senior at Hereford High School, has volunteered hundreds of hours of her time earning certification and serving as an EMT for the Jacksonville Volunteer Fire Company; in addition to responding to emergency calls, she also actively participates in department fundraising events. Gabriella decided to become an EMT for the opportunity to serve her community while learning about medicine.

Isabelle Choi, 17, of Laurel, Maryland, a senior at Reservoir High School, volunteers her time at the Good Spoon Urban Ministry, a nonprofit organization that benefits people experiencing homelessness in Maryland and Virginia; she distributes food packages and clothing, runs free medical clinics, translates materials in Spanish and Korean and has contributed to the Korea-U.S. National Prayer Breakfast. Isabelle was inspired to start her volunteer project after learning about the high rate of homelessness in Baltimore.

Dhruv Pai, 15, of Potomac, Maryland, a sophomore at Montgomery Blair High School, serves as a brand ambassador for Arts-n-STEM 4 Hearts, through which he helps distribute art and STEM activity kits to children and seniors in hospitals and nursing homes. Dhruv, who was inspired to work with senior citizens by his great-grandmother, also developed a low-cost technology solution that connects people with dementia with their caregivers or medical personnel if they get lost.

Karina Vasudeva, 17, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, a senior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, started a service project focused on distributing menstrual hygiene products to women in need in her community; she has collected and distributed more than 8,000 pads and tampons and developed an affordable menstrual cup. Karina has dedicated hundreds of hours to raising community awareness about menstrual hygiene poverty, and plans to expand her project to other countries this year.

Arthur Wang, 15, of Columbia, Maryland, a freshman at Atholton High School, has participated in a number of fundraising and volunteer activities, including designing and selling shirts to benefit people affected by flooding in Ellicott City, fundraising for the Overseas China Education Foundation to finance the education of Chinese students, and volunteering as a teacher in rural China last summer. Arthur has also helped write more than 300 pages of educational materials for students in China.

"In our 25^th year of honoring young volunteers, we are as inspired as ever by the work students are doing to address the needs of a changing world," said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "We hope that their resolve, their initiative and their perspectives on society's challenges move others to consider how they can make a difference, too."

"Middle level and high school students are doing remarkable things to shape the future of their communities through volunteer service. They inspire all students and schools to drive learning with real-world challenges," said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. "Congratulations to each of the 2020 honorees – it's an honor to celebrate your commitment to creating positive change."

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 Points of Light Global Network members, 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 May 4, 10 of the State Honorees – five middle level and five high school students – will be named America's top youth volunteers of 2020. These National Honorees will receive additional $5,000 scholarships, gold medallions, crystal trophies and $5,000 grants from Prudential for nonprofit charitable organizations of their choice.  

Since the program began in 1995, more than 130,000 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 and Brazil. 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 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 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.

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