Massachusetts' Top Youth Volunteers of 2019 Selected by National Program

BOSTON, Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Julia Cuddy, 17, of Needham and Will Gladstone, 14, of Arlington today were named Massachusetts' top two youth volunteers of 2019 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. As State Honorees, Julia and Will 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 2019. 

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 24^th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

These are Massachusetts' top youth volunteers of 2019:

High School State Honoree: Julia Cuddy
Nominated by Needham High School

Julia, a senior at Needham High School, founded the Boston chapter of The Shoebox Project for Shelters, a nonprofit organization that distributes beautifully-wrapped shoeboxes filled with $50 worth of new personal care items and gifts to homeless women across the U.S. and Canada during the holidays. Community service trips to impoverished villages in Rwanda and India opened Julia's eyes to the injustices and lack of opportunities that many women around the world face. But even that didn't prepare her for the burgeoning population of homeless women and families in her own area. "Boston's homeless population of 21,000 has doubled since 1990," Julia said. "How could such a dramatic disparity exist in the heart of a city known as a leader in higher education, healthcare and strong employment?" Julia began researching the needs of homeless women and the services available to help. When she heard about The Shoebox Project, she knew she wanted to start a chapter in Boston.

After an interview, the organization gave Julia the go-ahead. She researched local charities to see which could benefit from receiving shoeboxes and selected The Women's Lunch Place, a day shelter for women. She then recruited five friends to join her in seeking donations of cash and completed shoeboxes through a website, social media, local news media and flyers distributed to businesses and homes. Julia and her fellow volunteers used the cash donations to purchase warm clothing accessories, toiletries, treats, cosmetics, gift cards and other items, and then boxed them up at wrapping parties at Julia's home. They distributed 225 shoeboxes the first year. For many of the recipients, the boxes were the only Christmas presents they received.           

Middle Level State Honoree: Will Gladstone
Nominated by The Fessenden School

Will, an eighth-grader at The Fessenden School, has raised more than $40,000 by selling bright blue socks to help discover why the reproductive rate of an iconic blue-footed bird is declining on the Galapagos Islands. When Will became interested in birds three years ago in his science class, he learned that the population of blue-footed boobies on the islands had dropped almost 60 percent over the past 30 years. "I wanted to help it because it is such a special bird," he said. "It has bright blue feet and dances to attract a mate. It is a symbol of the Galapagos, one of the most special places on Earth." So he came up with a plan to sell blue socks with a booby logo to benefit the birds.

Will and his younger brother started The Blue Feet Foundation, and their father found a manufacturer to make the socks. Will then designed a website and began posting pictures and facts about the blue-footed birds on social media. For the first three months, the boys didn't have a single order. "We almost gave up," Will said. But then they figured out how to use social media more effectively to market their socks, which sell for $12.50 a pair. Today, much of Will's time is spent filling orders and writing a personal thank you note to go with each one. He gives interviews to the media about his cause and promotes other environmental issues on his website. So far, Will's foundation has sold more than 4,000 pairs of socks to people in 50 states and 37 countries. The proceeds are donated to the Galapagos Conservancy, which has hired an expert to solve the mystery of the blue footed booby's declining birthrate.       

Distinguished Finalists

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

These are Massachusetts' Distinguished Finalists for 2019:

Lindsey Arruda, 16, of Somerset, Mass., a junior at Somerset Berkley Regional High School, co-founded the "We Stand Strong Foundation," a nonprofit that has collected a significant amount of money and items to assist people affected by the Boston Marathon bombing and other difficult circumstances. The group has raised more than $53,000 for worthy causes and donated $285,000 worth of eyeglasses to people in need overseas, in addition to supporting many other local and global initiatives.

Tyler Boucher, 17, of Fitchburg, Mass., a senior at Saint John's High School, organized a 5K run and walk to fundraise for New England Donor Services, an initiative that involved managing every event detail, from securing corporate sponsors to finding a venue. Tyler felt called to help others after a friend's mother passed away, and was further inspired to serve by another friend's mother, a double lung transplant recipient.

Hannah Finn, 16, of Andover, Mass., a junior at Andover High School, founded "The One Wish Project," which grants children in homeless shelters a special birthday celebration they may otherwise not be able to enjoy. The organization's beginnings involved using her own money to fund baking cakes and giving gifts to children; since then, she has partnered with the Lazarus House and La Casa Nueva Vida, and now provides birthday celebrations to about 50 children each year.

Julia Kay, 16, of Tyngsborough, Mass., a junior at Tyngsborough High School, leveraged her love of the environment to spearhead efforts that successfully enacted a single-use plastic bag ban in her town. The Girl Scout spoke at several community events to educate the public about the advantages of the ban, and obtained signatures for a petition; her efforts were rewarded when the town voted in favor of her proposal and put the ban in place.

Juliana Lederman, 17, of Marblehead, Mass., a senior at Marblehead High School, has introduced STEM education to more than 300 children as part of her efforts with "Little Miss Science," an organization she started in 2016. She honed her presentation and leadership skills as she taught at the Lynn Boys and Girls Club, produced a STEM Night at a local school, and created a detailed curriculum for more than 30 STEM projects.

Maxwell Surprenant, 15, of Needham, Mass., a freshman at St. Sebastian's School, is the co-founder of "Catching Joy," a youth service initiative that has supported more than 60 charities and causes and mobilized more than 60,000 kids, teens and families to make a difference. He also serves as a kid reporter for the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps and produced the short film "The Impact of Giving Back," which received an honorable mention in the 2015 White House Student Film Festival.

"These young volunteers learned and demonstrated that they can make meaningful contributions to individuals and communities through their service," said Prudential CEO Charles Lowrey. "It's an honor to recognize their great work, and we hope that shining a spotlight on their service inspires others to consider how they might make a difference."

"Each of these honorees is proof that students have the energy, creativity and unique perspectives to create positive change," said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. "We commend each of the 2019 honorees for their outstanding volunteer service, and for the invaluable example they've set for their peers." 

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 May 6, 10 of the State Honorees – five middle level and five high school students – will be named America's top youth volunteers of 2019. 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 125,000 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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