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

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., Feb. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Abigail Mueller, 16, of St. Louis and Elizabeth Ravasini, 14, of Lee's Summit today were named Missouri'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, Abigail and Elizabeth 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 Missouri's top youth volunteers of 2020:

High School State Honoree: Abigail Mueller
Nominated by Whitfield School

Abigail, a junior at Whitfield School, created a self-image education and mentoring program that includes live presentations, an educational website, volunteering for Girls on the Run, and writing articles for an internet safety organization about being authentic on social media. One day, Abbie heard a friend complain about looking fat. "It dawned on me that I was guilty of using that kind of self-defeating language, too, as I struggled with my own weight and self-image," she said. As she embarked on a daily exercise and nutrition regimen, Abbie realized she also needed "to drop the negative internal and external talk." Her change in attitude had so many positive effects on her life that Abbie decided to use her personal experience to help others.

For the past four years, Abbie has been developing and managing a program she calls "Self-ValYOU: Promoting Positive Personal Imagery." She has spoken to elementary and middle school classes, adult support groups and Girl Scout troops, using a PowerPoint presentation and distributing bookmarks she designed with reminders about positive self- and body-image tools. She created a website featuring a blog and interviews discussing body and self-image. She also volunteers to help with Girls on the Run, a national organization focused on boosting the confidence of young girls, by helping with paperwork, fundraising and personal mentoring. In addition, Abbie has contributed four articles about social media authenticity to the website of Smart Gen Society, which encourages young people to make smart decisions online. She's committed, she said, to giving people "the tools they need to turn around negative self-talk into positive self-image."

Middle Level State Honoree: Elizabeth Ravasini
Nominated by Bernard Campbell Middle School

Elizabeth, an eighth-grader at Bernard Campbell Middle School, recruits family members, friends, fellow 4-Hers and other students to give monthly musical performances at local nursing homes. As a young girl, Elizabeth frequently visited her grandmother and great-grandmothers in their nursing homes with her family. "I still remember how excited all the residents would get when my siblings and I would visit," she said. That memory came back to Elizabeth when she was researching a topic for school about what was important to her and could result in a better world. Because music is a big part of her life, Elizabeth decided to research the impact of music on the elderly, and learned that "musical therapy can aid with stress reduction, relaxation and socialization," she said.

Elizabeth began visiting local nursing homes once a month to sing, dance, play instruments, read poetry and provide other forms of entertainment for residents. She creates fliers to invite interested students, encourages them to sign up online and works out logistics with nursing home staff. Then she develops an agenda for each event, prepares song sheets, and ensures that microphones and a piano are available. "I have been amazed by the overwhelming excitement and support I have received," she said. During intermission at the events, Elizabeth and her fellow performers visit with audience members and hand out small gifts and snacks. "The senior citizens' faces are filled with joy when we perform," she said, "and my peers feel more connected to older generations."       

Distinguished Finalists

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

These are Missouri's Distinguished Finalists for 2020:

Grace Billhartz, 16, of St. Louis, Missouri, a junior at Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School, started "World Shelter," a service project through which she collects vinyl material previously used on billboard ads and donates it to be repurposed into shelter in areas affected by natural disasters. Grace, who has delivered nearly 4,800 yards of vinyl material, was first inspired to start this activity after learning that billboard materials are typically thrown away after use.

Caleb Craft, 18, of Jackson, Missouri, a senior at Jackson High School, has solicited donations and handwritten letters for veterans living at the Cape Girardeau Veterans Home; so far, he has donated more than $4,600 and 100 letters. Caleb also volunteers his time with his dad's "Survive Then Thrive" program by translating into Spanish educational materials aimed at to helping communities in Puerto Rico prepare for natural disasters.

Kiley Daniels, 17, of Kansas City, Missouri, a senior at Liberty North High School, regularly contributes her time working with middle school students; along with serving as a leader during a week-long summer camp that benefitted more than 400 students, she leads a weekly talk group for middle school girls, offering support and guidance every Sunday. Kiley was inspired to start her volunteer activity after losing a friend to suicide.

Catherine Hannon, 18, of Labadie, Missouri, a senior at Cor Jesu Academy, regularly volunteers her time with All Abilities Athletics (AAA), an organization that offers athletic programs to people with special needs; along with participating as a "buddy" helping an athlete during training sessions, she also created resource materials for participants. Catherine also helped AAA identify and develop partnerships with other organizations that serve people with special needs.

Caden Rardon, 18, of Lathrop, Missouri, a senior at Lathrop High School, donated 24 "sensory kits" to his local elementary school, designed to help students dealing with sensory challenges; he first surveyed teachers to identify needed items such as stress squeeze items and noise-cancelling headphones, solicited donations from local businesses and community members, then assembled each kit. Caden, who also regularly volunteers as a Unified Partner for the Special Olympics, hopes to become an elementary or special education teacher.

Samiya Sajid, 16, of Ballwin, Missouri, a junior at Al-Salam Day School, held a talent show at school to inspire school pride and to benefit a Muslim education fund; her efforts included soliciting donations from local businesses, coordinating a marketing campaign, holding auditions and hosting the show. Samiya also helped set up a stall at the event that sold bracelets to donate money to address the Syrian refugee crisis.

"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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