New Hampshire's Top Youth Volunteers Of 2020 Selected By National Program

CONCORD, N.H., Feb. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Lillian Murray, 17, of Rye and Natalie Geissler, 14, of Portsmouth today were named New Hampshire'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, Lillian and Natalie 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 New Hampshire's top youth volunteers of 2020:

High School State Honoree: Lillian Murray
Nominated by Portsmouth High School 

Lillian, a senior at Portsmouth High School, founded "Portsmouth Community Closet," a nonprofit through which she has collected new and gently used clothing for families in need, provided eight of the families with washers and dryers, and enhanced the services available to kids at a local recreation center. It all began when Lillian's ecology class talked about conducting a clothing drive but didn't move forward with the project. "I knew it was a good cause and I wanted to finish what we started," she said. So she personally solicited clothing donations from local shops and community members, recruited volunteers to help wash and sort the collected clothes, and then handed them out to residents of a low-income housing development.

While at the development, Lillian learned that the local laundromat had closed and public buses did not allow bags of laundry to be brought on board. A few weeks later, she started raising money to buy washers and dryers. Then, after collecting more than $4,500 and several donated machines, Lillian presented eight energy- and water-efficient washers and dryers to families that needed them. Still eager to help those facing social and economic challenges, Lillian began working with a recreation center serving kids from low-income families. She created new activities for the center's after-school program, helped kids with their homework and brought in other student volunteers to assist. She also organized summer field trips for the kids there, and collected money and books to create a "book nook" at the center. "Giving back to a community which has given you so much, is so rewarding," said Lillian. "And volunteering has become a key component in the way I carry myself as I go through life."

Middle Level State Honoree: Natalie Geissler
Nominated by Portsmouth Middle School

Natalie, an eighth-grader at Portsmouth Middle School, travels for 45 minutes to a rescue animal shelter every other Sunday to care for quarantined dogs that have been transferred from overcrowded or kill shelters in other locations. Natalie first began volunteering when she joined the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls in 2017. As a member, she tie-dyed T-shirts for families with sick children, built picnic tables for a summer camp, participated in numerous fundraisers, and took part in other service activities. Later, she volunteered to send off and welcome home soldiers in Portsmouth. "The feeling I got from helping others inspired me to look for even more volunteering opportunities," said Natalie.

That's when she found out about a shelter called Mary's Dogs Rescue & Adoption. "I love animals and want to be a veterinarian someday," said Natalie, so she was immediately drawn to the prospect of caring for the canines there. "I have a special love for these animals because they come from bad circumstances and do not choose where they end up." For four hours at a time, Natalie plays with the puppies, walks older dogs, measures food and medicine, helps with feeding, cleans cages, washes dishes and folds blankets and towels. Many of the dogs she cares for have been abused or mistreated. "The cases of animal cruelty I have seen have astounded me," she said, "but it has made me realize that heroes are not always those who perform extraordinary acts. People can be heroic by performing little, ordinary acts of kindness each day."

Distinguished Finalists

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

These are New Hampshire's Distinguished Finalists for 2020:

Yunseo Choi, 17, of Exeter, New Hampshire, a junior at Phillips Exeter Academy, contributes her math and computer science skills to a variety of organizations; she helped develop a program to measure patient vision at a research hospital and volunteers her time as a website analyst for Givology, an online platform that connects donors to students in developing countries. Yunseo is also the editor-in-chief of the High School Journal in Mathematics, which helps increase mathematical literacy in students in need.

Chloe Tardif, 18, of Hudson, New Hampshire, a senior at Bishop Guertin High School, created and leads a lacrosse program for 15 Special Olympics athletes in her community; along with recruiting volunteers, she secured equipment, field time and support from a local lacrosse department. Chloe started volunteering her time with Special Olympics more than 10 years ago, and was first inspired to become involved by her sister, who has cerebral palsy and is a Special Olympics athlete.

"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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