South Carolina's Top Youth Volunteers of 2019 Selected by National Program

COLUMBIA, S.C., Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Adom Appiah, 15, of Spartanburg and Jazmine Sepulveda, 13, of Rock Hill today were named South Carolina's 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, Adom and Jazmine 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 South Carolina's top youth volunteers of 2019:

High School State Honoree: Adom Appiah
Nominated by Spartanburg Day School

Adom, a freshman at Spartanburg Day School, has raised more than $40,000 for 11 nonprofit organizations in his community by organizing celebrity basketball games and donation drives through "Ball4Good," a charity he started in 2016. Two years ago, Adom's history teacher challenged his class to research a community need and then work independently to seek a solution. A varsity soccer player, Adom is passionate about sports, so not surprisingly, he thought about an athletics-oriented service project. "I felt helping my community through sports was important because sports is a unifier," he said.

Adom consulted with his teacher and family on his idea for a charity that would collect donations for community causes. He then picked a name, created a website and established a social media presence. He used donations received on his 13th birthday as seed money for his first celebrity basketball game in 2017, which drew 800 spectators and benefited a Boys and Girls Club. A second game followed the next year. Adom also worked with school sports teams to collect toiletries, clothing accessories, toys and gift cards for the homeless and winter hats for cancer patients. Cash donations from Adom's events have bought uniforms for Boy Scouts who couldn't afford to buy their own; supported summer camps for Girl Scouts and a Boys and Girls Club; helped families struggling with cancer bills; and funded an advocacy center that combats child abuse. In addition, Adom has written two books to inspire students to change the world, and donates 50 percent of his book sales to nonprofit organizations.           

Middle Level State Honoree: Jazmine Sepulveda
Nominated by Riverwalk Academy

Jazmine, a seventh-grader at Riverwalk Academy, helps provide clothing and school supplies to children living in poverty in the Dominican Republic by selling bracelets that she makes, as well as traditional rings made by Dominican artisans. "I've always had a heart for others," Jazmine said. "My mother tells me that when I was only 2 years old, on Christmas day I saw all of the gifts under the tree and grabbed the smallest gift for me and left the others for my cousins." A native of the Dominican Republic, Jazmine has visited her birth country with her mother and seen how many people there lack basic necessities. This made her determined to be part of the solution.

Two years ago, she began making bracelets to sell for a charity in the nation's capital of Santo Domingo that supports more than 600 children each year. Later, during a trip there, she was impressed with traditional rings made by local artisans, so she decided to sell those, too, to support both the charity and the local economy. Through her project, Jazmine has contributed uniforms, shoes, school supplies, clothing and cash to help more than 200 children. "I hope my initiative brings them joy," she said. "My hope is to continue and expand the collection of basic items and keep sending them for many more years." Jazmine's other community service efforts have included providing information about underage drinking at community health fairs, volunteering for an organization that promotes cultural identity and bilingual education, and performing as a folkloric dancer to introduce her culture to others.        

Distinguished Finalists

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

These are South Carolina's Distinguished Finalists for 2019:

Iliriana Lekani, 17, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., a senior at Socastee High School, played a key role in evacuating and relocating people and animals, filling and delivering many thousands of sandbags and packing 1,000 lunches in preparation for Hurricane Florence and the subsequent flooding. Iliriana spread education about hurricane preparedness and recruited volunteers through social media campaigns and by talking to local news outlets about her cause.

Katelyn Lisznyai, 17, of Columbia, S.C., a senior at Spring Valley High School, started the project "#StudentsHelpingStudents: No Girl Left Behind," which collected and assembled more than 1,100 "period packs" for girls at five schools in her district. Along with raising awareness through flyers, social media and a video for her school's morning announcements, Katelyn also partnered with a local charity to provide menstrual health supplies in the future.

Marshall Mattingly Nord, 17, of York, S.C., a senior at Westminster Catawba Christian School, is a founding member of "Pantry Works," which has established a new food pantry in his community and an endowment to help fill the pantry when donations are low throughout the year. Marshall started this project four years ago with a group of friends, and together they raised nearly $25,000 through yard sales, bike races and donations.

Rodney Wilson, 17, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., a senior at Socastee High School, helped his community prepare for hurricane flooding by helping homeowners move furniture and irreplaceable belongings, as well as filling and delivering many thousands of sandbags. Rodney helped recruit several hundred volunteers, including 200 of his high school classmates, for this three-day operation through word of mouth and social media.

"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.

Related Links

http://www.PRUDENTIAL.com