Washington's Top Youth Volunteers of 2019 Selected by National Program

OLYMPIA, Wash., Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Kobey Chew, 17, of Kirkland and Mehr Grewal, 11, of Bellevue today were named Washington'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, Kobey and Mehr 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 Washington's top youth volunteers of 2019:

High School State Honoree: Kobey Chew
Nominated by Juanita High School

Kobey, a senior at Juanita High School, produced two videos and a slide show for a free online medical library to help people – especially those in developing countries – understand that people with disabilities are often much more capable than is frequently assumed. He also serves his community in several official leadership capacities, and participates in numerous other volunteer activities. Kobey is determined to demonstrate that people like him are not that different from people without physical differences. "In developing nations, people with noticeable birth defects are often treated as outcasts, as though their physical differences are contagious," he said. "Even here, in the greater Seattle area, I have experienced bias and ignorant insults related to my appearance."

To help people in developing countries better understand people with disabilities, Kobey creates materials for the website of Global HELP, a nonprofit organization that provides medical information to people around the world. "For a paradigm shift to occur," he said, "people like me need to share our life experiences and show what we are capable of achieving." Kobey also serves on his town's youth council and park board, adjudicates cases as a member of a teen traffic court, speaks at community events and volunteers at a senior center. In addition, he has helped clean up parks, collected food for the hungry, volunteered at job fairs, and raised awareness of teen suicide and the opioid epidemic. "I volunteer because I feel my best when I am helping others," said Kobey.        

Middle Level State Honoree: Mehr Grewal
Nominated by Odle Middle School

Mehr, a sixth-grader at Odle Middle School, has volunteered with a Seattle charitable organization for the past four years, and during that time has initiated campaigns to promote correct hand-washing and healthy eating, and assisted in the group's semiannual health camps. When a recent flu epidemic was sweeping the country, Mehr asked herself: "What can we do to prevent this?" With some research, she learned that hand-washing was the most effective way. "This simple measure could actually save lives!" she said. So she began making presentations about the importance of hand hygiene at schools and community centers, and demonstrating the proper technique for washing hands. "My goal," she said, "is to put across the simple message that hand-washing is like a do-it-yourself vaccine, which can protect the vulnerable from getting disease." Mehr also is working with an infectious disease physician to observe hand-hygiene compliance at a hospital in Detroit.

In addition, Mehr started a nutritional counseling program and enlisted the support of a nutritionist to educate people about healthy diet options, and provide individualized meal plans tailored to their specific health conditions. She makes posters and brochures for the program, distributes meal plans and other resources, and translates into Hindi and Punjab if necessary. "The most difficult part has been to change people's perspectives on food and to encourage healthier alternatives," she said. "It is hard for them to change habits."

Mehr also helps out at a food bank and participates in blanket and clothing drives in the winter.   

Distinguished Finalists

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

These are Washington's Distinguished Finalists for 2019:

Peyton Gomez, 17, of Lakewood, Wash., a senior at Covenant High School, volunteers her time as a front desk assistant at American Lake Veteran's Golf Course, a volunteer-run organization that offers a rehabilitation and recreational outlet for veterans. Peyton also connected the organization with a local technical college to create promotional videos to spread awareness about the cause, and regularly works with veterans who visit the course to help them with their technology-related questions.

Alina Guyon, 17, of Seattle, Wash., a senior at Holy Names Academy, has collected 10,000 books and established free lending libraries at a refugee camp in Uganda, a red-light district in India and a women and children's shelter in Seattle. From securing grants and creating a business plan to shipping prefabricated buildings and books, Alina worked on nearly every aspect of creating these libraries to provide books and educational resources to underserved populations.

Heather McOmber, 18, of Sammamish, Wash., nominated by the Sammamish Community YMCA and a senior at Eastlake High School, has worked with friends for the past five years to help feed and provide supplies to schools in the Philippines, after their initial effort organizing a benefit concert for a community affected by Typhoon Yolanda. Heather also helped raise money and assemble oral hygiene kits for children in Ecuador and has collected and assembled school supplies for refugee students in her community.

Eshika Saxena, 17, of Bellevue, Wash., a senior at Interlake High School, is the founder of "TakeKnowledGe," a nonprofit that has encouraged more than 500 girls in the state of Washington to pursue STEM fields by organizing programming workshops and mentoring teams participating in robotics competitions. Eshika has also developed several technology applications to help solve global health problems, including a free, in-home sickle cell disease screening app.

Chirag Vedullapalli, 18, of Sammamish, Wash., a senior at Mount Si High School, created "Creative Children for Charity," a youth foundation that has encouraged more than 7,500 kids to donate their time and talent for a social cause, contributing $27,000 and over 30,000 volunteer hours to a variety of causes. Along with organizing service project opportunities, the foundation offers 3D printing workshops in three states and is currently working towards its goal of helping to create 500 youth-run businesses.

McKenna Webb, 17, of Auburn, Wash., a senior at Auburn Riverside High School, has organized two "Broadway for #brAvery" fundraising shows, efforts that involved securing the venue, technical support and

rehearsal space, developing promotional materials and recruiting more than 100 performers. McKenna started this project to honor the memory of her neighbor, Avery, who died at age 7 from diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, with funds from both benefits going towards research for the disease.

"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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