Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Olympic
Snowboarding Champion Seth Wescott Pay Tribute to Lovelock and Las Vegas
Students as Part of Four-Day Recognition Events
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Two Nevada students, Bridgett McLean, 18, of Lovelock and Elizabeth
Keane, 13, of Las Vegas, were honored in the nation’s capital last night
for their outstanding volunteer work during the presentation of The 2010
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. The two young people – along with
100 other top youth volunteers from across the country – received $1,000
awards as well as personal congratulations from former Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice and Olympic snowboarding champion Seth Wescott at
the 15th annual award ceremony and gala dinner reception,
held at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
Bridgett and Elizabeth were named the top high school and middle level
youth volunteers in Nevada last February. In addition to their cash
awards, they received engraved silver medallions and an all-expense-paid
trip with their parents to Washington, D.C., for this week’s recognition
events.
“The Prudential Spirit of Community honorees give us great hope for the
future,” said Dr. Rice. “Their compassion and commitment are already
making a real difference in so many lives, and I have no doubt that
their leadership will continue to positively impact the world for many
years to come.”
Bridgett, a senior at Pershing County High School, assembled 32 “Code
Red” kits for all of the classrooms in her town’s elementary school to
make students and teachers safer and more comfortable in the event of an
emergency “lockdown.” Bridgett thought of the project when a warning
bell sounded in her high school one day, signifying that either a drill
or an emergency was taking place at the elementary school. “This
frightened me, knowing that my little brother could possibly be in
danger,” she said. She wanted teachers and children to be fully prepared
in case of a true emergency.
Bridgett came up with the idea of packing the essential items a
classroom would need in an emergency lockdown into a five-gallon bucket,
which could also serve as a portable toilet. With input from the
elementary school’s safety committee and law enforcement officials,
Bridgett decided to include first aid and evacuation supplies, food and
water, CPR masks, blankets, whistles, and kitty litter. She wrote
letters to secure donations of many supplies, but also had to purchase
items with money from her Girl Scout cookie sales. When the completed
buckets were presented at the elementary school, Bridgett trained
teachers in how to use them. She also wrote and distributed a brochure
advising parents on what to do if their child’s school experienced a
“Code Red.” “In a worst-case scenario, the Code Red kits could possibly
save a child’s life,” said Bridgett.
Elizabeth, an eighth-grader at Tarkanian Middle School, started a school
in her backyard where neighborhood children who are struggling
academically can come for a few hours every Saturday for help with their
studies. Elizabeth was so inspired by her second-grade teacher that she
began building desks out of cardboard boxes and made her brother and
cousins play school with her on Sunday afternoons. When she became
serious about teaching, she started conducting lessons for her siblings
in her grandparents’ house. As word spread, other kids asked to attend
the classes, so Elizabeth’s parents and grandparents helped her build a
one-room schoolhouse in her backyard.
Now, Elizabeth teaches about 10 kids ranging from 4 to 12 years old in
her schoolhouse every Saturday from noon to 2:30 p.m. She creates and
executes lesson plans for the various levels of her students, and works
with them individually to address particular academic needs, striving to
make learning fun and interesting. Her classes also help the students
build self-esteem and make new friends, said Elizabeth. “Helping these
kids find joy in learning has inspired me to continue this school long
term,” she said.
“Bridgett and Elizabeth are wonderful examples of young Americans who
care about the world around them and have taken the initiative to
improve that world,” said John R. Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of
Prudential Financial, Inc. “We salute their effort, their achievements,
and their spirit of community.”
More than 21,000 young people submitted applications for the 2010 awards
program last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H
organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of the
Points of Light Institute’s HandsOn Network. The top middle level and
high school applicants in each state were selected in February and flown
to Washington this week with their parents for four days of special
recognition events.
Conducted in partnership with the National Association of Secondary
School Principals (NASSP), The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
were created 15 years ago by Prudential Financial to encourage youth
volunteerism and to identify and reward young role models. Since then,
the program has honored nearly 100,000 young volunteers at the local,
state and national level.
“The young women and men in America’s schools are nothing short of
amazing, and nowhere is this more evident than amongst this year’s award
recipients,” said NASSP President Steven Pophal. “They possess a keen
intellect, servant hearts, capable leadership skills, and are filled
with energy and ambition. NASSP and Prudential are honored to recognize
them.”
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards are supported by the American
Association of School Administrators, the National Middle School
Association, the National School Boards Association, the Council of the
Great City Schools, Girl Scouts of the USA, National 4-H Council, the
American Red Cross, YMCA of the USA, the Points of Light Institute, and
other national education and service organizations.
More information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and
this year’s honorees can be found at http://spirit.prudential.com
or www.principals.org/spirit.
In existence since 1916, the National Association of Secondary School
Principals (NASSP) is the preeminent organization of and national voice
for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and
aspiring school leaders from across the United States and more than 45
countries around the world. NASSP’s mission is to promote excellence in
school leadership. The National Honor Society®, National Junior Honor
Society®, National Elementary Honor Society™, and National Association
of Student Councils® are all NASSP programs. For more information about
NASSP, located in Reston, Va., visit www.principals.org
or call 703-860-0200.
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) is a financial services leader
with operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
Leveraging its heritage of life insurance and asset management
expertise, Prudential is focused on helping approximately 50 million
individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth. In
the United States, the company’s Rock symbol is an icon of strength,
stability, expertise and innovation that has stood the test of time.
Prudential's businesses offer a variety of products and services,
including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual
funds, investment management, and real estate services. For more
information, visit www.news.prudential.com.
[Editors: full-color pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards
program logo and medallions are available at spirit.prudential.com.]
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6273423&lang=en
Prudential
Harold Banks, 973-802-8974 or 973-216-4833
or
NASSP
Robert
Farrace, 703-860-7257
On May 3, 8:30 am - 4 pm EDT: 202-955-1155 or
1166
Source: Prudential Financial
