- 102 student volunteers earn $1,000 awards, silver medallions and trip to nation's capital -

(BLACK PR WIRE) – WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Some took a stand against bullying. Others led efforts to feed the hungry. Many provided support to veterans of the U.S. armed forces and comfort to the homeless.

Those are just some of the stories of the 102 youth volunteers – two from each state and the District of Columbia – who today were named State Honorees by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring students in grades 5-12 for outstanding volunteer service. The awards program, now in its 19th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

Each of the 102 State Honorees will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C. for four days of national recognition events. During the trip, 10 of them will be named America’s top youth volunteers of 2014.

In addition to the State Honorees, the program’s judges recognized 234 students nationwide as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion. More than 500 other applicants were awarded Certificates of Excellence for their volunteer work. (See attached list of State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists.)

Many of this year’s State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists were recognized for their innovative efforts to collect spare food, school supplies and other essentials to donate to people in need. A number of these top youth volunteers led efforts to feed the hungry through community gardening, and many more created programs to help other young people succeed in school or overcome difficult personal circumstances.

Learn about the volunteer activities of each State Honoree and Distinguished Finalist at http://spirit.prudential.com.

“We applaud each of these young people for their exemplary volunteer service,” said Prudential Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld. “They use their time and talents to make a meaningful difference in their communities, and we hope their example inspires others to do the same.”

“By going above and beyond in their volunteer service, these students have brought positive change to communities across the country,” said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. “Congratulations to each and every one of them on this well-deserved honor.”

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 HandsOn Network affiliates, 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 5, 10 of the State Honorees – five middle level and five high school students – will be named America’s top youth volunteers of 2014. 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 100,000 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 and China. 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 on behalf of President Barack Obama.

About NASSP

The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and national voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and all school leaders from across the United States and more than 36 countries around the world. The association connects and engages school leaders through advocacy, research, education, and student programs. NASSP advocates on behalf of all school leaders to ensure the success of each student and strengthens school leadership practices through the design and delivery of high quality professional learning experiences. 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 Association of Student Councils. For more information about NASSP, located in Reston, VA, visit 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.

Editors: For full-color pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallions, click here: http://bit.ly/Xi4oFW

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards 2014 State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists

Alabama

State Honorees:
Kimya Loder, 18, Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School, Irondale
Laura Grace Henry, 11, Prattville Christian Academy, Prattville

Distinguished Finalists:
Ashley Archer, 18, Decatur High School, Decatur
Laure Bender, 17, The Altamont School, Birmingham
Mary-McClain Colgrove, 13, Demopolis Middle School, Demopolis
Constance Howard, 17, Vestavia Hills High School, Vestavia Hills

Alaska

State Honorees:
Katherine Dolma, 18, Homer High School, Homer
Leah Smith, 13, Colony Middle School, Palmer

Distinguished Finalists:
Ellie Hakari, 17, Colony High School, Palmer
Jessica Roper, 18, Kenai Central High School, Kenai

Arizona

State Honorees:
Vedant Lahoti, 16, Desert Mountain High School, Scottsdale
Tegan Homol, 12, home school, Casa Grande

Distinguished Finalists:
Robert Brown, 17, Northpoint Expeditionary Learning Academy, Prescott
Lindsey Chew, 17, Hamilton High School, Chandler
Alex Dahlmann, 18, Chaparral High School, Scottsdale
Mackenzie Fritz, 17, Ironwood Ridge High School, Oro Valley
Manu Kondapi, 17, Horizon Honors High School, Phoenix
Rajet Vatsa, 17, Brophy College Preparatory, Phoenix

Arkansas

State Honorees:
Rachel Deeds, 16, Haas Hall Academy, Fayetteville
Riley Strube, 10, Cabot Middle School South, Cabot

Distinguished Finalists:
Sam Harris, 17, Greenbrier High School, Greenbrier
Preston Hyatt, 10, Eureka Springs Middle School, Eureka Springs
Kaylee Laster, 17, Pea Ridge High School, Pea Ridge
Raygan Sylvester, 17, North Little Rock High School, North Little Rock

California

State Honorees:
Jessica Bird, 18, Sacred Heart Preparatory, Atherton
Claudia Moysset, 13, Harvard-Westlake School, Los Angeles

Distinguished Finalists:
Miguel Aldrete, 13, Rancho Del Rey Middle School, Chula Vista
Lulu Cerone, 14, The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles
Jonas Corona, 10, The New City School, Long Beach
Liam Hession, 18, Junipero Serra High School, San Mateo
Divya Manthena, 16, La Reina High School, Thousand Oaks
Max Mazur, 18, Cardinal Newman High School, Windsor
Grace O'Brien, 16, Tesoro High School, Las Flores
Daniel Rosenthal, 17, Maria Carrillo High School, Santa Rosa
Preetam Soundararajan, 17, Francis Parker School, San Diego
Kiran Sridhar, 16, Lick-Wilmerding High School, San Francisco

Colorado

State Honorees:
Virginia "Ginny" Creager, 18, Frederick Senior High School, Frederick
Eric Bear, 14, YMCA of Metro Denver, Denver

Distinguished Finalists:
Rohit Gupta, 17, Grandview High School, Aurora
Navya Roy, 17, Rock Canyon High School, Highlands Ranch
Patrick Ryan, 17, Greeley Central High School, Greeley
Jennifer Steiner, 18, Legend High School, Parker

Connecticut

State Honorees:
Alec Gewirtz, 18, Hopkins School, New Haven
David Albright, 13, St. Mary School, Milford

Distinguished Finalists:
Junhui Liu, 18, Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford
Samantha Petersen, 16, Petersen Homeschool, South Windsor
Nisha Rajamohan, 16, Waterford High School, Waterford
Michael Rosamilia, 18, Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield

Delaware

State Honorees:
Julia Murphy, 17, Newark High School, Newark
Natalie Onesi, 14, Ursuline Academy, Wilmington

Distinguished Finalists:
Sarah Bell, 18, Sussex County 4-H, Georgetown
Marius Sander, 16, St. Thomas More Academy, Magnolia

District of Columbia

State Honorees:
Sydney Kamen, 17, Georgetown Day School, Washington, D.C.
Maxine Bailey, 13, Holy Trinity School, Washington, D.C.

Distinguished Finalists:
Janae Morgan, 18, Washington Mathematics Science Technology Public Charter High School, Washington, D.C.
Tania Perez, 17, Capital City Public Charter School, Washington, D.C.

Florida

State Honorees:
Zachary Bonner, 16, Hillsborough Education Foundation, Tampa
Michael Stolzenberg, 14, Pine Crest School, Fort Lauderdale

Distinguished Finalists:
Marc Berson, 18, Freedom High School, Tampa
Celeste Felix, 15, Poinciana High School, Kissimmee
Keli Hodges, 17, Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, West Palm Beach
N'Jhari Jackson, 11, The Paideia School of Tampa Bay, Tampa
Eve Moll, 15, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Ft. Lauderdale
Thomas Ponce, 13, South Seminole Middle School, Casselberry
Leia Schwartz, 17, Coral Reef Senior High School, Miami
Randall Slapikas, 14, HandsOn Broward, Lauderhill

Georgia

State Honorees:
Colin Humble, 18, Walton High School, Marietta
Remington Youngblood, 12, Riverwatch Middle School, Suwanee

Distinguished Finalists:
Alyssa Howard, 14, Crabapple Middle School, Roswell
Lauren Ladouceur, 16, Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Mableton
Nina Manuel, 15, Unity Christian School, Rome
Madison Murphy, 17, Peachtree Ridge High School, Suwanee
Haley Patterson, 17, YMCA of Rome Floyd County, Rome
Rachel Van Dyke, 18, Lambert High School, Suwanee

Hawaii

State Honorees:
Kayla Kawamura, 17, Hanalani Schools, Mililani
Hannah Button, 14, Trinity Lutheran School, Wahiawa

Distinguished Finalists:
Gary Calzada, 18, Oahu County 4-H, Wahiawa
Kimberly Uehisa, 16, Island Pacific Academy, Kapolei

Idaho

State Honorees:
Cameron Kirk, 17, Lewiston High School, Lewiston
John Mangum, 14, Snake River Junior High School, Blackfoot

Distinguished Finalists:
Tracen Mangum, 11, Snake River Middle School, Blackfoot
Hope Newman, 15, Post Falls High School, Post Falls

Illinois

State Honorees:
Jasmine Babers, 18, Rock Island High School, Rock Island
Mackenzie Scott, 14, Zion Lutheran School, Belleville

Distinguished Finalists:
Misha Ahmad, 17, Auburn High School, Rockford
Peter Chung, 17, Barrington High School, Barrington
Emily Laughead, 15, Giving DuPage, Wheaton
Varun Medhal, 18, Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire
Jenna Metcalfe, 16, Eureka High School, Eureka
Mishika Narula, 17, Highland Park High School, Highland Park
Courtney Quigley, 17, Barrington High School, Barrington
Talia Worth, 17, Deerfield High School, Deerfield

Indiana

State Honorees:
Shanze Tahir, 16, Zionsville Community High School, Zionsville
Mariah Reynolds, 15, Dearborn County 4-H, Aurora

Distinguished Finalists:
Joseph Hilty, 13, East Jay County Middle School, Portland
Bailey Meenach, 18, Clarks County 4-H, Marysville
Kendra Mehling, 18, Castle High School, Newburgh
Hannah Midkiff, 18, Brownsburg High School, Brownsburg
Cole Thompson, 18, Western Boone Jr-Sr High School, Thorntown
Taylor Watkins, 18, North Newton Jr/Sr High School, Morocco

Iowa

State Honorees:
Maria Belding, 18, Pella High School, Pella
Tayvin Schmoll, 13, West Middle School, Sioux City

Distinguished Finalists:
Anna Hausler, 18, Volunteer Center of Johnson County, Coralville
Sadie Lewman, 17, Webster County 4-H, Fort Dodge
Tanner Merrifield, 18, Southeast Polk High School, Pleasant Hill
Quinn Wilson, 17, Ankeny High School, Ankeny

Kansas

State Honorees:
Logan Brown, 18, Free State High School, Topeka
Hannah Thurlby, 12, Harmony Middle School, Overland Park

Distinguished Finalists:
Hannah Bergwell, 17, Blue Valley North High School, Overland Park
Megan Keller, 17, Northwest High School, Wichita
Anne Schugart, 17, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Overland Park
Kinsey Volk, 15, Goodland High School, Goodland

Kentucky

State Honorees:
Kinsey Morrison, 17, St. Francis High School, Louisville
Morgan Guess, 11, Lone Oak Intermediate School, Paducah

Distinguished Finalists:
Hattie Fitzpatrick, 13, Middlesboro Middle School, Middlesboro
Kelsey Mattingly, 18, Rockcastle County High School, Mt. Vernon
Eliza Waller, 18, Lexington Catholic High School, Lexington
Abigail Yarberry, 11, Greathouse/Shryock Traditional Elementary School, Louisville

Louisiana

State Honorees:
Elijah Evans, 16, Comeaux High School, Lafayette
Madison Waldron, 13, Haughton Middle School, Haughton

Distinguished Finalists:
Chase Brouillette, 16, Catholic High School, Baton Rouge
Isabel Caballero, 14, Mount Carmel Academy, New Orleans
Bryttani MacNamara, 15, Sulphur High School, Sulphur
Isaac McFarland, 16, Caddo Parish 4-H, Shreveport

Maine

State Honorees:
Sarah Caldwell, 16, Falmouth High School, Falmouth
Brianna Jack, 10, Woodland Elementary School, Baileyville

Distinguished Finalists:
Zoe Gillies, 18, Cape Elizabeth High School, Cape Elizabeth
Felix Thibodeau, 17, Nokomis Regional High School, Newport

Maryland

State Honorees:
Yiyi "Jessica" Li, 17, Richard Montgomery High School, Potomac
Ally Salvino, 13, Kingsview Middle School, Germantown

Distinguished Finalists:
Shoshana Brody, 15, Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Baltimore
Rebecca Dobry, 17, Northeast High School, Pasadena
Gretchen Eichelberger, 17, Northern High School, Owings
Emma Gregory, 15, South River High School, Edgewater
Marymargaret O'Neill, 15, St. John's Catholic Prep, Buckeystown
Christiana Sasser, 17, Westminster High School, Westminster

Massachusetts

State Honorees:
Ellie Burger, 16, Dover-Sherborn High School, Dover
Lindsey Arruda, 11, Somerset Middle School, Somerset

Distinguished Finalists:
Marissa Birne, 16, The Rivers School, Weston
Heather Demers, 18, Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, Upton
Ashely Garcia, 17, Westford Academy, Westford
Varoun Gulati, 17, Noble and Greenough School, Dedham
Kylee McCumber, 12, Sky View Middle School, Leominster
Amol Punjabi, 15, Advanced Math & Science Academy Charter School, Marlboro

Michigan

State Honorees:
Dhivya Sridar, 16, Novi High School, Novi
Lillian Diuble, 11, Manchester Middle School, Manchester

Distinguished Finalists:
Bryce Bizer, 16, South Lyon East High School, South Lyon
Qiana Eberly, 17, Jackson Community College/Lenawee Intermediate School District Academy, Adrian
Andy Hsiao, 17, Huron High School, Ann Arbor
Haley Kowalski, 17, Bay City Central High School, Bay City
Alexis Loehfelm, 13, Northern Hills Middle School, Grand Rapids
Alyssa Modrich, 17, St. Clair County 4-H, Port Huron
Molly Pribble, 13, Washtenaw-Lenawee Chapter of the American Red Cross, Ann Arbor
Rachel Stamler-Jonas, 17, The Roeper School, Birmingham

Minnesota

State Honorees:
Michael Guggenheim, 18, Mounds Park Academy, St. Paul
Mason Stoltz, 14, Central Middle School, Eden Prairie

Distinguished Finalists:
Emily Albert-Stauning, 13, Capitol Hill Magnet School, St. Paul
Andrew Floeder, 17, St. Thomas Academy, Mendota Heights
Allison Kanyetzny, 18, Anoka High School, Anoka
Katherine Lundquist, 17, East Ridge High School, Woodbury
Olivia Maccoux, 18, Park Center Senior High School, Brooklyn Park
Amelia Tesdahl, 17, St. Francis High School, St. Francis

Mississippi

State Honorees:
Reagan Norwood, 17, Biloxi High School, Biloxi
Jonah Holland, 14, Tishomingo County 4-H, Iuka

Distinguished Finalists:
Cara Crawford, 18, Jackson Preparatory School, Flowood
Nicholas Myers, 17, Gulfport High School, Gulfport
Anne-Marie Prochaska, 17, American Red Cross Northwest Mississippi Chapter, Oxford
Katelyn Roberts, 18, West Lincoln Attendance Center, Brookhaven

Missouri

State Honorees:
Samantha Caraway, 18, Kirksville High School, Kirksville
Sarah Eisenman, 13, Ladue Middle School, St. Louis

Distinguished Finalists:
Sarah Casteel, 17, Clayton High School, Clayton
August Clark, 18, Marquette High School, Chesterfield
Arthur Hale, 18, Forsyth High School, Forsyth
Joseph Reyes, 18, Dora High School, Dora
Ryan Schweitzer, 18, Hillsboro Senior High School, Hillsboro
Maryn White, 13, Summit Lakes Middle School, Lee's Summit

Montana

State Honorees:
Nina Gamell, 18, Sentinel High School, Missoula
Abigail Beck, 13, Hamilton Christian Academy, Hamilton

Distinguished Finalists:
Jaden Maharg, 18, Helena High School, Helena
McKalistar Rosenbaum, 17, Charlo Schools 7J, Charlo

Nebraska

State Honorees:
Phoebe Lockhart, 18, Ogallala High School, Ogallala
Audrey Worthing, 13, Elm Creek Schools, Elm Creek

Distinguished Finalists:
Morgan Coil, 18, Millard West High School, Omaha
Jessie Harris, 16, Kearney High School, Kearney

Nevada

State Honorees:
Landrey Fulmer, 17, Desert Oasis High School, Las Vegas
Siena Prenger, 13, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School, Las Vegas

Distinguished Finalists:
Stephanie Brereton, 17, Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas
Evan Gong, 17, Nevada Virtual Academy, Las Vegas
Savannah Prenger, 17, Bishop Gorman High School, Las Vegas
Natalie Vaughn, 16, Ed W. Clark High School, Las Vegas

New Hampshire

State Honorees:
Caroline Carter, 16, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Dover
Quinn Griffith, 12, Strafford County 4-H, Dover

Distinguished Finalists:
Timothy Andrews, 17, Goffstown High School, Goffstown
Elizabeth West, 14, Merrimack Valley High School, Penacook

New Jersey

State Honorees:
Ashley Craig, 17, High Point Regional High School, Sussex
Jayne McDevitt, 13, Howell Middle School South, Howell

Distinguished Finalists:
Benjamin Danzger, 17, Tenafly High School, Tenafly
Caitlin Hanus, 17, Morris Catholic High School, Denville
Adrian Hertel, 17, Princeton High School, Princeton
Brian Meersma, 17, The Community YMCA, Shrewsbury
Matthew Szawaluk, 17, Glen Rock High School, Glen Rock
Nancy Woo, 17, Woodrow Wilson Middle School, Edison

New Mexico

State Honorees:
Annika Cushnyr, 17, Bosque School, Albuquerque
Parker Lovesee, 13, New Mexico Virtual Academy, Farmington

Distinguished Finalists:
Khirah Burger, 17, Albuquerque High School, Albuquerque
Dalton Wright, 15, Cloudcroft Municipal School District, Cloudcroft

New York

State Honorees:
Sean Egan, 17, Monsignor Farrell High School, Staten Island
Haley Maier, 11, Orleans County 4-H, Albion

Distinguished Finalists:
Nicholas Courtney, 17, St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, Buffalo
Brooke DiPalma, 17, West Islip Senior High School, West Islip
Camille Marshall, 17, Ogdensburg Free Academy, Ogdensburg
Akash Mehta, 16, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn
Jessica Penna, 18, St. Anthony's High School, South Huntington
Caroline Pennacchio, 15, Briarcliff High School, Briarcliff Manor
Brook Peters, 17, McBurney YMCA, New York
Pascale Stain, 17, Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York, Albany

North Carolina

State Honorees:
Molly Paul, 15, Saint Mary's School, Raleigh
Leanne Joyce, 14, Grey Culbreth Middle School, Chapel Hill

Distinguished Finalists:
Andrew Distell, 18, The Fayetteville Academy, Fayetteville
Madison Drouin, 13, Liberty Preparatory Christian Academy, Mooresville
Avery Faucette, 17, Charlotte Catholic High School, Charlotte
Rachel Hopkins, 15, Girl Scouts-North Carolina Coastal Pines, Raleigh
Sloane Pfaff, 16, West Carteret High School, Morehead City
Emily Shuford, 14, East Burke High School, Connelly Springs

North Dakota

State Honorees:
Joanna Larson, 17, New Rockford-Sheyenne High School, New Rockford
Heidi Deplazes, 12, Shanley High-Sullivan Middle School, Fargo

Distinguished Finalists:
Hannah Alto, 18, North Star Public School, Cando
Morgan Uriell, 18, Lakota High School, Lakota

Ohio

State Honorees:
John Lund, 17, William Mason High School, Mason
Sydney Copeland, 14, Herman K. Ankeney Middle School, Beavercreek

Distinguished Finalists:
Catherine Bruno, 18, Nordonia High School, Macedonia
Ama Koranteng, 17, New Albany High School, New Albany
Tyler Krebs, 18, St. Edward High School, Lakewood
Monica Nemeth, 17, Shaker Heights High School, Shaker Heights
Kristin Osborne, 17, Girl Scouts of North East Ohio, Macedonia
Morlan Osgood, 15, Loveland High School, Loveland
Rachel Prior, 11, Munroe Elementary School, Tallmadge
Julia Shin, 17, Dublin Jerome High School, Dublin

Oklahoma

State Honorees:
Ashten Vincent, 17, Edmond North High School, Edmond
Katherine Prior, 13, Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma, Oklahoma City

Distinguished Finalists:
Cierra Little Water Fields, 14, Fort Gibson High School, Fort Gibson
Jessica Miller, 18, Wright City High School, Wright City
Erika Vinson, 18, Warner High School, Warner
Kaylee Young, 17, Cleveland County 4-H, Norman

Oregon

State Honorees:
Christopher Younkins, 18, Westview High School, Portland
Kaylee Graham, 14, Siuslaw Middle School, Florence

Distinguished Finalists:
Isabella Head, 13, Ashland Middle School, Ashland
Levi Losli, 16, Country Christian School, Molalla
Victoria Pence, 17, Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington, Portland
Abby Williams, 17, Grant High School, Portland

Pennsylvania

State Honorees:
Alexis Werner, 18, Shaler Area High School, Pittsburgh
Nikolas Toocheck, 10, Hillendale Elementary School, Chadds Ford

Distinguished Finalists:
John Armstrong, 18, Downingtown STEM Academy, Downingtown
Calista Frederick-Jaskiewicz, 17, PA Distance Learning Charter School, Wexford
Katherine Hung, 14, Radnor High School, Radnor
Casey Kirwan, 17, Peters Township High School, McMurray
Kristen McGreevy, 18, Hampton High School, Allison Park
Quinn Norris, 13, Academy of Notre Dame de Namur, Villanova
Katelyn Schreckengast, 17, Palmyra Area High School, Palmyra
Elexa White, 13, Seneca Valley Middle School, Harmony

Rhode Island

State Honorees:
John Perino, 15, Westerly High School, Westerly
Kelly Graziano, 12, Nicholas A. Ferri Middle School, Johnston

Distinguished Finalists:
Jocelyn Foraker, 18, Chariho Regional High School, Wood River Junction
Amanda Young, 17, Cranston High School West, Cranston

South Carolina

State Honorees:
Katie Stagliano, 15, Pinewood Preparatory School, Summerville
Isabella Hixenbaugh, 14, Forestbrook Middle School, Myrtle Beach

Distinguished Finalists:
Patrick Gorospe, 18, South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics, Hartsville
Joseph Kovas, 18, Chester Senior High School, Chester
Nina Srivastava, 17, Spartanburg Day School, Spartanburg
Nicholas Wheeler, 15, Hilton Head Island High School, Hilton Head

South Dakota

State Honorees:
Nathan Duerre, 17, Webster Area High School, Webster
Dalton Howe, 14, Redfield Jr. High School, Redfield

Distinguished Finalists:
Gavin Brucklacher, 18, Philip High School, Philip
Shelby Specht, 13, Harrisburg North Middle School, Sioux Falls

Tennessee

State Honorees:
Ashlin Wildun, 18, Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, Nashville
Ryan Kirst, 15, Carpenters Middle School, Maryville

Distinguished Finalists:
Madison Blackstock, 18, Summit High School, Spring Hill
Savannah Blaylock, 17, Central Magnet School, Murfreesboro
Alexandra Christopoulos, 17, Hardin Valley Academy, Knoxville
Carrie Deese, 17, Brentwood High School, Brentwood
Hannah Denson, 17, Rossview High School, Clarksville
Samantha Laubacher, 18, Blackman High School, Murfreesboro

Texas

State Honorees:
Sarita Damaraju, 15, W.B. Ray High School, Corpus Christi
William Lourcey, 11, Volunteer Center of North Texas, Dallas

Distinguished Finalists:
Wilson Clark, 17, Robert E. Lee High School, Midland
Samuel Collins, 17, Robert M. Beren Academy, Houston
Cullen Corr, 15, Episcopal School of Dallas, Dallas
Richmond Dewan, 18, Hyde Park Baptist School, Austin
Hannah Hullender, 18, Arlington High School, Arlington
Ashlynn Martz, 17, Canyon Lake High School, Fischer
Sahil Prakash, 12, Crockett Intermediate, Paris
Emma Scheffler, 18, Carroll Senior High School, Southlake
Bridgit Sillman, 17, Seven Lakes High School, Katy
Kylie Wade, 18, Lamar High School, Arlington

Utah

State Honorees:
Hailey Daniels, 17, Bonneville High School, Washington Terrace
Luke Hughes, 13, Bountiful Junior High School, Bountiful

Distinguished Finalists:
Bonnie Bennett, 18, East High School, Salt Lake City
Abigail Crane, 13, Girl Scouts of Utah, Salt Lake City
Monroe Dauwalder, 17, Utah County Academy of Science, Orem
Landon Weeks, 17, Bonneville High School, Washington Terrace

Vermont

State Honorees:
Michelle Dreimann, 16, Stratton Mountain School, Stratton Mountain
Richard Diemer, 13, Mater Christi School, Burlington

Distinguished Finalists:
Sonia Howlett, 17, Middlebury Union High School, Middlebury
Moriah Post-Kinney, 17, South Royalton Elementary/High School, S. Royalton

Virginia

State Honorees:
William Thomas, 15, Gonzaga College High School, Washington
Tomas Nichols, 12, H. H. Poole Middle School, Stafford

Distinguished Finalists:
Katelyn Blakely, 18, Osbourn Park High School, Manassas
Taylor Campbell, 17, Stonewall Jackson High School, Manassas
Jenna Crumley, 13, Kemps Landing Magnet School, Virginia Beach
Sandra Edwards-Thro, 18, York High School, Yorktown
Davina Seoparsan, 17, J. R. Tucker High School, Henrico
Taylor Wichtendahl, 17, First Colonial High School, Virginia Beach

Washington

State Honorees:
Jessie Swofford, 18, Curtis Senior High School, University Place
Mia Nguyen, 13, Alderwood Middle School, Lynnwood

Distinguished Finalists:
Katelyn Dolan, 17, Central Valley High School, Spokane Valley
McKinley Goble, 18, home school, Tacoma
Dansil Green, 16, Granite Falls High School, Granite Falls
Philip Howard, 17, Central Valley High School, Spokane Valley
Austin Schuver, 17, Enumclaw High School, Enumclaw
Carolyn Van Der Meulen, 17, United Way of Snohomish County, Everett

West Virginia

State Honorees:
Katie Cowie, 17, Cabell Midland High School, Ona
Olivia Smith, 14, Wood County 4-H, Parkersburg

Distinguished Finalists:
Kristen Falconi, 14, University High School, Morgantown
Peter Welcker, 17, Parkersburg South High School, Parkersburg

Wisconsin

State Honorees:
Patrick O'Grady, 18, Marquette University High School, Milwaukee
Ted Colwell, 13, Friess Lake School, Hubertus

Distinguished Finalists:
Jamie Holm, 15, Regis High School, Eau Claire
Noah Katz, 17, Whitefish Bay High School, Whitefish Bay
Rachel Ley, 17, Stevens Point Area Senior High, Stevens Point
Emma Paulson, 18, Brookfield Academy, Brookfield
Katharine Rhoten, 15, Eau Claire Memorial High School, Eau Claire
Jessica Yost, 17, Arrowhead Union High School, Hartland

Wyoming

State Honorees:
Julia Harris, 18, Green River High School, Green River
Caleb Sabatka, 12, Dubois Elementary/Middle School, Dubois

Distinguished Finalists:
Wyatt Hank Rauterkus, 16, Lincoln County 4-H, Afton
Jessica Woodford, 17, Star Valley High School, Afton

For more information on Prudential Spirit of Community Awards State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists, visit http://spirit.prudential.com.

Source: Prudential Financial

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