Iowa's Top Youth Volunteers of 2021 Selected by National Program

NEWARK, N.J., Feb. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Emma Thompson, 17, of West Des Moines and Davin Holste, 13, of Shenandoah today were named Iowa's top youth volunteers of 2021 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, America's largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer service.

As State Honorees, Emma and Davin will each receive a $2,500 scholarship, a silver medallion and an invitation to the program's virtual national recognition celebration in April, where 10 of the 102 State Honorees will be named America's top youth volunteers of the year. Those 10 National Honorees will earn an additional $5,000 scholarship, a gold medallion, a crystal trophy for their nominating organization and a $5,000 grant for a nonprofit charitable organization of their choice.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, conducted annually by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), honors students in grades 5-12 for making meaningful contributions to their communities through volunteer service.

"We created the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards 26 years ago to highlight and support the work of young people taking on the challenges of a changing world – a mission that rings truer than ever given the events of last year," said Charles Lowrey, Prudential's chairman and CEO. "We are proud to celebrate the vision and determination of Spirit of Community's Class of 2021, and all the ways they're making their communities safer, healthier and more equitable places to live."

These are Iowa's top youth volunteers of 2021:

High School State Honoree: Emma Thompson
Nominated by Valley High School

Emma, a senior at Valley High School, has helped more than 60 senior citizens in her area learn to use their computers and phones more effectively through her student-led volunteer program, "Teen Electronics & Cyber Help for Seniors" (TECHS). When Emma's grandparents have a technology problem, they go to her. They're usually about basic but important functions like managing apps, determining how much data they've used, setting up WiFi connections and transferring and updating contacts, said Emma. "Although these are simple problems for me to fix and teach them to do, they are quite difficult for my grandparents and very frustrating." So when a local retirement center needed help supporting residents in using their devices, Emma stepped up. Due to COVID-19, the program shifted gears to comply with local regulations.

Realizing that during the pandemic it was more important than ever for seniors to stay connected with the outside world, Emma designed a website, contacted four school districts to recruit student volunteers, developed a training program for them and developed promotional materials, which she delivered to senior facilities. To comply with COVID-19 restrictions around in-person visits, Emma addressed the most common tech problems on a YouTube video and a Facebook page. Volunteers met virtually with seniors and, in some cases, were able to meet outdoors in socially distanced events. Since she started, Emma's 26 student volunteers have solved more than 170 technology problems for senior citizens in her community.

Middle Level State Honoree: Davin Holste
Nominated by Shenandoah Middle School

Davin, an eighth-grader at Shenandoah Middle School, volunteers in numerous ways to make his community a better place to live. "When I moved to my town a few years back, our community said that there was a lack of volunteerism," said Davin. "This motivated me to work with my community."

Davin has cleaned parks, posted water-pressure readings on fire hydrants, and made flag posts for a cemetery. He also has helped with a "Shop with a Cop" program to buy gifts for children in need at Christmastime, assisted with many food drives, and volunteered to help with a local Knights of Columbus pancake breakfast. At his church, Davin has helped provide Christmas gifts for children in need overseas. Recently, he also made a video to help students return to school safely after being sequestered at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Volunteering has helped make me a better person," said Davin. "I learned that I can make a difference if I work my hardest."

State Honorees in The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Class of 2021 – the top middle level and high school volunteer from all 50 states and the District of Columbia – were selected for service initiatives completed, at least in part, between the fall of 2019 and the fall of 2020. Selection was based on criteria including impact, effort, initiative and the personal growth demonstrated over the course of the project. Several Distinguished Finalists and runners-up were also selected in each state, and all qualifying applicants received President's Volunteer Service Awards. 

"It speaks volumes about the character of today's secondary school students that the Spirit of Community program heard from more than 21,000 applicants this fall – most of them stories of young volunteers overcoming the hardships of a global pandemic to support those in need," said Ronn Nozoe, Chief Executive Officer, NASSP. "While we're especially proud to celebrate this year's 102 State Honorees, NASSP applauds every student who's found a way to volunteer this past year. You inspire your peers and adults alike to remember that, even in times of crisis, we all have something to give."

To read the names and stories of all of this year's State Honorees, visit http://spirit.prudential.com.

About Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial wellness leader and premier active global investment manager, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees help to make lives better by creating financial opportunity for more people. Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit news.prudential.com. 

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 http://nassp.org.

SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc.

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