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Two Montana Youth Honored for Volunteerism at National Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C.Montana's top two youth volunteers of 2015, Keegan Nicholson, 18, of Missoula and Jayson Wanner, 13, of Great Falls, were honored in the nation's capital last night for their outstanding volunteer service during the 20th annual presentation of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Keegan and Jayson - along with 100 other top youth volunteers from across the country - each received $1,000 awards and personal congratulations from "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts at an award ceremony and gala dinner reception held at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. 
"Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts congratulates Keegan Nicholson, 18, of Missoula (center) and Jayson Wanner, 13, of Great Falls (right) on being named Montana's top two youth volunteers for 2015 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Keegan and Jayson were honored at a ceremony on Sunday, May 3 at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, where they each received a $1,000 award. (Photo: Zach Harrison Photography) The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), named Keegan and Jayson Montana's top high school and middle level youth volunteers in February. In addition to their cash awards, they each received an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip with a parent to Washington, D.C., for four days of recognition events. Keegan, a senior at Loyola Sacred Heart High School, has been refurbishing old laptop computers for the past several years, and donating them to students and young adults who cannot afford to buy one. "I have always had a keen interest in working with computers," said Keegan, "and have found that I am very good at refurbishing people's old computers to make them run almost like new." Recognizing the vital role computers play in students' education, and the fact that many students cannot afford them, Keegan realized he could use his skills to fill a "technological void" in his community. Initially, Keegan conducted his project only within the Loyola Sacred Heart community, seeking donated computers through the school's marketing director and providing restored machines to fellow students. The first recipient, he said, "was so thrilled she started crying." Keegan later decided that young people throughout Missoula could benefit from his program, so he established a website to promote his service. Before long, local news media picked up on his story, state agencies began sending him their old laptops, and the local school district asked Keegan to extend his program into the public schools. To manage his growing enterprise, Keegan recruited other high school students to serve on a management board and help coordinate donations and deliveries. Keegan's "Laptops for Students" program has given away more than 100 refurbishedmachines so far, and he is encouraging others to start similar programs in their communities with detailed instructions on his website. Jayson, an eighth-grader at East Middle School, volunteers to assist kids with special needs both as a unified partner for a Special Olympics athlete and as an assistant in the special education room at his school. Jayson's mother is a special ed teacher at a local high school, and he wanted to get involved in helping young people with disabilities, too. He asked to have his school schedule changed so that he could work in the special ed room at East Middle School, helping the students there with their assignments and doing whatever else the teacher wants him to do. Jayson saw another opportunity to pursue his volunteer interests when he heard about the Special Olympics program. He contacted the organization and the head coach of a local team, and then signed on as a unified partner to help an athlete with disabilities compete in Special Olympics sporting events. Soon after, Jayson persuaded his mother and sister to become Special Olympics volunteers, as well. "I have pride in what I do," said Jayson. "All of the people I have worked with, as well as myself, have benefited." "As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, we are delighted to recognize the 2015 honorees for their exemplary volunteer service," said John Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "These young people have demonstrated leadership, compassion and perseverance, and we look forward to seeing all they accomplish in the future." "These honorees represent the best of what America's youth have to offer," said G.A. Buie, president of NASSP. "They have set a powerful example for their peers by proving that one young person really can make a difference, and it is a privilege to shine a spotlight on their good works." Youth volunteers in grades 5-12 were invited to apply for 2015 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of the HandsOn Network. More than 33,000 middle level and high school students nationwide participated in this year's program. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program was created in 1995 to identify and recognize young people for outstanding volunteer service - and, in so doing, inspire others to volunteer, too. In the past 20 years, the program has honored more than 100,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level. For more information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year's honorees, 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 middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and school leaders from across the United States and 35 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 For B-roll of Montana's honorees at the 2015 national recognition events, contact Prudential's Harold Banks at (973) 216-4833 or [email protected]. Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20150504006234/en/ |
