America's 102 most outstanding youth volunteers - two from each state and the District of Columbia - were named State Honorees today by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for exemplary acts of volunteerism. The awards program, now in its 18th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial, Inc. 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, ten of them will be named America's top youth volunteers for 2013.

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 400 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 working to combat bullying, raise money for cancer research and make more activities accessible to people with disabilities. Others were honored for mentoring other young people and supporting U.S. veterans and troops. A great deal of energy was also devoted to addressing critical needs abroad; many honorees volunteered to help provide impoverished and disaster-stricken communities overseas with food, clothes, shoes, education and comfort.

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

"Prudential is proud to honor these students for making meaningful contributions to their communities," said Prudential Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld. "We hope that shining a spotlight on their initiative, creativity and compassion inspires others to consider how they, too, can make a difference."

"Through their volunteer service, each of these young people has made his or her mark on at least one person, school or community," said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. "When you consider the collective impact of each of these individual acts, it's clear that young people can be a major force for good."

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. Nearly 5,000 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 2013. 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 and India. 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

NASSP (National Association of Secondary School Principals) 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 provides research-based professional development and resources, networking, and advocacy to build the capacity of middle level and high school leaders to continually improve student performance. Reflecting its longstanding commitment to student leadership development as well, 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 http://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 2013 State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists

 

Alabama

State Honorees:

Kristen Ashley, 17, Hewitt-Trussville High School, Trussville

Emily Whittington, 13, Knollwood Christian School, Mobile
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Sarah Arwood, 17, Parrish High School, Parrish
Eli Nafziger, 14, Hewitt-Trussville High School, Trussville
Micah Smith, 16, Hoover High School, Hoover
Caitlin Wall, 18, Florence High School, Florence
 

Alaska

State Honorees:

Shaylee Rizzo, 17, Nikiski Middle/High School, Nikiski
Samuel Allred, 13, Raven Correspondence School, Anchorage
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Allison Ostrander, 16, Kenai Central High School, Kenai
Reese Qualls, 13, Palmer Junior Middle School, Palmer
 

Arizona

State Honorees:

Morgan Beckwith, 18, Telesis Center for Learning, Lake Havasu City
Alexandra Cockett, 13, Trivium Preparatory Academy, Goodyear
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Naveen Dasari, 15, Desert Mountain High School, Scottsdale
Sarah Heiser, 18, Catalina Foothills High School, Tucson
Henry Ng, 18, Glendale High School, Glendale
Aditi Poduval, 17, Desert Mountain High School, Scottsdale
Matthew Safford, 17, Desert Mountain High School, Scottsdale
Braden Whitaker, 18, Ironwood Ridge High School, Tucson
 

Arkansas

State Honorees:

Tiffany Easter, 18, Sheridan High School, Sheridan
Blake Abston, 13, Pulaski Heights Middle School, Little Rock
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Tatiana Borecky, 17, Shirley High School, Newport
Katherine Boyd, 17, Huntsville High School, Huntsville
Robert Callahan, 16, Southside High School, Batesville
Hailey Flatte, 18, Greenwood High School, Greenwood
 

California

State Honorees:

Allyson Ahlstrom, 17, Cardinal Newman High School, Santa Rosa
Teagan Stedman, 13, Harvard-Westlake School, Los Angeles
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Madison Brinnon, 17, YMCA of the East Bay, Oakland
Lulu Cerone, 13, Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles
Rohan Chandra, 17, The Harker School, San Jose
Shawn Esmaili, 18, Saint Francis High School, Mountain View
Sydney Fredette, 13, St. Anne School, Laguna Niguel
Noah Lizerbram, 18, La Costa Canyon High School, Carlsbad
Danamarie McNicholl-Carter, 18, Academy of Our Lady of Peace, San Diego
Nicole Minkina, 17, Santa Margarita Catholic High School, Rancho Santa Margarita
Samuel Patton, 14, Nevada County 4-H, Grass Valley
Kayla Tinucci, 16, Canyon High School, Canyon Country
 

Colorado

State Honorees:

Austin Reed, 18, Wray High School, Wray
Estefania Martinez, 13, North Middle School Health Sciences & Technology Campus, Aurora
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Matthew Golub, 18, Evergreen High School, Evergreen
Andrew Pham, 18, Cherokee Trail High School, Aurora
Courtney Pool, 18, Pine Creek High School, Colorado Springs
Navya Roy, 16, Rock Canyon High School, Highlands Ranch
 

Connecticut

State Honorees:

Alison Forger, 16, Masuk High School, Monroe
Anna Murphy, 11, Stafford Elementary School, Stafford Springs
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Hanna De Bruyn, 16, Lyme-Old Lyme High School, Old Lyme
Tyler Hoffman, 17, Farmington High School, Litchfield
Lexi Kelley, 16, St. Luke's School, New Canaan
Charles Proctor, 18, Hopkins School, New Haven
 

Delaware

State Honorees:

Krysta Pritchett, 17, Sussex Technical High School, Georgetown
Kyle Spillane, 13, Kent County 4-H, Dover
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Emily Ciuffetelli, 17, Cab Calloway School of the Arts, Wilmington
Daniel Iammatteo, 17, Cape Henlopen High School, Lewes
 

District of Columbia

State Honorees:

Kahlil Epps, 16, St. John's College High School, Washington
Miheret Hasenu, 13, Columbia Heights Educational Campus, Washington
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Treyon Hancock, 18, Options Public Charter School, Washington
Brianna Little, 17, Benjamin Banneker High School, Washington
 

Florida

State Honorees:

Alexis Lehrman, 14, Design and Architecture Senior High, Miami
Joshua Williams, 11, Ransom Everglades School, Coconut Grove
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Sara Brenes, 17, The Randazzo School, Coconut Creek
Erica Chemtob, 17, Trinity Preparatory School, Winter Park
Valentina Ferreira, 19, Wellington High School, Wellington
Christopher George, 13, Equip Education, Miramar
N'Jhari Jackson, 10, The Paideia School of Tampa Bay, Tampa
Lance Oppenheim, 17, HandsOn Broward, Lauderhill
Randall Slapikas, 13, Forest Glen Middle School, Coral Springs
Tiffany Tang, 17, Cypress Creek High School, Orlando
 

Georgia

State Honorees:

David Resnick, 18, Centennial High School, Roswell
Kelsey Hirsch, 13, Piney Grove Middle School, Cumming
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Julia Abelsky, 18, North Springs Charter High School, Sandy Springs
Ben Bearup, 14, Webb Bridge Middle School, Alpharetta
Chase Czaykowsky, 15, Atlanta Adventist Academy, Duluth
Sara McCorkle, 17, Evans County 4-H, Claxton
Mary Claire Birdsong, 18, McFarlane School, Augusta
Shaurya Verma, 17, Milton High School, Milton
 

Hawaii

State Honorees:

Brittany Amano, 15, 'Iolani School, Honolulu
Michael-Logan Jordan, 14, Kailua Intermediate School, Kailua
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Scott Fetz, 17, Hawaii Preparatory Academy, Kamuela
Lynn Nguyen, 16, Punahou School, Honolulu
 

Idaho

State Honorees:

Abigail Blue, 17, Mountain View High School, Meridian
Katie Skarpnes, 12, Vallivue Middle School, Caldwell
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Kyle Ashby, 17, Bishop Kelly High School, Boise
Carl Breidenbach, 18, Timberline High School, Boise
 

Illinois

State Honorees:

Paige Logan, 18, Effingham County 4-H, Effingham
Jashira Bolden, 13, Unity Lutheran Christian Elementary School, East St. Louis
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Mark Crenshaw, 18, Eureka High School, Eureka
Jake Herb, 16, Barrington High School, Barrington
Isha Jog, 17, Hoffman Estates High School, Hoffman Estates
Ingrid Lustig, 18, Lake Forest High School, Lake Forest
Alex Marck, 18, Aquin Catholic Junior-Senior High School, Freeport
Michael Bryant Powell, 18, Belleville West High School, Belleville
Jen Rubino, 18, Maine South High School, Park Ridge
Matthew Williams, 15, Vienna High School, Vienna
 

Indiana

State Honorees:

Cayman Jarvis, 17, Center Grove High School, Greenwood
Courtland Cottle, 13, Maple Crest Middle School, Kokomo
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Kellie Dippel, 18, Brownsburg High School, Brownsburg
Brooke Campbell, 18, East Noble High School, Kendallville
Audrey Eckart, 14, Clark-Pleasant Middle School, Greenwood
Kaylin Fanta, 17, Hanover Central High School, Cedar Lake
Amber Kriech, 18, Carmel High School, Carmel
Clayton Smith, 17, Tri-Central High School, Sharpsville
 

Iowa

State Honorees:

Katelyn Cinnamon, 17, Valley High School, West Des Moines
Samantha Dilocker, 13, Red Oak Middle School, Red Oak
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Bradley Baudler, 18, Adair County 4-H, Greenfield
Dylan DeClerck, 17, Valley High School, West Des Moines
Julianne Delessio, 18, Pleasant Valley High School, Bettendorf
Jacy McAlexander, 12, Carroll County 4-H, Carroll
 

Kansas

State Honorees:

Cassie Wang, 17, Olathe Northwest High School, Olathe
Alec Elffner, 14, Hiawatha Middle School, Hiawatha
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Logan Brown, 17, Free State High School, Lawrence
Blake Carnes, 17, Blue Valley West High School, Overland Park
Luke Garrison, 17, Shawnee County 4-H, Topeka
Anna Lipscomb, 16, Heritage Christian Academy, Olathe
 

Kentucky

State Honorees:

Virginia Newsome, 17, Lafayette High School, Lexington
Madison Roy, 10, St. Raphael the Archangel School, Louisville
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Faith Call, 17, Southwestern High School, Somerset
Jessica Collins, 13, Martha Layne Collins High School, Shelbyville
Olivia Colliver, 18, Montgomery County High School, Mt. Sterling
Victoria Poston, 17, Marshall County 4-H, Benton
 

Louisiana

State Honorees:

Kellie Abbott, 17, Haughton High School, Haughton
Erica LeMere, 14, University of Texas University Charter, Meridell Campus, Liberty Hill
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Alexa Babin, 17, C. E. Byrd High School, Shreveport
Henry Futch, 14, Cedar Creek School, Ruston
Madison Heil, 18, Fontainebleau High School, Mandeville
Safa Michigan, 13, Caddo Middle Magnet, Shreveport
 

Maine

State Honorees:

Katherine Elliott, 18, Scarborough High School, Scarborough
Marissa Bates, 10, Girl Scouts of Maine, South Portland
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Corey Kruszenski, 18, Kennebunk High School, Kennebunk
Sydney Pepin, 14, Massabesic High School, Waterboro
 

Maryland

State Honorees:

William Michie, 17, Archbishop Spalding High School, Severn
Sade Miller, 12, Lockerman Middle School, Denton

 

Distinguished Finalists:

Celeste Awokoya-Gregory, 17, James Hubert Blake High School, Silver Spring
Nylah Burton, 17, Guyton-Burton Homeschool, Upper Marlboro
Susanqi Jiang, 16, Richard Montgomery High School, Rockville
Jessica Lantz, 17, Easton High School, Easton
Melissa Rifkin, 17, Governor Thomas Johnson High School, Frederick
Lindsay White, 17, Notre Dame Preparatory School, Towson
 

Massachusetts

State Honorees:

Lauren Sundstrom, 18, Newburyport High School, Newburyport
Emily Fabre, 12, Essex County 4-H, Waltham
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Jason Carrier, 17, Austin Preparatory School, Reading
Erica Chalmers, 17, The Rivers School, Weston
Jake Cohen, 19, Brookline High School, Brookline
Rachel Collins, 17, Tyngsborough High School, Lowell
Riona Reeves, 16, St. Mark's School, Southborough
Sejal Vallabh, 17, Newton North High School, Newton
 

Michigan

State Honorees:

Keegan Scholte, 18, Gobles Public Schools, Gobles
Catherine Sesi, 12, Detroit Country Day Middle School, Beverly Hills
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Bailey Baringer, 17, Notre Dame Preparatory School, Pontiac
Noah Bizer, 17, South Lyon East High School, South Lyon
Ali Elreichouni, 17, Fordson High School, Dearborn
Marwa Harp, 17, Fordson High School, Dearborn
Autumn Holliday, 15, Morley Stanwood High School, Big Rapids
Marlena Megerian, 18, Livonia Public Schools, Livonia
Kilian Southworth, 12, DeWitt Junior High School, DeWitt
Taylor Weckstein, 14, Central High School, Traverse City
 

Minnesota

State Honorees:

Hawi Awash, 17, Highland Park Senior High School, St. Paul
Louie McGee, 12, Highland Catholic School, St. Paul
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Brock Bleichner, 18, Battle Lake High School, Battle Lake
Xiuqi Cao, 18, Century High School, Rochester
Jacob Jensen, 15, Albert Lea High School, Albert Lea
Corey Loken, 16, Robbinsdale Cooper High School, New Hope
Christopher Nguyen, 18, Spring Lake Park High School, Spring Lake Park
Kristina Swenson, 15, St. Michael-Albertville Senior High School, St. Michael
 

Mississippi

State Honorees:

Emilee Parker, 14, Stringer Attendance Center, Stringer
Joshua Prochaska, 13, Tate County 4-H, Senatobia
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Mary Broadhead, 17, Simpson Academy, Mendenhall
Taide Ding, 18, Oxford High School, Oxford
Katie Pinkard, 17, Mississippi School of the Arts, Brookhaven
Alivia Roberts, 16, Lee County 4-H, Tupelo
 

Missouri

State Honorees:

Sarah Sutherlin, 18, Villa Duchesne & Oak Hill School, St. Louis
Sophia Greenwalt, 14, Reeds Spring Middle School, Reeds Spring
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Sophie Bernstein, 13, volunTEENnation.org, St. Bonaventure, NY
Slava Butkovich, 18, Blue Springs High School, Blue Springs
Sarah Casteel, 16, Clayton High School, Clayton
August Clark, 17, Marquette High School, Chesterfield
Nancy Fairbank, 16, Central High School, Springfield
Ryan Schweitzer, 17, Hillsboro High School, Hillsboro
 

Montana

State Honorees:

Patricia Danielle Gornick, 18, Sentinel High School, Missoula
Isaiah Hesford, 13, Boulder Elementary School, Boulder
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Maria Abbot, 18, Loyola Sacred Heart High School, Missoula
Sara Bonk, 17, Skyview High School, Billings
 

Nebraska

State Honorees:

Alexandra Baxter, 17, United Way of the Midlands, Omaha
My'Kah Knowlin, 11, Lux Middle School, Lincoln
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Justine Bauer, 15, Elm Creek Schools, Elm Creek
Madeline Lorenzen, 18, Millard Public Schools, Omaha
 

Nevada

State Honorees:

Konner Robison, 17, Sage Ridge School, Reno
Anthony Schrecengost, 14, Sig Rogich Middle School, Las Vegas
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Anvi Bhakta, 17, Elko High School, Elko
Haley Little, 17, Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, Las Vegas
Karthik Rohatgi, 15, Davidson Academy of Nevada, Reno
Ashley Taylor, 16, Sage Ridge School, Reno
 

New Hampshire

State Honorees:

Mariah Larocque, 17, Pinkerton Academy, Derry
Anne Macleod, 14, Windham Middle School, Windham
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Maya Bloom, 18, Hopkinton High School, Contoocook
John Heald, 18, Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter
 

New Jersey

State Honorees:

Zachary Certner, 16, Morristown High School, Morristown
Ellen "Nelle" Evans, 13, Lawrence Middle School, Lawrenceville
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Paige Alenick, 17, Pascack Hills High School, Montvale
Salvatore Dragone, 18, Clearview Regional High School, Mullica Hill
Matthew Horbacz, 18, Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft
Joseph Mandes, 18, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, Galloway
Michael Mandes, 18, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, Galloway
Christopher Rim, 17, The Academies @ Englewood, Englewood
 

New Mexico

State Honorees:

Brianna Swinderman, 16, Rio Rancho High School, Rio Rancho
Joseph Lee Estrada, 14, Peñasco Middle/High School, Peñasco
 

Distinguished Finalists:

James Maynard, 18, La Cueva High School, Albuquerque
Kelly Oostman, 17, American Red Cross in New Mexico, Albuquerque
 

New York

State Honorees:

Samuel Lam, 17, Jericho Senior High School, Jericho
Cory Nichols, 12, Oceanside Middle School, Oceanside
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Shane Carman, 17, Geneseo Central School, Geneseo
Kevin Chaves, 16, Kings Park High School, Kings Park
Jennah Ferrari, 11, Woodland Elementary School, East Syracuse
Marcella Ferraro, 17, Hunter-Tannersville Middle/High School, Tannersville
Stefanie Kaufman, 17, W. Tresper Clarke High School, Westbury
Adam Moss, 17, South Side High School, Rockville Centre
Steven Trezza, 17, West Hempstead High School, West Hempstead
Alec Urbach, 17, Long Island High School for the Arts, Syosset
 

North Carolina

State Honorees:

Emma Astrike-Davis, 16, Cary Academy, Cary
Madison Bechtel, 14, Wake Forest-Rolesville Middle School, Wake Forest
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Michael Brienza, 17, Charlotte Country Day School, Charlotte
Avery Faucette, 16, Charlotte Catholic High School, Charlotte
Katherine Hicks, 18, American Red Cross, Raleigh
Courtney Pisano, 16, William G. Enloe Magnet High School, Raleigh
Kaylan Sinclair, 16, Hobbton High School, Newton Grove
Casey Sokolovic, 15, D.H. Conley High School, Greenville
 

North Dakota

State Honorees:

Nicolette Cariveau, 17, Grand Forks Central High School, Grand Forks
Lyndsey Scheurer, 14, Horizon Middle School, Bismarck
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Ariana Herman, 16, Girl Scouts-Dakota Horizons, Sioux Falls, SD
Levi Schlosser, 17, Mandan High School, Mandan
 

Ohio

State Honorees:

Scott Hannah, 18, Southeastern High School, South Charleston
Jacob Glorioso, 13, Genoa Middle School, Westerville
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Andrew Appleby, 17, Cuyahoga Falls High School, Cuyahoga Falls
Madelyn Cook, 18, Rocky River High School, Rocky River
Olivia Ireland, 18, Oakwood High School, Oakwood
Erika Ladrigan, 17, Anderson High School, Cincinnati
Tyler Moon, 16, St. Francis DeSales High School, Columbus
Kristen Sellan, 18, St. Francis DeSales High School, Columbus
Nashawn Stevens, 17, Walnut Ridge High School, Columbus
Ben Tiemann, 17, Hudson High School, Hudson
 

Oklahoma

State Honorees:

Perrin Duncan, 17, Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma, Oklahoma City
Mason Harvey, 13, Guthrie Junior High School, Guthrie
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Ellise Crawford, 18, Grove High School, Grove
Garrett Dollins, 17, Payne County 4-H, Stillwater
Elisabeth Willis, 17, Pittsburg County 4-H, McAlester
Kaylee Young, 16, Cleveland County 4-H, Norman
 

Oregon

State Honorees:

Caroline Brown, 18, Glide High School, Glide
Cody Grater, 13, Meadow Park Middle School, Portland
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Kiran Bernard, 17, Centennial High School, Gresham
Erin Kirby, 15, Oregon City Senior High School, Oregon City
Katelyn Phelps, 17, Ontario High School, Ontario
Abbey Roberts, 17, Santiam Christian Schools, Corvallis
 

Pennsylvania

State Honorees:

Adam Breneman, 17, Cedar Cliff High School, Camp Hill
Devon Rodriguez-Cayro, 14, Mechanicsburg Middle School, Mechanicsburg
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Julie Baldassano, 17, Upper Dublin High School, Ft. Washington
Abriana Bernstein, 17, Harriton High School, Rosemont
Catherine Clements, 18, Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania, Edinboro
Calista Frederick-Jaskiewicz, 16, Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, Midland
Meghan Harrison, 19, Buxmont Christian Educational Institute, Telford
Julia Kramer-Golinkoff, 17, Lower Merion High School, Ardmore
Emily Morgan, 17, North Pocono High School, Covington Twp.
Katye Trexler, 18, Bishop McDevitt High School, Harrisburg
 

Rhode Island

State Honorees:

Marina Palumbo, 17, East Greenwich High School, East Greenwich
Cody Clarkin, 14, Chariho Middle School, Wood River Junction
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Nimindu Ambalangodage, 17, La Salle Academy, Providence
Omar Zaki, 16, South Kingstown High School, South Kingstown
 

South Carolina

State Honorees:

Olivia Baddley, 18, YMCA Camp Greenville, Greenville
Emma McDaniel, 14, York County 4-H, York
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Rachel Bryson, 17, YMCA of Greenville-Eastside, Taylors
Olivia Grace Cox, 13, Aynor Middle School, Galivants Ferry
Kelsey Foster, 17, Lexington High School, Lexington
Marvin Goodly, 17, Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School, Orangeburg
 

South Dakota

State Honorees:

Daniel Schmidtman, 17, Washington High School, Sioux Falls
Bridger Gordon, 12, Sturgis Williams Middle School, Sturgis
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Hannah Higdon, 15, Dupree High School, Dupree
Sierra Lutz, 18, Eureka High School, Eureka
 

Tennessee

State Honorees:

Hannah Bryant, 17, Zion Christian Academy, Columbia
M'Lea Scott, 14, Craigmont Middle School, Memphis
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Jurnee Carr, 18, University School, Johnson City
Tayllor Cochrane, 17, Siegel High School, Murfreesboro
Jessica Mitchum, 16, Concord Christian School, Knoxville
Elizabeth Morris, 13, Jackson Christian School, Jackson
Hunter Morrow-Elder, 16, Coffee County Central High School, Manchester
Alexandra Sexton, 17, Farragut High School, Knoxville
 

Texas

State Honorees:

Matthew Draeger, 15, Paris High School, Paris
Eric Curl, 14, Shadow Ridge Middle School, Flower Mound
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Madison Albrecht, 16, Boerne-Samuel V. Champion High School, Boerne
Chandler Burke, 18, St. Mark's School of Texas, Dallas
Kelly Burnett, 17, Texas High School, Texarkana
Athena Chen, 16, Hebron High School, Carrollton
Kaitlyn Dehaven, 18, Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas, San Antonio
Kylie Fichter, 17, St. Agnes Academy, Houston
Jordan Hayley, 15, Cypress Community Christian School, Houston
Joella Methola, 12, St. Pius X School, El Paso
Lisa Michaels, 17, Plano West Senior High School, Plano
Keren Moyal, 18, Mesorah High School, Dallas
 

Utah

State Honorees:

Steven Olsen, 18, Sanpete County 4-H, Ephraim
Dallin Bunnell, 14, Utah County 4-H, Provo
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Aubree Matheson, 17, Clearfield High School, Clearfield
Kylee Okerlund, 17, Lone Peak High School, Highland
William Orton, 17, West High School, Salt Lake City
Whitney Snow, 17, Pine View High School, St. George
 

Vermont

State Honorees:

Neel Desai, 18, South Burlington High School, South Burlington
Michaela Forgione, 12, Mater Christi School, Burlington
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Thomas Watson, 15, Champlain Valley Union High School, Hinesburg
Samantha Wulfson, 17, Greater Burlington YMCA, Burlington
 

Virginia

State Honorees:

Taylor Klein, 17, Broad Run High School, Ashburn
Katherine Goodman, 12, Hanover County 4-H, Ashland
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Jason Cui, 17, Langley High School, McLean
Orion Dunbar, 17, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, Chesapeake
Kartik Gupta, 17, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria
Ronald McCormack, 17, Gonzaga College High School, Washington, DC
Kaleela Thompson, 13, Hunter B. Andrews PK-8 School, Hampton
Jessica Vance, 17, Blacksburg High School, Blacksburg
 

Washington

State Honorees:

Adam Griffis, 17, American Red Cross-Southwest Washington Region, Vancouver
Jessica Chin, 12, Seattle Country Day School, Seattle
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Jessica Alvarez, 18, Squalicum High School, Bellingham
Amanda Beebe, 17, Hoquiam High School, Hoquiam
Melissa Blue, 17, Liberty Senior High School, Renton
Caleb Dawson, 18, Federal Way Senior High School, Federal Way
Anastasia Pallis, 17, Aviation High School, Des Moines
Svetlana Sergojan, 17, Capital High School, Olympia
 

West Virginia

State Honorees:

Jay Haapala, 15, Capital High School, Charleston
Julian Harrington, 12, Doddridge County Middle School, West Union
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Briana Smith, 18, Mingo Central High School, Delbarton
Tiffani Webb, 17, Girl Scouts of Black Diamond, Charleston
 

Wisconsin

State Honorees:

Peyton Medick, 14, Idea Charter School/D.C. Everest Junior High School, Weston
Colleen DeLisle, 13, Kettle Moraine School District, Dousman
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Paige Bani, 18, West De Pere High School, De Pere
Anna Boschert, 17, Beaver Dam High School, Beaver Dam
Quentin Cauffman, 18, Walworth County 4-H, Elkhorn
Trevor Foster, 16, Westosha Central High School, Salem
Julie Schweiss, 18, Menomonee Falls High School, Menomonee Falls
Trevor Stokes, 17, River Falls High School, River Falls
 

Wyoming

State Honorees:

Darlee Hyatt, 18, Wind River High School, Pavillion
Rachel Ehlers, 13, Newcastle Middle School, Newcastle
 

Distinguished Finalists:

Blake Marquardt, 17, East High School, Cheyenne
Jessica Power, 18, Cody High School, Cody

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

Prudential Financial
Harold Banks, (973) 802-8974 or (973) 216-4833
harold.banks@prudential.com