MONTPELIER, Vt., Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sophia Thomas, 18 and Peter Forgione, 14, both of South Burlington, today were named Vermont's top two youth volunteers of 2019 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. As State Honorees, Sophia and Peter each will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C., where they will join the top two honorees from each of the other states and the District of Columbia for four days of national recognition events. During the trip, 10 students will be named America's top youth volunteers of 2019.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 24th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

These are Vermont's top youth volunteers of 2019:

High School State Honoree: Sophia Thomas Nominated by South Burlington High School

Sophia, a senior at South Burlington High School, helps brighten the days of children at the University of Vermont Medical Center through her volunteer work in the hospital's pediatric unit. Sophia has felt a connection with the hospital for many years. Growing up, she was a frequent visitor there to see counselors, and her mother was successfully treated there for breast cancer. "Walking into the hospital as a young kid was daunting, but I always knew there were people there to help me," said Sophia. "When I heard about the volunteer program, I knew that it would make a fantastic catalyst for which to show my gratitude." After waiting impatiently for her 17th birthday – the minimum age to volunteer there – Sophia completed the hospital's training regimen in late 2017 and began assisting in the pediatric unit for three hours every Wednesday.

First, Sophia visits patients in their rooms, entertaining them with movies, games, books, art projects or just conversation. Sometimes she just sits with them so their parents can grab a meal or go to the restroom. "Sometimes we talk, sometimes we don't, but there's a shared sense of trust that flows between us," she said. After her room visits, Sophia heads to the playroom, where she cleans hard surfaces, washes dirty toys and wipes down wagons, and then hangs out with the kids there, building with Legos, drawing pictures or jumping in a ball pit. "Not only do I love spending time with the patients, but I also feel I can relate to them because I understand what it's like to be a kid in a hospital," said Sophia.

Middle Level State Honoree: Peter ForgioneNominated by Christ the King School

Peter, an eighth-grader at Christ the King School, spearheaded an effort to fill shoeboxes with useful and fun items for 100 service members in Iraq, and organizes dinners for people at an emergency shelter. Last summer, Peter was eating lunch at a restaurant when he struck up a conversation with a World War II veteran who survived D-Day. "It got me thinking about the sacrifices our troops make every day and how thankful I am for their service and our country," he said. Peter wanted a way to give back to these brave men and women. Then he learned about "Operation Shoebox," a nonprofit organization that sends shoeboxes filled with snacks, toiletries and games to soldiers. He set a goal of filling 100 boxes for the nonprofit and went to work. At first he tried to raise money by doing chores and odd jobs. When that effort fell short, Peter asked his friends to bring items for his shoeboxes instead of presents on his birthday, and persuaded his school to conduct a collection drive.

For many years, Peter also has helped his family provide dinners at Anew Place, an emergency shelter for people in need in Burlington. But as an eighth grader, Peter decided he wanted to host a dinner himself. After recruiting friends to help, he plans the menu, shops for groceries, picks vegetables from his family garden, cooks the food at home, and loads it into his mother's car for transport to the shelter. Some nights he serves as many as 26 people, he said. Peter was especially motivated to serve people at the shelter after learning that a significant percentage of homeless people are military veterans.

Distinguished Finalists

The program judges also recognized two other Vermont students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion.

These are Vermont's Distinguished Finalists for 2019:

Brody Brown, 14, of Graniteville, Vt., a freshman at Williamstown Middle/High School, has contributed hundreds of volunteer hours in his local community, organizing an annual food drive, a toy drive for local hospitals, an anti-bullying initiative at his school and a spaghetti dinner to benefit local veterans and emergency personnel. Brody was first inspired to start giving back after his childhood friend died from leukemia in the fifth grade.

Kathryn Gruendling, 17, of Shelburne, Vt., a junior at Champlain Valley Union High School, organized a virtual 5K race team in her Vermont community to participate in a 9/11 Heroes Run to benefit the Travis Manion Foundation. Along with recruiting participants and mapping out a course route, Kathryn led her team to raise more than $1,100 for the organization, which offers community engagement events and empowerment and character-building programs.

"These young volunteers learned and demonstrated that they can make meaningful contributions to individuals and communities through their service," said Prudential CEO Charles Lowrey. "It's an honor to recognize their great work, and we hope that shining a spotlight on their service inspires others to consider how they might make a difference."

"Each of these honorees is proof that students have the energy, creativity and unique perspectives to create positive change," said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. "We commend each of the 2019 honorees for their outstanding volunteer service, and for the invaluable example they've set for their peers."

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 affiliates of Points of Light's HandsOn Network, 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 6, 10 of the State Honorees – five middle level and five high school students – will be named America's top youth volunteers of 2019. 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 125,000 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, China and Brazil. 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.

For information on all of this year's Prudential Spirit of Community State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists, 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 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 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.

For Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallion graphics, please visit https://spirit.prudential.com/resources/media

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SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc.