PROVIDENCE, R.I., Feb. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Jaya Joyce, 18, of Coventry and Emily Myers, 14, of Hope Valley today were named Rhode Island's top two youth volunteers of 2020 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. As State Honorees, Jaya and Emily 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 2020. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 25th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). These are Rhode Island's top youth volunteers of 2020: High School State Honoree: Jaya Joyce

Nominated by Coventry High School Jaya, a senior at Coventry High School, co-founded a club at her school that has helped create a culture of acceptance and inclusion, encouraging everyone in her student body to reach out to fellow students who are lonely, isolated, challenged or bullied. "From a young age, I knew what it was like to feel lonely," said Jaya, citing painful childhood experiences including bullying at school. Though difficult, those experiences gave her "a passion for helping others, so that no one will ever feel the way I felt in those moments of loneliness," she said. Recognizing that there were many in her school who felt that way, Jaya and a couple of friends proposed a program to their principal that they call the "Unified Oakers Program." To accomplish their goal, they have hosted school-wide assemblies in which students learn about the value of inclusion and pledge to show kindness to those who are different or feel excluded. The club also initiated a bi-monthly social hour for students to make new friends, organized a student-alumni basketball game, and established a Unified volleyball team made up of students both with and without disabilities. In addition, Jaya and her friends raised more than $13,000 for Special Olympics by persuading over 100 students and teachers to take a "polar plunge" in the ocean in the middle of February. Jaya is now working to introduce her program in elementary and middle schools in her school district. Middle Level State Honoree: Emily Myers

Nominated by University of Rhode Island 4-H Program Emily, an eighth-grader at Chariho Middle School, helped plan and fund a 4-H fair in her community, participates in numerous other 4-H service projects, and volunteers several days a week to help two senior citizens maintain their farm. While Emily was taking part in meetings to plan an annual 4-H fair, which is managed by her mother, Emily decided she wanted to hold an auction to cover the fair's expenses. She then spent hours emailing and visiting local businesses to solicit auction items. She also helped plan a corned-beef dinner to raise funds for the three-day fair and worked at the fairgrounds to get buildings and landscaping ready for the event. In addition, Emily visits a local farm every Sunday and a couple of other days during the week to do chores for a pair of farmers in their 70s. She bales hay, chops corn silage, milks cows, cleans barns, dehorns calves, mows grass, prepares Sunday dinners and brings in firewood into the farmhouse. People don't always understand why she spends so much time at the farm – but, she says, "I find it so rewarding to help others." Emily has participated in many other volunteer activities, too, often with her 4-H club. She has helped with a local toy drive at Christmas, delivered dairy products to a homeless shelter, cleaned a local animal shelter and brought table centerpieces to senior citizens. "Helping others is just an amazing feeling and warms my heart," said Emily. Distinguished Finalists The program judges also recognized two other Rhode Island students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion. These are Rhode Island's Distinguished Finalists for 2020: Jessica Imbriglio, 17, of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, a senior at East Greenwich High School, started and runs "Student4StudentsRI," through which she has collected more than 2,100 pounds of clothing and 200 pairs of shoes to benefit middle school students in need. Jessica's efforts include spreading awareness of her cause through flyers and social media, placing collection boxes at local businesses, running two annual drives and collecting, sorting and delivering donations. Ava Librizzi, 18, of Warwick, Rhode Island, a senior at Saint Raphael Academy, founded and runs "Help A Hero," a nonprofit through which she has collected and donated winter coats, boots and hats to veterans experiencing housing insecurity; her efforts include running drives at her church, soliciting donations from her community and spreading awareness of her cause. Ava was inspired to start Help A Hero after seeing veterans experiencing homelessness while visiting New York City. "In our 25th year of honoring young volunteers, we are as inspired as ever by the work students are doing to address the needs of a changing world," said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "We hope that their resolve, their initiative and their perspectives on society's challenges move others to consider how they can make a difference, too." "Middle level and high school students are doing remarkable things to shape the future of their communities through volunteer service. They inspire all students and schools to drive learning with real-world challenges," said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. "Congratulations to each of the 2020 honorees – it's an honor to celebrate your commitment to creating positive change." 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 Points of Light Global Network members, 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 4, 10 of the State Honorees – five middle level and five high school students – will be named America's top youth volunteers of 2020. These National Honorees will receive additional $5,000 scholarships, gold medallions, crystal trophies and $5,000 grants from Prudential for nonprofit charitable organizations of their choice. Since the program began in 1995, more than 130,000 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 . 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