Jake was named one of America’s top ten youth volunteers by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards during the program’s 20th annual national award ceremony held at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. on May 4, 2015. Selected from a field of more than 33,000 youth volunteers from across the country, Jake earned the title of National Honoree, along with a personal award of $5,000, an engraved gold medallion, a crystal trophy, and a $5,000 grant from The Prudential Foundation for a nonprofit charitable organization of his choice. Jake also received another $1,000 personal award for being the New York State Middle School Level Honoree, a silver medallion, and a personal congratulations from “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History on May 3, 2015.
Alisa H. Kesten, Executive Director, Volunteer New York! nominated Jake for this prestigious award.
Jake donated his personal award to Volunteer New York! He selected the USO of Metropolitan New York to receive the $5,000 grant and he also donated his personal award of $1,000 for being the New York State Middle School Level Honoree to the vital programs of the USO. Albert Leonard Middle School in New Rochelle, New York received the crystal trophy. It will remain in the main office to show his fellow and future students the power of volunteerism.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards is a national youth recognition program sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).
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.
Jake’s Prudential Spirit of Community Award Interview
