MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2017 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Horhn, Stone, Branning, Jolly, Tollison, Younger, Hopson, Blackmon, Massey, Dearing, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd)
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING THE 2017 MISSISSIPPI PRUDENTIAL SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY AWARD WINNERS: LUKE KELLY (STATE HONOREE), DAVIAN POWELL (STATE HONOREE), ANNABETH BREEDEN (DISTINGUISHED FINALIST), DYLAN CARPENTER (DISTINGUISHED FINALIST), CAROLINE SPELL (DISTINGUISHED FINALIST), AND KRISTEN TAYLOR (DISTINGUISHED FINALIST).
WHEREAS, the prestigious 2017 Prudential Spirit of Community Award, now in its 22nd year, presented by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, honors young volunteers across America who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to serving their communities; and
WHEREAS, these are Mississippi's top youth volunteers of 2017:
· High School State Honoree: Luke Kelly, nominated by Lafayette County 4-H in Oxford.
Luke, a junior at Oxford High School, led an effort to improve a scenic hiking trail in his community and designed an educational activity to enhance walkers' enjoyment of the pathway. When the University Museum at Ole Miss asked Luke's Boy Scout Troop to work on a forest trail that runs from the museum to the historic home of William Faulkner, Luke volunteered to head the project. After meeting with the museum's staff, Luke drew up a plan for sprucing up the Bailey's Woods Trail and designed a nature scavenger hunt that children and families could participate in while walking along the quarter-mile path. Over the course of a year, Luke and his fellow scouts spent countless hours trimming branches along the trail, improving signage, digging post holes, and building a bench to sit on. For his scavenger hunt, Luke created laminated cards and installed boxes to hold them at both ends of the trail. Since the completion of the project, thousands of community members, college students and visitors have enjoyed the trail, and his Boy Scout Troop has made a long-term commitment to maintain it.
· Middle Level State Honoree: Davian Powell, nominated by Wllliams-Sullivan Elementary School in Durant.
Davian, an eighth-grader at Williams-Sullivan Elementary School, has earned a reputation across his state for teaching and mentoring other young people to raise and show farm animals, and is a regular volunteer at several community events throughout the year. When he was just a young boy, Davian would help his grandfather feed his cows and watch his older cousin show his goats at 4-H events. Later, he became an active 4-H member and purchased four heifers of his own, and before long was showing his cows at state fairs and other agricultural events. As word spread about Davian's skills in the care and handling of cows, he was asked to make presentations at schools and 4-H meetings, and began teaching kids how to feed cattle, keep them healthy, and prepare them for shows. He also started helping youth start their own animal-raising programs. In addition, Davian helps children ride horses at an annual "Horses for the Handicapped" event, and volunteers at "Ag Awareness Days," educating kids about where their food comes from.
As State Honorees, Luke and Davian each will receive $1,000.00, 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, ten students will be named America's Top Youth Volunteers of 2017; and
WHEREAS, the program judges also recognized four other Mississippi students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved Bronze Medallion. These are Mississippi's Distinguished Finalists for 2017:
· Annabeth Breeden, 17, of Vicksburg, Mississippi, a senior at Vicksburg Catholic School, is an active member and President of the Mississippi State Society Children of the American Revolution, where she has led an effort to raise money for lighting at the historic Rosalie Mansion in Natchez. Annabeth has made presentations and coordinated fundraisers at the regional, state and national level so that the front of the antebellum mansion can be illuminated after dark.
· Dylan Carpenter, 18, of Carthage, Mississippi, a member of Leake County 4-H and a senior at Leake Central High School, has spent the past five years brightening the days of residents at a local nursing home, leading an activity program and encouraging others in the community to get involved. Dylan, whose efforts included a Halloween event where the residents distributed hundreds of donated bags of candy to more than 900 trick-or-treaters, is now working to expand his program to other area nursing homes.
· Caroline Spell, 18, of Hernando, Mississippi, a senior at Magnolia Heights School, helped to raise nearly $10,000.00 for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital by working with friends on a weeklong school fundraising event that concluded at a Friday night football game. Caroline recruited her friends to help plan and execute the event and to help students understand that their contributions could save a life. She also organized an assembly featuring the childhood friend whose experience with neuroblastoma inspired her efforts.
· Kristen Taylor, 17, of Crawford, Mississippi, a senior at Starkville Academy, has been volunteering since she was eight years old with Contact Helpline, a telephone service that supports people thinking of harming themselves and makes reassurance calls to senior citizens and people with disabilities who live alone. Kristen, who volunteered alongside her great-grandmother until she retired last year, has also handed out gifts every Christmas to their "reassurance" callers, and helped with the organization's fundraising events; and
WHEREAS, "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"; and
WHEREAS, 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, Camp Fire USA Councils and volunteer centers, are eligible to select a student or member for a local Prudential Spirit of Community Award. Local honorees were then reviewed by state-level judges, who selected State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists based on criteria such as personal initiative, creativity, effort, impact and personal growth; and
WHEREAS, the success of the State of Mississippi, the strength of our communities and the overall vitality of American society depend, in great measure, upon the dedication of these young Mississippi citizens, who use their considerable talents and resources to serve others:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and congratulate the 2017 Mississippi Prudential Spirit of Community Award winners: Luke Kelly (State Honoree), Davian Powell (State Honoree), Annabeth Breeden (Distinguished Finalist), Dylan Carpenter (Distinguished Finalist), Caroline Spell (Distinguished Finalist), and Kristen Taylor (Distinguished Finalist), and extend to these honorees and their families the best wishes for success in their future endeavors.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Mississippi's Top Youth Volunteers and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.