Two Mississippi Youth Honored for Volunteerism at National Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Mississippi's top two youth volunteers of 2015, Katie Rogers, 18, of Collins and Shields Haire, 14, of Tupelo, were honored in the nation's capital last night for their outstanding volunteer service during the 20^th annual presentation of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Katie and Shields – along with 100 other top youth volunteers from across the country – each received $1,000 awards and personal congratulations from "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts at an award ceremony and gala dinner reception held at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), named Katie and Shields Mississippi's top high school and middle level youth volunteers in February. In addition to their cash awards, they each received an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip with a parent to Washington, D.C., for four days of recognition events.

Katie, a senior at Simpson County Academy, volunteers in the children's activity room at a local hospital and serves as an intern for the American Cancer Society, both of which reflect her deep concern for sick children. When a good friend was diagnosed with acute leukemia in the third grade, "I instantly felt this urge to take care of him, which I did when I was allowed," said Katie. Soon after, she decided she wanted to spend her life helping children with cancer and eventually become a pediatric oncology nurse. "But I wanted to get involved with the kids before then," she said. So when her mother suggested she volunteer at Blair E. Batson Hospital in Jackson, Katie began filling out the required paperwork.

Once she was accepted as a hospital volunteer, Katie was assigned to the children's "activity room," the place where young patients go to play and hang out with each other. "My job there is to help the kids have fun and forget where they are for a second and just be kids," said Katie. "The most difficult part is knowing some of the kids I have become so close with will not make it, but putting a smile on the kids' faces is the most rewarding part of my day." This prompted her to volunteer for the American Cancer Society, delivering toys to hospitals, designing T-shirts, supporting fundraising races, and providing other assistance. In addition to her work at home, Katie has traveled to Peru to teach English to children in rural villages. "My goal in all my actions is to see kids smile when they are at their lowest," said Katie.

Shields, an eighth-grader at Tupelo Middle School, raised nearly $8,000 by selling T-shirts he helped design to assist in the rebuilding of four local churches after they were severely damaged or destroyed by a tornado that struck Tupelo last spring. Huddled in his basement, Shields listened as the tornado ripped through his town. When he finally was able to walk outside, "it was like a bomb had exploded, a new world," Shields said. "I didn't know Tupelo anymore." Shields felt he needed to do something positive in the wake of the disaster, and decided to help four churches because they do so much for people in his community. "I thought how can I do this and it hit me: everybody needs a T-shirt!"

Shields worked with a graphic artist to design a T-shirt that read "I survived the Tupelo Tornado" on the back and "Tupelo Strong" along with a Bible verse on the front. He placed an order for shirts, made posters to hang around town, and with the help of his family, began spreading news of his project. Shields sold shirts at his school, at his parents' businesses, and at local events. After stories about the T-shirt appeared on TV and in the local newspaper, sales quickly escalated. It wasn't long before Shields had sold more than 400 shirts and was able to present almost $2,000 to each of the four churches. "This made me realize the impact that one small idea can make," said Shields.

"As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, we are delighted to recognize the 2015 honorees for their exemplary volunteer service," said John Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. "These young people have demonstrated leadership, compassion and perseverance, and we look forward to seeing all they accomplish in the future."

"These honorees represent the best of what America's youth have to offer," said G.A. Buie, president of NASSP. "They have set a powerful example for their peers by proving that one young person really can make a difference, and it is a privilege to shine a spotlight on their good works."

Youth volunteers in grades 5-12 were invited to apply for 2015 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of the HandsOn Network. More than 33,000 middle level and high school students nationwide participated in this year's program.

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, too. In the past 20 years, the program has honored more than 100,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level.

For more information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year's honorees, 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 middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and school leaders from across the United States and 35 countries around the world. The association connects and engages school leaders through advocacy, research, education, and student programs. NASSP advocates on behalf of all school leaders to ensure the success of each student and strengthens school leadership practices through the design and delivery of high-quality professional learning experiences. 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 Association of Student Councils. For more information about NASSP, located in Reston, VA, visit www.nassp.org.

About Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial, Inc. 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.

Editors: For full-color pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallions, click here: http://bit.ly/Xi4oFW

For B-roll of Mississippi's honorees at the 2015 national recognition events, contact Prudential's Harold Banks at (973) 216-4833 or harold.banks@prudential.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20150504006244/en/