Contest: Prudential Spirit of Community Awards

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Created in 1995,The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards represents the United States’ largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteer service. Each year, the program honors thousands of students from across the country for their community service activities, and selects 102 of them-one middle level and one high school student from each state and the District of Columbia- as the top youth volunteers in their states. The hunt is now on to identify thousands more students in grades 5-12 who have made meaningful contributions to their communities over the past 12 months, as the 2013 program gets underway.     I had the opportunity to speak to  2012 State Honoree, Alyssa Moran, about her experience with the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.Alyssa Moran, 14, of Glendale, Ariz., an eighth-grader at Sundance Elementary School in Peoria, helped initiate a campaign in her school that raised more than $6,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, after her little sister was diagnosed with leukemia and several friends succumbed to cancer. “I wanted the students in my school to know how important it was to me to bring awareness to this evil disease,” said Alyssa. “I almost lost my sister, and my entire life has changed.”  With help from a teacher and her mother, Alyssa spoke to students in her school about her family’s experience with cancer and asked them to help raise money to find a cure. She also agreed to shave her head when Arizona Cardinals football player Matt Ware offered to donate $3,000. “I was kind of afraid of what my peers would say, or if they would make fun of me,” said Alyssa. “Then I realized that not only my sister but also my friends had to, and they never got a choice. They had to do it because of cancer!”  In the end, Alyssa’s campaign raised nearly $6,300 to support leukemia research and patient services. “No matter how small a person may feel in life, we can make a great impact on others’ lives,” she said.  Below is our Q&A!  What drew you to your cause?My sister was my main reason for picking cancer, but also all my friends dying made me realize i needed to help make a difference in their lives.  What was the biggest obstacle you encountered?One of the biggest obstacles was not being able to motivate kids to help me raise money.  What was the biggest way that adults in your lives helped you out?They helped me by believing in me, getting me where i needed to go, they kept me motivated and all that i mean i could go on and on.  How did your friends and other kids your age feel about what you were doing?They didn’t quite understand why i did what i did, but they grew to understand and after a while they thought it was super cool.  What's the biggest tip you have for like-minded students who want to make a difference?Just keep believing in yourself and your cause. Don't give into the crowd.    Know a student who should apply? Applications can be found on the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards website and must be completed by November 6, 2012.