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[Pages S2682-S2683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PRUDENTIAL SPIRIT AWARD
Mr. KENNEDY. Madam President, today I wish to congratulate and
honor two Louisiana students who have achieved national recognition for
exemplary volunteer service in their communities. Kate Walker of Ruston
and Nikki Leali of New Orleans have been named State honorees in the
2019 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, an annual honor
granted to one high school student and one middle school student in
each State and the District of Columbia.
Ms. Walker, a sophomore at Cedar Creek School, is being recognized
for raising more than $70,000 to find a cure for a rare neuromuscular
disease known as Friedreich's ataxia, FA. In addition to raising tens
of thousands of dollars to bring awareness to FA, Kate used different
kinds of media to spread awareness and educate the public about
disabilities, including hosting a local screening of a documentary film
about FA and starting a YouTube channel featuring weekly videos about
the challenges facing people with disabilities. Kate's mission is to
teach people the importance of treating people with disabilities the
same as everyone else.
Ms. Leali, a seventh grader at Ursuline Academy, is being recognized
for organizing a reading club that brings middle school students and
younger children together. Nikki organized the club after conducting an
annual book donation drive for several years that redistributed more
than 55,000 books in her community. Nikki's club allows young children
to build confidence in reading in a safe and fun environment, while
also providing middle schoolers an opportunity to serve their
community. Nikki has grown her club with a website and corporate
sponsors, and she now has 15 to 30 children regularly attending her
monthly meetings.
It is vital that we encourage and support the kind of selfless
contributions these young people have made. People of all ages need to
think about how we, as individual citizens, can work together at the
local level to ensure the health and vitality of our towns and
neighborhoods. Young volunteers like Ms. Walker and Ms. Leali are
inspiring examples for all of us and are among our brightest hopes for
a better tomorrow.
I also would like to salute other young people in my state who were
named Distinguished Finalists by the Prudential Spirit of Community
Awards for their outstanding volunteer service. They are Hailey
Enamorado, 15, of Denham Springs, LA; Julianna Gouthiere, 12, of
Shreveport, LA; Myracle Lewis, 17, of Baton Rouge, LA; and Grace Sun,
17, of Shreveport, LA.
All of these young people have demonstrated a level of commitment and
accomplishment that is truly extraordinary in today's world and deserve
our sincere admiration and respect. Their actions show that young
Americans can and do play important roles in their communities, and
that America's community spirit continues to hold tremendous promise
for the future.
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