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April 7, 2005

Contact:         Jocelyn McCabe, Director of Communications
                      Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP)
                      360.357.7951 or 360.951.5269 (mobile)
                      jocelyn@awsp.org

Two Washington youth slated to receive national honors for strides in volunteerism
Selah and Battle Ground students earn trip and $1,000 awards—several additional Washington student volunteers honored

OLYMPIA – Shari Schindler, 18, of Selah and Caitlyn Hammersley, 14, of Battle Ground were recently selected as the top two youth volunteers from Washington state for 2005 by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). NASSP is the national affiliate of the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP).

The girls, who were selected out of a pool of more than 20,000 candidates based on their outstanding acts of volunteerism, each received $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and will take a trip to Washington, D.C. in early May.

“This program is an outstanding example of how we can honor the good work of young people and help inspire similar efforts in others,” said Gary Kipp, executive director of AWSP. “Volunteerism is an important aspect of education that should continue to be rewarded. We’re pleased to see such variety in the projects by Washington students and that their leadership is being honored at this level.”

Schindler, a senior at Selah High School (Selah School District), produced and taught a series of classes that focused on consumer finance.

With aspirations of one day becoming a teacher, Schindler wanted to educate her peers using valuable material that they could immediately benefit from. Nearly 800 students and 250 teachers attended the classes, which ranged from budgeting to avoiding identity theft.

“Young people need to realize the best way to prevent problems with finances later on is to become educated today,” said Schindler. “I would like young people to realize their finances will always be an important part of their lives, and it is never too early to start preparing for future decisions by gaining the skills they will need later on today.”

Hammersley, an eighth-grader at Maple Grove Middle School (Battle Ground School District), devotes her spare time to raising puppies for the National Guide Dogs for the Blind Organization. She joined the program in third grade and after graduating the program, received her first puppy—it was two months old.

“Visually impaired people use these dogs to help them better their lives with more fulfillment,” said Hammersley. “Without the puppy raisers, people who are blind wouldn’t have guide dogs.”

Hammersley trains the dogs and teaches them general obedience commands. Around the puppy’s first birthday, they are assigned to a new home and Hammersley starts the process all over again with another new puppy. Giving the dogs back is the most difficult part of the job, Hammersley said, but knows she is doing it for the right reasons.

During the girls’ trip to Washington, D.C., they will tour landmarks, attend a gala awards ceremony and visit their congressional representatives on Capitol Hill. The trip will be capped off when 10 of the 104 state honorees will be selected as national honorees and will receive additional cash and prizes.

Along with Schindler and Hammersley, six other Washington state students were recognized as Distinguished Finalists for their community service activities:

• Dakota Cavanaugh, 12, Ridgetop Junior High (Central Kitsap SD)
  Cavanaugh collected donated school supplies for 15 needy students at her school who could not otherwise afford them.
• Carlye Cunniff, 17, Olympia High School (Olympia SD)
  To open the door to the tragedy of the African AIDS epidemic, Cunniff organized a pen-pal project between 40 students at her high school and 40 students in a South African school.
• Guadalupe Duarte, 16, Sno-Isle Tech Skill Center (Mukilteo SD)
  Duarte has served as an interpreter for three Spanish-speaking students at her school since the seventh grade.
• Casey Oswald, 18, Bellingham High School (Bellingham PS)
  For two years, Oswald oversaw all aspects of construction of two pedestrian bridges on a new nature reserve in the community.
• ErinLee Roesler, 18, Sultan High School (Sultan SD)
  Needy citizens in Sultan receive free meals every month thanks to Roesler, who hosts a community soup dinner at her church every month.
• Tasha Tarver-Guatney, 17, Cascade High School (Cascade SD)
  Tarver-Guatney established a nonprofit organization called “Africa Unveiled,” which raises money to support homeless children in Kenya.

For more information on this year’s Prudential Spirit of Community State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists, visit: www.prudential.com/spirit or www.principals.org/awards/prudential.cfm.

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About the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP)
The Association of Washington School Principals is a professional association serving principals and assistant principals. Formed in 1972, the Association now includes more than 3,500 members from public and private elementary, middle and high schools statewide. It also includes three component boards, representing principals, assistant principals and principal interns at the elementary, middle and high school level. The mission of AWSP is to support principals and assistant principals and the principalship in the education of all students.