AUSTIN, Texas – Zane Magee, 17, of Montgomery and Caroline Wells, 14, of Tyler today were named Texas' top two youth volunteers of 2018 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. As State Honorees, Zane and Caroline each will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip in late April 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, 10 students will be named America’s top youth volunteers of 2018.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 23rd year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

These are Texas' top youth volunteers of 2018:

High School State Honoree: Zane Magee

Nominated by Montgomery High School in Montgomery

Zane, a senior at Montgomery High School, formed a nonprofit ministry that supports deployed soldiers and military veterans in a variety of ways, including providing them with Bibles and care packages, organizing fundraisers, raising awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and even writing an inspirational book to honor and support servicemen and women. Zane has always admired the people who fight for their country. When he was 10, “I wanted to be a part of the military and the only way I could at a young age was to support those that were actually serving or had served,” he said. When he heard about the prevalence of PTSD in the military, he knew he wanted to do something to help.

He started by collecting Bibles at his church and sending them to deployed soldiers. Soon after, he began sending care packages containing toiletries and snacks to troops. When he was 13, his “Beyond the Battlefield Ministry” became a nonprofit organization and he established a Facebook page to convey information about special military programs, organizations and events for veterans. Zane also planned fundraisers, including a gun tournament and a gala. A conversation with a Navy Seal about PTSD and how faith can aid in healing led Zane to write a book, Hope & Help for Heroes, and donate 1,000 copies to veterans and veterans organizations. Altogether, Zane estimates that he has contributed $36,000 in cash donations, gifts and assistance to benefit soldiers and veterans. “Those that serve in the military are heroes and deserve our honor and respect,” said Zane. “They are sacrificing and fighting for our freedom, and are willing to lay down their lives for our country.”

Middle Level State Honoree: Caroline Wells

Nominated by All Saints Episcopal School in Tyler

Caroline, an eighth-grader at All Saints Episcopal School, has raised more than $40,000 for her local Salvation Army chapter by selling lemonade, ringing bells during the holidays, and organizing food and toy drives. When Caroline was in third grade, a fire destroyed a local Salvation Army storage building that contained Christmas presents for children. Her class stepped in to bring gifts there, and while touring the facility, they saw the rooms where families slept. “I asked my Mom ‘when do they get to go home?’ and she said that this is their home for now,” Caroline said. “As an 8-year-old, it hit me hard. I knew then I needed to do what I could to make their lives better,” she said.

She started small, with a lemonade stand that raised $40, and then moved on to more ambitious projects. She recruited her art class to help her paint bookcases for kids staying at the local Salvation Army center, collected 300 pairs of socks with the French club at her school, gathered emergency supplies after a tornado swept through her community, sold her own toys and clothes on eBay to raise money, and made YouTube videos to promote the Salvation Army’s work. She also organized a movie outing and a “princess party” for kids staying at the facility. As word of Caroline’s commitment spread, organizations such as DreamWorks Studios and the Dallas Cowboys made donations to Caroline’s local Salvation Army in her honor.

Distinguished Finalists

The program judges also recognized ten other Texas students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion.

These are Texas' Distinguished Finalists for 2018:

Ryan Almusawi, 18, of Fort Worth, Texas, a senior at Saginaw High School, has mobilized more than 200 volunteers to help provide more than 10,000 meals for homeless people in the region through “Slay Hunger,” an initiative he started in January 2017. Ryan’s program works with local businesses to collect and donate leftover food for the homeless, in addition to hosting activities including volunteer PB&J-making events.

Chase Bradley, 18, of Round Rock, Texas, nominated by the YMCA of Greater Williamson County and a senior at Hyde Park Baptist School-Central Campus, raised more than $57,000 for blood cancer research as part of a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society fundraising competition and, after winning the competition, donated his $2,500 scholarship award to a local student with leukemia. Chase, who raised the money in less than seven weeks, was inspired to participate by his family’s experience after his sister was diagnosed with cancer.

Curt Fendley, 12, of Paris, Texas, a sixth-grader at Crockett Intermediate School, is the founder of “Operation Empower,” an after-school leadership program that mobilizes fellow Boys & Girls Club kids to work together on projects benefiting the club and community. Curt’s group, which meets once a week for team-building and activity brainstorming, has worked on a variety of projects, from planning and implementing a STEM day camp to painting a food pantry’s waiting area.

Sarah Mercado, 18, of Cedar Park, Texas, a member of Girl Scouts of Central Texas and a senior at Vista Ridge High School, traveled to Bolivia to conduct workshops teaching girls and their families how to make washable sanitary pads, helping to ensure that the young women have the personal hygiene products they need to avoid missing school. Sarah personally worked with 120 girls at her workshops, and raised awareness of her mission in her local community through fundraising activities and pad-kit-making workshops.

Saumya Rawat, 17, of Coppell, Texas, a senior at School of Science and Engineering, is the founder and CEO of “IT Empowerment for Her,” an organization that provides free girls-only STEM programs to middle school girls in the region. Saumya, who nearly left a programming camp in middle school after discovering that she was the only girl, was motivated to close the STEM gender gap in her community.

Ashley Reel, 15, of Spring, Texas, a freshman at Oak Ridge High School, led a homecoming dress collection to benefit girls affected by Hurricane Harvey, gathering 3,600 dresses and outfitting more than 1,200 girls so that they could still attend the pivotal high school event. Ashley’s “Say Yes to the Homecoming Dress” initiative drew dress and accessory donations from across the U.S. and Germany, as well as support from more than 100 volunteers.

Julia Singer, 18, of San Antonio, Texas, a senior at International School of the Americas, has served for three years as the director of SoHacks, an annual coding marathon that, under her leadership, has provided more than 750 students with free opportunities to learn how to code. Julia has secured more than $100,000 in sponsorships for the program, and coordinated event logistics ranging from scheduling and publicity to volunteer recruitment.

Zoya Surani, 17, of Corpus Christi, Texas, a senior at Veterans Memorial High School, worked with her sisters to create “iConquer,” a health initiative that has reached more than 15,000 children in 35 schools with educational programming focused on diabetes, obesity and nutrition. Zoya and her sisters worked with a number of state and local organizations to implement their program, inspired by Corpus Christi’s 2010 designation by a national magazine as the “fattest city in America.”

Zeeshawn Wani, 17, of Houston, Texas, a junior at Michael E. Debakey High School for Health Professions, co-founded a charity in 2015 that has provided more than 300 local students in need with school uniforms, supplies and extracurricular fees to help them succeed in school. Zeeshawn approached individuals, local businesses and corporations to fund his vision, and worked with school and community organizations to distribute supplies.

Lauren Yang, 16, of Sugar Land, Texas, a junior at Dulles High School, founded a Houston chapter of the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up campaign, and has led her club in raising more than $23,000 to provide feminine hygiene products, bicycles and other essential support for adolescent girls in need overseas. Over the past two years, Lauren has organized more than 20 fundraising and service events and recruited more than 50 girls from across Houston to support her club’s mission.

“Prudential is proud to recognize these remarkable young people for using their energy, creativity and compassion to bring meaningful change to their communities,” said Prudential Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld. “We hope their stories inspire others to consider how they can do the same.”

“These middle level and high school students have not only improved the lives of the people and communities they’ve served – they also set an important example for their peers,” said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. “These honorees prove that you’re never too young to make a difference.”