Schools

McLean Teens Honored with Prudential Spirit of Community Awards

Kartik Gupta and Jason Cui honored for their non-profit and volunteer efforts.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards named Kartik Gupta, 17 of McLean, one of Virginia’s top youth volunteers of 2013 this week.

The national program honors middle and high school students across the country for their volunteer service.

Gupta is a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. He co-founded a non-profit organization called "Growth and Inspiration through Volunteering and Education (GIVE)” that promotes youth leadership through community service. Activities include free tutoring for elementary school students and collecting and distributing books to ask-risk students across the D.C. metro area.

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For more about GIVE, see Patch's September 2012 profile of the organization: High School Students GIVE Back to Fairfax County.

Jason Cui, 17, of Great Falls, was honored for his work founding "Youth Inspire," which provides young cancer patients with visits from other youth. He also raised more than $10,000 to provide iPads to children in hospitals. Cui attends Langely High School. 

Find out what's happening in McLeanwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Other honorees from Virginia include:. 

  • Ronald McCormack, 17, of Vienna
  • Orion Dunbar, 17, of Chesapeake
  • Kaleela Thompson, 13, of Hampton
  • Jessica Vance, 17, of Blacksburg
  • Taylor Klein, 17, of Ashburn

To learn more about each of the honorees and distinguished finalists, click here. 

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards are sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals.


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