[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 7, 2019)]
[Senate]
[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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