Monache grad recognized for volunteer service

Timothy Hathaway, 18, of Porterville was honored early this spring for his exemplary volunteer service with a President’s Volunteer Service Award.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program on behalf of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation presented the award, which recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country.

Hathaway participated in the Spirit of Community program this year as a representative of Monache High School, where he was a student. He graduated this year as one of the school’s valedictorians.

He earned his award by serving more than 1,000 hours of community service, which includes a Life Scout landscaping project, around-the-clock service to support the Porterville Relay for Life fundraising efforts, clean up of the Tule River, and Thanksgiving dinner preparation and distribution.

“When you are helping others, you strive for a positive change in their lives; that is the motivational element of the equation,” Hathaway said. “There is a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment I receive after delivering a dinner to a disadvantaged family, fundraising for a cure to cancer, improving communities, or conserving natural environments.”

Hathaway’s efforts were not lost on school officials.

“Tim serves as an excellent role model for all high school students,” Monache Principal Richard Smithey said.

Sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program recognized young people across America for outstanding community service activities. Since the program began in 1995, more than 250,000 young people have been considered for these awards.

“The recipients of these awards vividly demonstrate that young people across America are making remarkable contributions to the health and vitality of their communities,” said John R. Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial. “They truly deserve all the praise and encouragement we can give them.”

“The young people recognized by the Spirit of Community Awards demonstrate an enormous capacity for giving and reaching out to those in need,” said Gerald N. Tirozzi, executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. “NASSP is proud to honor them as they are wonderful examples of the high caliber of young people in our nation’s schools today.”

Last September, program applications were distributed through all public and private middle level and high schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs, and affiliates of HandsOn Network. After local honorees were named, state-level judges selected state honorees, distinguished finalists and certificate of excellence recipients.

Volunteer activities were judged on criteria such as personal initiative, creativity, effort, impact and personal growth.

NASSP, based in Reston, Va., is the preeminent organization of and national voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals and aspiring school leaders from across the U.S. and more than 45 countries around the world. Prudential Financial, based in Newark, N.J., provides more than 50 million individual and institutional customers worldwide with life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, investment management and real estate service.

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