Senior honored with President’s
Volunteer Service Award 
An Upper St. Clair High School senior earned national recognition for his exemplary service to the community. Curt Leonard has been named a President’s Volunteer Service Award winner.
“The President’s Volunteer Service Award is a tremendous honor and accomplishment,” Dr. Louis Angelo, principal, said. “Curt’s commitment and service to our community are commendable and indicative of his character, leadership skills and initiative.”
Curt was nominated by the Upper St. Clair High School Counseling Department in recognition of his volunteer service. The award, which recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of time to serve their communities, was granted by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program.
“Curt possesses a strong commitment to service,” Thomas Marquis, school counselor, said. “His Eagle Scout project involved mapping and logging all of the fire hydrants in the Township of Upper St. Clair.”
By obtaining and verifying the GPS coordinates of more than 400 hydrants, Curt was able to provide the Upper St. Clair Volunteer Fire Department with an electronic database that locates the nearest hydrants while crews are en route to a fire or emergency. Using the updated electronic database, first responders can reduce response times and save lives.
“Through this project, I learned how to instruct people on how to do a specific task; I had to show them the procedures for correctly recording coordinates and ensuring their accuracy,” Curt said. “I also learned that leadership is best shown when you lead by example, rather than delegating tasks to others. I’m glad I was able to help my community.”
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, recognizes middle level and high school students across America for outstanding volunteer service.
“The recipients of these awards demonstrate that young people across America are making remarkable contributions to the health and vitality of their communities,” said John Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial. “By recognizing these students and placing a spotlight on their volunteer activities, we hope to motivate others to consider how they can also contribute to their community.”
In addition to granting President’s Volunteer Service Awards, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards selected State Honorees, Distinguished Finalists and Certificate of Excellence recipients. Volunteer activities were judged on criteria including personal initiative, creativity, effort, impact and personal growth.
“Demonstrating civic responsibility through volunteerism is an important part of life,” JoAnn Bartoletti, NASSP executive director, said. “These honorees practice a lesson we hope all young people, as well as adults, will emulate.”
