Three Middlesex County students were named Distinguished Finalists.
EDISON/HIGHLAND PARK/PLAINSBORO -- Kate Atschinow, a junior at Highland Park High School; Sharwani Kota, a senior at J.P. Stevens High School; and, Princeton Day School junior Renita Zaparde, a resident of Plainsboro, were named Distinguished Finalists for New Jersey in the 2017 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.
The award was created in 1995 by Prudential and the National Association of Secondary School Principals to honor middle- and high school students for "outstanding community service."
Atschinow was recognized for donating more than $40,000 worth of food and personal hygiene items to the Highland Park Food Pantry since 2013 through her charitable couponing initiative, "CuttingOutHunger." Kota created a nonprofit called "Hope4Spandana" that has helped raise $75,000 for children with autism. Zaparde founded a nonprofit called "Pedal2Prosperity" that has provided 510 bicycles to orphaned girls in Africa and India to help them stay in school.
Atschinow, Kota and Zaparde were among six students from New Jersey to be named Distinguished Finalists. Also honored were Avika Bansal of Livingston, Nastassja Kuznetsova of Basking Ridge and Jordyn Cascone of Hamilton Square. Each received an engraved bronze medallion. Two students, Bradley Ferguson of Northfield and Kierstyn Kuehnle of Ocean City, were named State Honorees and received $1,000, an engraved silver medallion, and a trip to Washington, D.C., for the national recognition events.
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