Anna Brown, of Greer High School, was honored for her volunteer service. She also represented Greer as 2010 Miss Greater Greer Teen and was third runnerup for Miss South Carolina Teen.
Presented annually by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards honor young people across America for outstanding community service activities.
Anna earned her award by logging in over 300 hours of community service. She helped raise money for Children’s Miracle Network, participated in the Merle Street Hunger Walk, had a Relay for Life team – Queens for a Cure, participated in Big Thursday to help Greer Community Ministries and spoke at local elementary schools as well as at the Sertoma Club, Lions Club, Kiwanis Club and Greer City Council where she promoted her platform “Overcoming Disabilities - Success is 95% Attitude”.
Anna has worked with Peer Tutoring and Service Learning directing her attention to elementary students with disabilities because she herself has had to overcome a disability. Anna is hearing impaired and hopes to let other see that if she can reach her goals they can too. Another cause close to her heart has been the Syl Syl Toy Drive and Cops for Tots. She has volunteered for both of these events, which help to secure Christmas toys for under privileged children.
“She has been a strong advocate for the hearing impaired and has structured her life as one who has demonstrated that a disability in life cannot and will not constrain an individual that has persistence and a commitment to excellence. Anna Brown is a quality young lady with exemplary morals and character,” Greer High Principal, Marion Waters, said.
Anna was third runner-up in the 2010 Miss South Carolina Teen pageant.
Ashley Byrd, President and Executive Director of the Miss South Carolina Pageant said, “Community service means something different to each individual. It could mean helping at the soup kitchen, to working at the humane society, to conducting a fundraiser. For Anna, community service is simply a way of life, something she does every day.”
“I hope to be remembered as a very kind and caring person who, by working to overcome my own physical disability, encouraged people of all ages to never give up, encouraged people to work hard to achieve their goals and dreams, and always keep a positive attitude.”
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program recognizes the top middle and high school volunteer in the state and the District of Columbia, and will name America’s top ten youth volunteers in May.