GUILDERLAND — A high school senior received a national award last week in recognition for her volunteer service in the district and throughout the Capital Region.
Qandeel B. Sial was presented the President’s Volunteer Service Award by Principal Mike Piscitelli as part of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. The program honors middle and high school students nationally who devote their time and efforts to making their communities better places.
“Volunteering has increased my self-confidence and improved my skills of social interaction,” Sial said, who was nominated by the school last fall. “It truly makes me feel happy when I am a source of others’ happiness and when I’m trusted with all of these responsibilities.”
According to the school’s website, Sial brought up that her interest in community service began when she joined Key Club as a junior. She logged around 250 hours and accomplished numerous things from January to October 2019. These included serving cake at a statewide celebration of Martin Luther King Jr., working one-on-one with over 300 students at an afterschool program at Sheridan Preparatory Academy in Albany, and stocking and organizing the Altamont Food Pantry.
“Across the United States, young volunteers are doing remarkable things to contribute to the well-being of the people and communities around them,” said Charles Lowrey, Prudential’s chairman and CEO. “Prudential is honored to celebrate the contributions of these students, and we hope their stories inspire others to volunteer too.”
“I believe that in the circle of life, an individual gets what they give,” Sial concluded. “My heart truly feels satisfied after being a mentor to young kids.”
For more information, visit spirit.prudential.com.
