Kaylie Tressler, 18, of Paulding, Ohio, a senior in the Ag and Industrial Power Technology program at Vantage Career Center, has been honored for her exemplary volunteer service, on behalf of the President of the United States, with a President's Volunteer Service Award.
This award, which recognizes Americans of all ages, who
have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities
and their country, was granted by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
program. Vantage Career Center nominated Kaylie for national honors this past fall
in recognition of her volunteer service.
“I began doing community service during my years in 4-H, where it was a requirement to complete a community service activity each year. Even though I was young, I began to understand the feeling of knowing I could make a difference,” says Kaylie. “In my high school years, where I began FFA, I had the opportunity to participate in various community service activities. It opened my eyes and made me realize how many people are affected by hunger. It has made me more dedicated to community service, because there is not a single person on this earth that deserves to go without food, or running water, or necessities needed for their everyday life. I have gained a love to serve my community, and my love will never end.”
Kaylie has participated in several volunteer opportunities,
giving back hundreds of hours to communities, through events such as, FFA Fights
Hunger, Relay for Life, 5th grade field day, Kenn-Feld kid’s day, Van Wert County United Way Day of Caring food drive, Van Wert County Council on Aging’s Snowflakes for Seniors, Vantage Step Into Your Future Camp, and many local festivals and county fairs.
“Kaylie is just an all-around outstanding student. She is someone who will volunteer to help out anytime you ask her. She is a leader in her lab and a true leader in the school also. Kaylie will definitely be missed when she graduates but will have a great future in front of her,” says Vantage school counselor James Fisher.
In its 25th year, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), recognizes middle level and high school students across America for outstanding volunteer service.
“Across the United States, young volunteers are doing remarkable things to contribute to the well-being of the people and communities around them,” said Prudential Chairman and CEO Charles Lowrey. “Prudential is honored to celebrate the contributions of these students, and we hope their stories inspire others to volunteer, too.”
“Demonstrating civic responsibility through volunteerism is an important part of life,” said NASSP Executive Director JoAnn Bartoletti. “These honorees practice a lesson we hope all young people, as well as adults, will emulate.”
Prudential Spirit of Community Award application details were distributed nationwide last September through middle level and high school, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and Points of Light Global Network members. These schools and officially designated local organizations nominated Local Honorees, whose applications were advanced for state-level judging. 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 initiative, effort, impact and personal growth.
Kaylie is a senior in the Ag and Industrial Power Tech
program at Vantage, where she is a Student Ambassador, Vantage Chapter FFA
President, and National Technical Honor Society member. Through the Vantage
Adult Education, Kaylie is currently in the Class A CDL program, where she will
earn the opportunity to sit for her Class A CDL license exam upon graduation. Kaylie
is in the Career Advanced Placement program (early placement) working for
Heritage Farm Equipment located in Van Wert, Ohio and is taking college credit
plus through the University of Northwest Ohio.
“I will continue to attend the University of Northwestern Ohio in the Fall of 2020, where I will begin my Bachelor’s degree of Agricultural Equipment Supervision. This degree includes two years of working on the equipment, and two years of the business side. I want to open an agriculture equipment shop in an area, which will benefit local agriculture community members. I am a female in a male-dominated field, and I want to use my experiences to show girls growing up that every female does not have to work in the office. I know a lot of progress has been made on females in male-dominated jobs, and I want to make a difference to show what is possible.
Vantage high school and adult students have the
opportunity to build skills in innovative and advanced technical labs, on and
offsite, often through business partnerships and community collaboration.
Vantage students gain advanced technical skills, earn industry recognized
credentials, college credit, and are both career and college bound.