Merrill Ann Culverhouse was awarded the Bronze Distinguished Finalist medallion in the 2016 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program is the United States’ largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer community service. The program was created in 1995 by Prudential in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) to honor middle level and high school students for outstanding service to others at the local, state, and national level.

The program’s goals are to applaud young people who already are making a positive difference in their towns and neighborhoods, and to inspire others to think about how they might contribute to their communities.

Over the past 20 years, more than 115,000 young people have been officially recognized for their volunteer efforts.

Merrill Ann was one of 6 from the state of Alabama.

In the last five years, she has raised more than $25,000 by designing and selling T-shirts to benefit an array of charitable organizations.

Opp City School Superintendent Micahel Smithart said that was quite the feat for a freshman in high school.

She is the daughter of Merrill and Susan Culverhouse of Opp.