From age four, Hannah Leland has volunteered at least twice a month at various endeavors - from feeding the homeless out of a van, to traveling to India to build a nursery or teach English. The St. Mary's Academy senior recently was honored for her exemplary volunteer service with a state-level Certificate of Excellence from The 2006 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program and a President's Volunteer Service Award from the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. Leland was nominated by St. Mary's Academy because of the commitment she has shown to community service throughout her young life. More than 200,000 young people across America have been considered for awards since the program began in 1995.

Leland's mother runs two Portland non-profit organizations, in which Leland has been an active volunteer. The Messenger Van is a mobile program that serves hot meals to homeless people under the I405 overpass at least every other Saturday. Leland has worked with this project since she was four years old. The other program, Precious Daughters, has combined with the town of Ramaswarem, India, to create the Glorious Children's Home for approximately 120 orphaned or abandoned children. Precious Daughters recently opened the King of Kay's School on the compound to provide more formal education.

Leland was in the 7th grade when she first traveled to Glorious Children's Home with her mother and grandmother to serve the children there. She built a nursery and cribs and fell in love with the culture of India. "I love helping people in need wherever they live," says Leland. She has since returned to Glorious Children's Home twice, to build a "Western style" playground, treat the children to a local water park, and teach English at King of Kay's School. And Leland's service work doesn't end with physical exertion; she raised $8,000 for Tsunami victims for her Junior Service Project at St. Mary's Academy.

"Hannah has a heart for the people of India," says St. Mary's Service Coordinator Carrie Swetonic. "She sees injustice there and wishes to build awareness here. Hannah genuinely wishes to learn from the children in India and love them and serve them and tell their stories to those who will listen."

Presented annually by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary Schools Principals (NASSP), The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards honor young people across America for outstanding community service activities. Volunteer activities are judged on criteria such as personal initiative, creativity, effort, impact, and personal growth. The President's Volunteer Service Award from the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation recognizes Americans who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country.

"The young people recognized by the Spirit of Community Awards demonstrate an enormous capacity for giving and reaching out to those in need," said Gerald N. Tirozzi, executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. "NASSP is proud to honor them as they are wonderful examples of the high caliber of young people in our nation's schools today."

Founded in 1859 by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, St. Mary’s Academy of Portland, is Oregon’s oldest continuously operating secondary school and one of 716 all-female schools in the country. The student body represents a diverse background of young women from over 30 urban, suburban, and rural communities in Oregon and Southwest Washington. St. Mary’s Academy is distinguished by its development of the whole person, and is the only school in the state to receive three U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools awards.