Press Release
Students from Ashley Ridge High School (ARHS) in Dorchester School District Two are national champions for their excellence in service and leadership.
The ARHS students won the gold Jefferson Award as the Most Outstanding Students in Action Team in the nation. The students earned the recognition through Multiplying Good, which is a nonprofit developing 21st-century leadership and service skills, at the inaugural Youth Summit at Howard University. Among 16 nationwide teams, the students earned the best scores for their written reflection, live oral presentation, responses to on-the-spot questions from the judges, and their storytelling ability. They presented to an audience of more than 200 people, including Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, Multiplying Good CEO and Olympic Gold medalist, and Sam Beard, creator and co-chair of the Jefferson Awards.
The national honor highlights the difference the team made on the local level. The team's “Ready? Set. Go!” program mentored more than 400 5th graders preparing for middle school. The team includes:
- Laney Broadhead, who received South Carolina's Heather Love Exemplary Student Leadership Award for demonstrating exemplary leadership in service
- McKenzie Leahy
- Ella Murphy
- Jolie Singleton
- Naomi Tomlin
- Kaylie Tonzola
“We are elated and honored to be named the national champions this year, especially considering how talented and compassionate all the teams were at the Summit,” said Ms. Ashley Smith, Students in Action Club Advisor. “Seeing these girls shine not only on stage but in their interactions with students and adults from across the country was beyond inspirational. They are dedicated to servant leadership in their school and community, and they embody so much goodness in the world. Proud is an understatement.”
