Shruti Gautam, Rock Bridge High School, received top honors from the Prudential Spirit of Community Award for her exceptional act of volunteerism in her local community. 

Gautam, a high school senior, arranged to place free feminine hygiene products in the bathrooms of every high school in her school district and worked on legislation to require that these products be readily available in high schools throughout Missouri. 

As a state honoree, Gautam will receive a $2,500 scholarship, an engraved silver medallion and an invitation to the program’s virtual recognition event in April, when 10 of the 102 state honorees will be named America’s top youth volunteers of the year.

Those 10 national honorees will earn an additional $5,000 scholarship, a gold medallion, a crystal trophy for their nominating organization and a $5,000 grant for a nonprofit charitable organization of their choice.