Niagara Catholic's Jeffrey Gansworth awarded volunteer service award

Niagara Catholic Jr./Sr. High School Senior Jeffrey Gansworth of Niagara Falls has been honored for his exemplary volunteer service with The 2012 Prudential Spirit of Community Award.

This award, sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals, on behalf of President Barack Obama, recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country.

Gansworth participated in the Spirit of Community program in order to complete his required 30 hours of community service as a 12th grade student at Niagara Catholic.

"I enjoyed it so much that I just kept going with it," Gansworth said, referring to the 150-plus hours that he has served this school year, mainly at Mount St. Mary's Hospital and Health Center's Our Lady of Peace nursing home in Lewiston.

Gansworth credits this experience at OLP with his decision to attend Niagara University in the fall, studying biology, and pursuing a career in gerontology. Throughout his high school years, Gansworth has racked up more than 400 hours of community service.