Linton honored for Prudential Spirit of Community work

A local student has been recognized for her work in community service.

Havre High School senior Zephanhia Linton was recognized as "The Prudential Spirit of Community Award" honoree.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Award is a scholarship program that recognizes students on the local, state and national level based on volunteer community service.

Linton said she applied for this scholarship and used the annual Suicide Awareness Walk as her service project that she participated in through the high school's Key Club.

She said she plans on attending University of Montana-Western in Dillon, majoring in biology then going on to pre-medicine. 

  She said the application includes her describing in mini essay formats the amount of time and effort she put into the event, the effects, what she personally gained from the event and more.

Though she didn't receive state recognition for this award, she said, she did receive local recognition from Havre High. 

"(I feel) quite honored," she said. 

She added that the annual Suicide Awareness Walk not only means a lot to the community, but to her personally "being able to see the positive impacts it has on people who have been affected by death by suicide or they have attempted themselves or have had family members or friends or anything like that."

"You can just see the community and everyone standing together and also the love and support that individuals can sense from the event," she said. "It means a lot to be able to do that event specifically and then to write about that one because it has meant so much to me personally and, for that to get special recognition."

For the question on personal growth, Linton said, she emphasized what she has learned about what it means to prioritize the right things and how, when life is really busy, to dedicate time toward something that is bigger than oneself.

"You just receive so much more by giving up your time to something that is greater than you, than you could ever if you were selfishly using (your time) doing something like play on your phone or anything like that," she said. "So a lot of the personal growth portion I wrote about just that aspect and how that can also lead into kind of all aspects of life and, just what you choose to dedicate your time to."

She added that her inspiration for volunteering her time at the Suicide Awareness Walk was that no student should go to school then have an empty chair next to them for the reason of a student who died from suicide.

She has been Key Club every year since she was a freshman. Her older sister, Sheradia Linton, was in Key Club as well.

Even if she didn't have an older sibling who was in the club, she said, she probably would've joined Key Club anyway because she sees community service as invaluable.

"With youth group and stuff, I just love serving and dedicating time, so Key Club is like the perfect club; it's got all that," Linton said.

She said she served as lieutenant governor for Division 7 and Division 4 of Key Club.

To learn more information about the award, people can visit https://spirit.prudential.com .