By Jason Benedek, Staff Writer
Arthur Wang, a junior at River Hill, has recently officially been named a Prudential Emerging Visionary. He is one of only 25 students in the entire nation to be given this prestigious title. Prudential Emerging Visionaries is a national program that celebrates and awards young people who create solutions to financial and societal challenges.
Arthur Wang earned the title by leading his nonprofit organization, the Clarksville Youth Care Group, in making and donating over 1,400 COVID-19 protective kits to give to teachers all over Maryland. These protective kits include a handmade colorful mask with a pocket for a filter, an “ear saver” to reduce the strain that mask straps put on ears, a lanyard to keep the mask handy, and a thank you card. Each kit took about three hours to make.
After winning the award, Arthur was given the opportunity to take a trip to Prudential Headquarters in Newark, New Jersey with the other 24 Emerging Prudential Visionaries.
“Going to Newark and Prudential Headquarters was truly a once in a lifetime experience,” explains Arthur, “I had the opportunity to connect with 24 other amazing individuals and young change-makers, while also getting the chance to meet a lot of professionals and get valuable feedback on my projects. Overall, it really broadened my perspective on the professional world and inspired me to keep going with passion and drive.”
With this experience, Arthur gained a ton of leadership skills and experiences.
Arthur also had the opportunity to meet legendary Giants quarterback, Eli Manning. Manning was a guest speaker at the Prudential Headquarters, where he gave the visionaries insight into the professional world.
Arthur stated “Eli Manning was incredible, he gave us valuable insight into not only the athletic world but also the business world and his experiences building his own reputation up not as an athlete but as a businessman. He was really inspiring and showed us that anything is possible if you just put your mind to it.”
As much of a leader he is in the community, Arthur also demonstrates his leadership on the lacrosse field as a member of the River Hill varsity lacrosse team. Although Arthur was unfortunately sidelined for the majority of the season due to a back injury, Arthur played a huge role in the team’s success acting as a prominent team motivator and morale booster. He did end up making an appearance in the final game of the regular season where he tallied an excellent assist to Eli Wallace’s first career goal. Following Arthur’s achievements, Coach Gonsouland, the River Hill varsity lacrosse coach, explained, “Arthur is an exceptional human being. He’s devoting time to help people in the community. It’s one thing to have an idea, but it speaks volumes to execute the idea. It’s an absolute blessing to work with somebody like that.”
Arthur Wang is a prime example of the excellence that comes out of River Hill. He proved that with a small idea and the desire to help others, an entire community can benefit. His demonstration of kindness, perseverance, and leadership earned him the well deserved title of Prudential Emerging Visionary.