SHS Senior Volunteers with Partners After School @ Oakland

By Diane Lee, Public Information Officer, Garrett County Health Department

Most high school students volunteer just enough to reach the required number of service learning hours, but Madison Prudnick isn’t like most people. She clocked more than 700 volunteer hours since May 2017 for the Partners After School (PAS) @ Oakland Program.

“Madison is a bright, mature, top notch senior at Southern High School who is irreplaceable!” said James Michaels, Director of PAS@Oakland. “She is a one of a kind young lady who will be super successful in her future. It has been my absolute honor to mentor Madison and have her volunteer in our programs. She is an amazing student and human being.”

PAS@Oakland is an afterschool program for students in grades three through eight from Broad Ford Elementary School, Yough Glades Elementary School, and Southern Middle School.  It is operated by staff from the Garrett County Health Department Monday through Friday during the school year.

During her time with the program, Madison tutored students during homework time, and showed students and staff how to use technology and various resources to help with homework. Madison helped with many aspects of the program, including participating in field trips and meetings, as well as planning and setting up family meals, dinners, parent activities, and summer programs. She also led and set up activities with the National Honor Society students from SHS to do arts and crafts activities with PAS@Oakland students. 

“Madison is such a generous, kind, compassionate, and giving person,” Michaels said. “I’ve jokingly said, ‘When I grow up I want to be like Madison!’ She always made sure she interacted with every student during recreation or homework time.  She is an intellectual problem solver who is goal driven, detail oriented, punctual, committed, hardworking, and dependable.”

Madison says she would recommend volunteering at after school to anyone who wants to help someone make their day a little bit better. “It is a lot of fun and you will make amazing relationships, not only with the staff members, but also with the kids and their families.”

“Volunteering has taught me to be my best self and treat others only with kindness because you have no idea what someone is going through or how their day has been,” Madison said. “I honestly cannot think of my favorite memory because every day I was at the program was so much fun, working with great kids and amazing staff! I love working with everyone and every day was my favorite.”

“Although Madison says she hopes to help as many people as she can, I would say she’s already been doing that for the past four years,” Michaels said. “She is an amazing role model, and has maintained contact with our afterschool students through a mentoring and tutoring program during the COVID-19 crisis.”

Madison plans to attend Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland this fall, and double major in Computer Science and Cyber-Security or Criminal Justice.  

PAS@Oakland is provided by the Garrett County Local Management Board (LMB), Governor’s Office For Children, and United Way of Garrett County. Programs are administered by Garrett County Health Department. For more information, call the LMB at 301-334-7445 or 301-895-3111.

Cutline: Madison Prudnick volunteered for more than 700 hours at Partners After School @ Oakland during her 4-year high school career. Pictured above, Madison holds a picture of herself playing chess with an after school participant.