Love of art inspires Granton teen’s volunteer efforts
Volunteering and the arts are two things that are important in Kylie Ganther’s life. For the past few years, her love of the arts has spurred her on in volunteer work to share that love with others. Recently, she was honored for her work with two volunteer awards.
A senior at Granton High School, Ganther was awarded as a Distinguished Finalist for the Prudential Spirit of Community Award and also received the President’s Volunteer Service Award. As part of her awards, she will receive a Prudential Spirit of Community Bronze Medallion and a silver certificate and letter from President Donald Trump.
Both of Ganther’s awards came as a surprise to her. They came after she had applied for a volunteering scholarship that was recommended by the school’s counselor, Michelle Schmitz. When she had applied, she said she had no idea there was anything more in the application than the potential for a scholarship.
“I was very surprised,” she said. “I did not know. I had applied for a volunteering scholarship, Mrs. Schmitz recommended I fill it out. I found out about the award a couple days ago, I get a bronze medal, a letter from the president. It’s special, it’s very cool.”
On the application, Ganther said she was asked numerous essay questions on the type of volunteering she did, the impact it had and how she changed as a person because of it. For her application, she wrote about her work at the Clark County Cultural Arts Center (CART).
“A senior at Granton High School, (Ganther) regularly volunteers her time with the nonprofit Clark County Cultural Art Center (CART),” said a press release from Prudential Financial. “She helped renovate an abandoned church into an art center and helps host events, teach youth enrichment classes and complete community art projects. CART features art exhibits and offers classes to adults and children in a variety of artistic mediums including painting, drawing and sculpting.”
For the President’s Volunteer Service Award, the amount of hours Ganther listed on her application was used to determine her eligibility for the award. The award, “Recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country.”
Thinking back on how her volunteer work at the CART center has had an impact, Ganther said the work that she and others have done to bring the arts to people living in Clark County has allowed them greater access to things they were never able to have before. Just getting the CART center to have a presence in the area has been important.
“I really like that we have this in the community,” she said. “More kids have access to that and that type of art … It inspires their dreams in art, especially the little kids. Working with kids is great, art impacts everybody even if they don’t practice it.”
The volunteer time has also had an effect on her.
“It’s honestly made me into a better person,” she said. “I have gotten more involved with the community, involved with all these creative minds. Getting to see their impact on things is great.”
Ganther said she plans to continue volunteering at the CART center and with other organizations in the future. After graduating in May, she said she plans to attend college at UW-Stout to achieve a degree in graphic design, instructive media or another art-related field. The awards she just received, she said, will keep her on track to continue volunteering at that point.
“I see it as something to keep to inspire me to work hard and do volunteer work in the future,” she said. “I guess for now, keep working hard towards graduation. When I get to college, I will keep working hard to inspire people and children to fulfill their dreams.”
Granton High School senior Kylie Ganther was recently named a finalist for the Prudential Spirit of Community Award and received the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
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