Bay senior honored in D.C. for community service

Joseph Melenick and his mother, Nancy, met with Sen. Sherrod Brown in Washington, D.C., on May 3.

Bay High School senior Joseph Melenick was one of two Ohio students recently honored with the Prudential Spirit of Community Award and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. Each year for the past 16 years, Prudential Financial and the National Association of Secondary School Principals have awarded the top two student volunteers from each state and the District of Columbia with a $1,000 award and a free trip to the nation's capital.

While in Washington, Joe met with Sen. Sherrod Brown, who congratulated him for raising $50,000 for Crohn's disease research.

"Young Ohioans like Joseph Melenick provide the energy, insight and imagination needed to lead our state toward even greater progress in the 21st century,” Brown said. “This is a proud moment not only for Joseph, but also for the family and the educators who helped instill his solid Ohio values of hard work and community service."

While in Washington, D.C., Joe and his fellow honorees toured the capital's landmarks and attended a gala awards ceremony at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.