A Rockdale County 4-H student was named one of Georgia's two top youth volunteers for 2012 by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards for raising money to help economically disadvantaged students.

Rashad Holmes, an eighth grade student at Memorial Middle School, was honored for his efforts to make and sell cookies in order to donate his proceeds to pay for disadvantaged students to go on school field trips and to help get them involved in 4-H and Boys and Girls Club activities.

Holmes loves to cook with his father, and after winning a 4-H cookie contest in 2008, he began making cookies for friends and family members. When someone suggested his cookies were good enough to sell, Holmes launched his "Lil Chef" cookie business. "After a while of selling cookies, I decided that I should give back to my community," said Holmes.

As a State honoree, Holmes will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion, and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D. C.

In addition, 10 of the students - five middle school students and five high school students - will be named National Honorees on May 7.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 17th year, is a nation-wide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism and is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).