Groves High School junior Rachael Stein has been named a Distinguished Finalist for the 2012 Prudential Spirit of Community Award.

Stein is the current president of Groves' Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) and youth coordinator for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) in southeast Michigan. Aside from serving as an advocate for gay and lesbian youth, last fall Stein helped co-write a grant that earned GLSEN $28,000.

On Oct. 29, Stein and GLSEN also led an anti-bullying summit at Groves, a day of workshops geared toward helping keep southeast Michigan's classrooms and hallways safe for students of all genders and sexual orientation.

In October, Stein was also chosen at the Birmingham Patch and Huffington Post Greatest Person of the Day — an honor recognizing people who confront issues in their community with creativity and passion.

Stein will be honored with an engraved bronze medallian at an awards ceremony Thursday at 11:45 a.m. at Groves.

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), represent the United States’ largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer community service.