http://www.OperationHomefront.org
“These seven award recipients are truly exceptional young people who have achieved much at such a young age in terms of academic achievement and service to others,” said Brig. Gen. (ret.) John I. Pray Jr., president and CEO of Operation Homefront.
SAN ANTONIO (PRWEB) February 26, 2018
Operation Homefront, serving America’s military families® since 2002, today announced the seven winners of the prestigious 2018 Military Child of the Year® Award, the nation’s premier celebration of the achievements of our military children. 2018 marks the 10th anniversary of the awards, which each year has provided the extraordinary young recipients with opportunities to be recognized by senior military leaders, elected officials, celebrities, and other remarkable military children.
The Military Child of the Year® Award reflects the positive impact that these special young people have made on their military families, their schools, and their communities. The award recipients will travel to Washington, D.C., to be recognized at the April 19 gala, during which senior leaders of each branch of service will present the awards. They also will each receive $10,000, a laptop computer, and other donated gifts. The Military Child of the Year® Award for Innovation recipient will work directly with a Booz Allen Hamilton team to develop a plan to help scale the recipient’s project — drawing on technology and strategic thinking as a part of the corporation’s competitive Summer Games.
“These seven award recipients are truly exceptional young people who have achieved much at such a young age in terms of academic achievement and service to others. They are remarkable representatives of a larger community of extraordinary military kids,” said Brig. Gen. (ret.) John I. Pray Jr., president and CEO of Operation Homefront. “The nearly 400 nominees we had for our tenth annual Military Child of the Year® Awards all personified resiliency, leadership, achievement, and strength of character. Their families and their communities can be justifiably proud of each of them – and we are too.”
Six recipients earned the award based on the armed forces branch in which a parent either serves or has served — Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and the National Guard, selected for their scholarship, volunteerism, leadership, extracurricular involvement, and other criteria while facing the challenges of military family life. Each service branch’s awardees were selected by a panel of independent volunteer judges with deep roots in the military-support community. The seventh award is the Military Child of the Year® Award for Innovation, presented by global technology and consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton. This award goes to a military child who has designed a bold and creative solution to address a local, regional or global challenge.
The 2018 Military Child of the Year® Award recipients are as follows:
Army: Rebekah Paxton, 17, Harrisonville, Missouri, home school
Navy: Isabelle Richards, 13, Jamul, California, High Tech Middle School
Marine Corps: Joshua Frawley, 14, Jacksonville, North Carolina, White Oak High School
Air Force: Eve Glenn, 16, Tampa, Florida, T. R. Robinson High School
Coast Guard: Roark Corson, 17, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Ocean Lakes High School
National Guard: Aaron Hall, 16, Coarsegold, California, Minarets High School
Military Child of the Year® Award for Innovation: Shelby Barber, 17, Ewa Beach, Hawaii, James Campbell High School
United Technologies Corporation is the gala’s presenting sponsor. Additional sponsors include Booz Allen Hamilton, MidAtlanticBroadband, LaQuinta Inns & Suites, and Procter & Gamble. Military Times is the media sponsor.
About Operation Homefront: Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America’s military families. For more information, visit OperationHomefront.org.