“The Military Child of the Year® Award was an outstanding reminder of how appreciated military families are in our nation,” said Grant Benson, 2022 Space Force Military Child of the Year®.
SAN ANTONIO (PRWEB) January 19, 2023
Operation Homefront, the national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families, is pleased to announce that 96 military children from across the U.S. and overseas have advanced as semifinalists in Operation Homefront’s 2023 Military Child of the Year® Awards program.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of this very special program, which is the nation’s premier celebration of the achievements of America’s military children, reflecting the positive impact they have made on their families, schools, and communities. The Military Child of the Year® Award is a lifelong source of pride for the recipients. Participating in the program provides them with amazing opportunities to connect with senior military leaders, celebrities, and other remarkable military children.
Finalists for this year's awards will be selected in February by a panel of independent, volunteer judges. The final seven award recipients will be announced in March, and each will receive $10,000, a laptop, and other donated gifts. A celebration program will be held on April 13, 2023; details regarding the celebrations will be released in March and any events will follow CDC and state health guidelines.
Seven Military Child of the Year® Award recipients will represent each branch of the armed forces — the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, and National Guard — and are selected for their excellence in scholarship, volunteerism, leadership, and extracurricular activities.
“The Military Child of the Year® Award was an outstanding reminder of how appreciated military families are in our nation,” said Grant Benson, 2022 Space Force Military Child of the Year®. “My award was highly unexpected and gave me a sense of pride for all of those moves, staying strong during deployments, and supporting those who are dedicated to serving more than themselves.” Benson is now an Aerospace Engineering major at Penn State University.
More information about the Military Child of the Year® Awards is available at https://operationhomefront.org/military-child-of-the-year/ .
The following are all the 2023 Military Child of the Year® Award semifinalists by service branch. See full details of our semifinalists on our website at http://operationhomefront.org/2023-military-child-of-the-year-semifinalists-announced/
Army
Ethan A., 17, Dupont, WA
Stevie C., 15, San Antonio, TX
Ja’Niayah E., 17, Valdosta, GA
Mackenzie H., 17, Grafton, MA
Charlotte I., 14, South Korea
Leonid N., 17, Bronxville, NY
Ella N., 17, Clarksville, TN
Aiden N., 16, Colorado Springs, CO
Rebecca R., 17, Enterprise, AL
Stella R., 18, Charlotte, NC
Marina S., 17, JBLM, WA
Maribel S., 14, Japan
Janiyah S., 17, Germany
Nicholas S., 17, Burke, VA
Elena Z., 16, Clarksville, TN
Marine Corps
James B., 17, Oakland, CA
Kailyn C., 17, Richlands, NC
Ashley D., 18, Vanceboro, NC
Alyssa G., 13, Manassas, VA
Lily H., 15, Poway, CA
Grace L., 18, New Bern, NC
Dominick M., 14, Pensacola, FL
Connor N., 14, Carthage, NC
Iain N., 16, Carthage, NC
Dannika R., 13, Seaside, CA
Justin S., 16, Yuma, AZ
Ryley S., 17, Camp Lejeune, NC
Hannah Marie T., 17, Pearl City, HI
Jodie T., 14, Kailua, HI
Logan T., 17, Kailua, HI
Navy
Jackson A., 17, Walla Walla, WA
Jemma B., 18, Annapolis, MD
Felix B., 16, Ledyard, CT
Abigail B., 17, Southlake, TX
Aiyanna B., 18, Miami, FL
Tayah B., 18, Coronado, CA
Audrey D., 17, Coronado, CA
Kalani G., 16, Homestead, FL
Nevaeh H., 17, Coronado, CA
Hannah I., 17, Fleming Island, FL
Khalif K., 17, Oceanside, CA
Jack M., 17, Spanish Fort, AL
Caleb S., 17, Burke, VA
Jackson S., 17, Doylestown, PA
Ian S., 17, Moyock, NC
Air Force
Margaret B., 15, Tyndall AFB, FL
Morgan B., 15, Kaysville, UT
Jena B., 17, Madison, AL
Samantha C., 18, Cheyenne, WY
Brianna C., 17, Bossier City, AL
Isabella C., 15, Edmond, OK
Vincent D., 17, Stevensville, MI
Sean G., 17, Shaw AFB, SC
Isabella G., 16, Vass, NC
Louis G., 17, San Antonio, TX
Siobhan G., 16, Anacortes, WA
Malia P., 17, Dixon, CA
Anna R., 16, Germany
Caroline S., 17, College Station, TX
Elayna W., 18, Falls Church, VA
Coast Guard
Lola C., 17, Hubert, NC
Ashli C., 17, Santa Rosa, CA
Ava C., 17, Port Jefferson, NY
Jessica H., 16, Petaluma, CA
Haydn J., 17, Sault Sainte Marie, MI
Kaylie K., 15, San Diego, CA
Charles M., 18, Hamilton, NJ
Emmett M., 16, Norfolk, VA
Katherine P., 17, Tampa, FL
Anna R., 17, McLean, VA
Zoey R., 13, Derry, NH
National Guard
Amaia A., 14, Green Cove Springs, FL
Leland B., 18, Haymarket, VA
Kyra B., 18, Lee’s Summit, MO
Evelyna B., 17, Melbourne, FL
Annabelle C., 18, West Monroe, LA
Rylie Nicole F., 17, Manassas, VA
Jackson G., 17, Rainbow City, AL
Keziah H., 18, Waxahachie, TX
Lexy H., 16, Sellersville, PA
Ellie R., 16, San Antonio, TX
Drishti S., 17, Plainsboro, NJ
Madeline S., 17, St. Augustine, FL
Jonathan S., 17, Baldwin City, KS
Mason T., 18, Layton, UT
Grant W., 14, New Albany, OH
Space Force*
Kadence A., 16, Colorado Springs, CO
Shu Xian Mila B., 14, Lompoc, CA
Zoe B., 17, Lugoff, SC
Elizabeth E., 17, Vienna, VA
Alexander H., 17, Colorado Springs, CO
Brandon K., 14, Cerritos, CA
Olivia K., 16, Cerritos, CA
Eagan M., 14, South Korea
Hayley S., 16, Colorado Springs, CO
Joshua Y., 13, Germany
*This is the third year for inviting nominations from the newest military service, the U.S. Space Force. We anticipate more nominees from this branch as it becomes more established.
# # #
About Operation Homefront
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, 88 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.