Gold Star Child Felt Love and Appreciation Through MCOY Experience
As Emily Baldeosingh walks across the campus of High Point University in North Carolina, fellow students ask about the Military Child of the Year® logo on her backpack.
“People ask how I got that recognition, and I’m able to share my experience,” said Emily, who was recognized as Operation Homefront’s 2025 Military Child of the Year for the National Guard.
She shares that she was among seven outstanding teens ― one representing each branch of the armed forces ― who earned the Military Child of the Year title. Judges select honorees for their scholarship, volunteerism, leadership, and extracurricular involvement, all achieved while navigating the challenges of military family life.
The program, now in its 18th year, honors recipients with a gala in Washington, D.C., where each receives a $10,000 scholarship and other donated gifts.
“Looking back on the entire experience, part of me is still in shock. It’s such a selective honor, and I truly earned that recognition,” Emily said.
“Military families should be recognized more than they are. It’s crazy to think we go through more challenges on a daily basis because we are military children.” – Emily Baldeosingh, 2025 Military Child
Honorees and their families also tour Washington, D.C. The stop at Arlington National Cemetery was especially poignant for Emily and her family. There, the Gold Star Family spent time at the gravesite of Emily’s dad, Army National Guard Sgt. Juan Carlos Baldeosingh.
Emily was 2 when her mother, Rebecca, received the devastating news that Juan Carlos was among four North Carolina guardsmen killed by an improvised explosive device in Iraq. He first served in the Marine Corps but transitioned to civilian life and, in 2008, joined the Guard.
“Being able to go and sit with my dad made me feel so whole-hearted about my family and our sacrifice,” she said. “My dad paid the ultimate sacrifice, but each day my family carries that sacrifice in us.”
Being a Gold Star Family member shaped Emily’s outlook.
“It gave me the perspective that I should always go into things with an open mind and an open heart because I never know what the outcome will be,” she said. “For military children specifically, it’s always important to have the mindset to never take anything for granted because we never know what tomorrow brings.”
The philosophy helped her achieve her dream of becoming part of her university’s D1 NCAA sideline cheer team, and it propels her forward as she works toward her bachelor’s degree with a major in business administration and a minor in marketing.
Despite a busy schedule, she remains active in her passions and continues to serve in the cheerleading community. This summer, she will return for a second year working for NCA as an instructor.
Emily appreciates the recognition made possible by Operation Homefront’s generous donors.
“Military families should be recognized more than they are,” she said.
She reflected on how military kids face numerous separations from a parent because of deployments and go through frequent moves and school changes.
“It’s crazy to think we go through more challenges on a daily basis because we are military children.”
Emily will long remember standing on stage and the gala and holding her award.
“I felt loved and appreciated for my sacrifices,” she said. “Yes, I was holding that award, but I was holding it for my dad, as well.”
