Through three military permanent change of station relocations and 32 months of her father’s deployments, Madeleine Morlino has lived a life of giving back to the country and to the community, consistent with the foundational values and love of country upon which she was raised. Madeleine was adopted from China when she was 11 months old. Believing fervently that her family made her life better than it would have been had she remained in China, Madeleine has devoted her life to keeping America and her community strong.
Just about every day, Madeleine accomplishes something for America — one veteran, indeed one citizen, at a time.
Motivated by the challenges her family faced as her father transitioned from the Air Force to civilian life, Madeleine set out to ease the transition for other service members. She conceived, organized and led a job expo for veterans in her hometown. She and her colleagues on the committee that planned the event successfully attracted national and local businesses that were poised to offer veterans meaningful employment.
Driven to share her love of country and inspire others, Madeleine joined with her 18-year-old sister, Eleanor, in creating a Young Americans for Freedom group at her high school. Under Madeleine’s leadership, membership in the organization increased 300 percent from the year before, attracting a diverse group of young people to join the effort to spread the word about the uniqueness of the U.S. Constitution and the greatness of our nation as a whole.
Despite also being involved with student body government, Model UN, and a host of other volunteer activities, Madeleine still finds time for orchestra and cross country running. Perhaps we see a clue to the fuel that fires her in her favorite quote, by Og Mandino: “Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.”
Madeleine’s love of country and call to serve will continue after she graduates, as she is now a member of the U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 2020 cadets.
Madeleine is the daughter of Kerry Ann Morlino and retired Air Force Master Sgt. Leonard Morlino of Moorestown, N.J.
This week, we will be shining a spotlight on each of our Military Child of the Year Award recipients, as well as the first ever recipient of the Operation Homefront-Booz Allen Hamilton Innovation Award. Be sure to check back daily or follow us on Twitter or Facebook for updates. In addition, throughout the months of April and May, we invite you to show your appreciation by sending a message of thanks and sharing #Mission2Honor with your friends and family.
Our heartfelt thanks to our presenting sponsor United Technologies, and all of our 2016 Military Child of the Year Award sponsors, for making this annual award one of the highlights of our year. Your support allows us to bring the stories of our military families to the forefront, making a difference in raising awareness of the challenges they face in protecting our nation.
