Military Child of the Year® 2023 Finalists
Now in its 15th year, the Military Child of the Year® Award reflects the positive impact that these impressive young people have made on their military families, their schools, and their communities.
2023 Awards Finalists
Operation Homefront is excited to announce the 2023 Military Child of the Year® Awards finalists. 35 Military Branch Awards finalists have been chosen.
U.S. Space Force Finalists
Kadence Atwood, 16, Colorado Springs, CO
Shu Xian Mila Baker, 14, Lompoc, CA
Zoe Bills, 17, Lugoff, SC
Elizabeth Endicott, 17, Vienna, VA
Hayley Schreiner, 16, Colorado Springs, CO
U.S. Navy Finalists
Jemma Bates, 18, Annapolis, MD
Felix Beltre, 16, Ledyard, CT
Nevaeh Henrich, 17, Coronado, CA
Khalif Kamil, 17, Oceanside, CA
Caleb Sharman, 17, Burke, VA
National Guard Finalists
Leland Blanchard III, 18, Haymarket, VA
Rylie Nicole Flick, 17, Manassas, VA
Jackson Griggs, 17, Rainbow City, AL
Keziah Hanna, 18, Waxahachie, TX
Mason Thompson, 18, Layton, UT
U.S. Marine Corps Finalists
Ashley Desten, 18, Vanceboro, NC
Grace Linville, 18, New Bern, NC
Connor Nicol, 14, Carthage, NC
Iain Nicol, 16, Carthage, NC
HannahMarie Tokiwa, 17, Pearl city, HI
U.S. Coast Guard Finalists
Ava Cooper, 17, Port Jefferson, NY
Haydn Jones, 17, Sault Sainte Marie, MI
Kaylie Kelley, 15, San Diego, CA
Charles McGuire, 18, Hamilton, NJ
Emmett Moorhouse, 16, Norfolk, VA
U.S. Air Force Finalists
Margaret Bartlow, 15, Tyndall AFB, FL
Brianna Cooley, 17, Bossier City, AL
Isabella Garcia, 16, Vass, NC
Louis Geer, 17, San Antonio, TX
Anna Roth, 16, APO, AE
U.S Army Finalists
Ethan Ashford, 17, Dupont, WA
Stevie Conrad, 15, San Antonio, TX
Mackenzie Hanna, 17, Grafton, MA
Aiden Nyman-Laughman, 16, Colorado SPGS, CO
Stella Rodriguez, 18, Charlotte, NC
The thirty-five finalists were selected by a panel of judges chosen by Operation Homefront’s senior leadership. The final seven award recipients will be announced in March.
Seven Military Child of the Year® Award recipients will represent each branch of the armed forces — the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Space Force — for their scholarship, volunteerism, leadership, extracurricular involvement, and other criteria while facing the challenges of military family life.
The final seven award recipients will be announced in March. Each recipient will receive $10,000, a laptop, and other donated gifts. A celebration program is currently scheduled for April; details regarding the celebrations will be released in March.
2022 Military Child of the Year® Awards recipients (from left to right): Andrew Stone, Sophia Jordan, David Lee, Anna Cummins, Elena Ashburn, Mitchell Matella, Kathryn Alonso, and Grant Benson.