The City of Jacksonville announced on April 15 that it will host a ceremony to honor North Carolina youth recognized as semifinalists and a finalist for the Military Child of the Year Award. The event will take place at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 17 in the Council Chambers at City Hall, located at 815 New Bridge Street.
The ceremony highlights achievements by children from military families who have made significant contributions to their communities, schools, and families. The award is sponsored by Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting military families.
This year, seven individuals from North Carolina were among the 68 semifinalists selected nationwide. Hannah Kirksey, age 17 from Sneads Ferry and representing the Marine Corps, was named as the Military Child of the Year for her branch. According to organizers, this marks the eighteenth year that Operation Homefront has recognized outstanding young people through this program.
The selection process considers criteria such as scholarship, volunteerism, leadership skills, extracurricular involvement and other achievements. Winners are chosen by a panel of volunteer judges who support military communities across America. One youth is selected from each branch: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard and Space Force.
Participants in Friday’s ceremony will include Pastor Jim Duab; Secretary Jocelyn M. Mallette; Rick Long from The North Carolina Department of Military and Veteran Affairs; Howard Lattimore from United States Marine Corps; representatives from North Carolina Department of Public Instruction; Sergeant Major Anthony Loftus from II Marine Expeditionary Force; members of Operation Homefront; Councilwoman Dr Angelia Washington; along with all honored military youth semifinalists. The event is open to the public.
Other North Carolina semifinalists include Natalie Perez (Fayetteville), Kinsey Robinson (West End), Victoria Vanacore (Kill Devil Hills), Virginia Burks (Havelock), Daniel Prane (Swansboro) and Genesis Hall (Marion). Finalists are also recognized in an annual April ceremony held in Washington D.C.
