Twelve extraordinary military children and teens are being honored as The Courageous Kids of 2021 Contest winners.
The second annual Our Military Kids Courageous Kids Contest is sponsored by Navy Federal Credit Union. The competition recognizes the courage, resilience, and strength of military children and teens (ages 3-18) who, in the previous year, had a parent who deployed with the National Guard or Reserve or underwent treatment for severe, combat-related injuries.
“This year, we were amazed to receive so many stories spotlighting exceptional military kids and teens from across the country,” said Navy veteran and Our Military Kids Executive Director Kara Dallman. “We received 300 nominations from parents, teachers, relatives, and community members with incredible accounts of the contributions our courageous kids were making at school, in their activities, at home, and in their communities while having a military parent deployed or in recovery.”
A nomination review committee comprised of volunteers from Our Military Kids, Navy Federal Credit Union, Wounded Warrior Project, and Lockheed Martin, selected 12 winners who each will receive a $300 cash stipend, personalized award certificate, letter, and have their stories shared throughout the Month of the Military Child.
"Through every story I read, I thought of my grandkids and their experiences as military kids,” said Kevin Driscoll, VP of Investment Services at Navy Federal Financial Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navy Federal Credit Union. “I’ve seen them embrace several deployments with resiliency and bravery. Bravo Zulu to all of the Courage Kids this year.”
The Courageous Kids of 2021 Contest winners are:
U.S. Army: Thomas Ryan, age 18, from New Hampshire
U.S. Army National Guard: Addison Noechel, age 12, from Maryland
U.S. Army Reserve: Johnathan and Randy Helpingstine, ages 13 and 11, from Utah
U.S. Navy: Avani DeGroat, age 12, from California
U.S. Navy Reserve: Gabriel Lieberman, age 16, from Tennessee
U.S. Air Force: Ashelyn Hooker, age 6, from Georgia
U.S. Air National Guard: Wyatt Artrip, age 10, from Ohio
U.S. Air Force Reserve: Allan Mora, age 18, from Missouri
U.S. Marine Corps: Haley Roy-Hine, age 15, from California
U.S. Marine Corps Reserve: Damien Maust, age 10, from Texas
U.S. Coast Guard Reserve: Connor Gionet, age 15, from Florida
“Hidden Helper Hero” (U.S. Air Force): Azara Emami, age 11, from Virginia
Noechel, the daughter of a U.S. Army National Guardsman, said her favorite part of being a military kid is “the feeling of pride when I tell people my dad helps our country, and the feeling when he comes home from deployment and I see him for the first time.”
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Mora, the son of a U.S. Air Force Reservist, had some advice for fellow military kids.
“While deployments may seem like a challenge, they present an opportunity to demonstrate true strength toward our nation and yourself,” he said. “By allowing yourself to be brave through the parent-less nights while they serve our nation, that shows you are also a hero.”
You can read each Courageous Kids of 2021 Contest winner’s story here.
Julia LeDoux can be reached at Julia@connectingvets.com.
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