Month of The Military Child Star Nominations

Huck is a Co-founder of Kids with Hearts for the Arts, a now real organization that was founded in June of 2020 when a simple car ride conversation that centered around his (and his friend Annika, also a military kid) concern for the youth in our communities loosing out on arts opportunities due to the Covid outbreak, combined with the knowledge that their beloved theaters were financially struggling, sparked a light in them both to do something to help these non-profit organizations that have meant so much to them both. To date, they have given back thousands of dollars to the following arts organizations in North Carolina, Cape Fear Regional Theatre, The Encore Center/Carolina Perf. Arts Studio, Temple Theatre, and The Gilbert Theater. They have now completed two large fundraising events, both all youth Variety Shows, and are currently in the process of becoming an actual non-profit organization!

Lyric has had a rough past 3 years to say the least but has put on a brave face and powered through. In 2018 after giving birth to her 4th child Lyric’s mom was diagnosed with not 1 but 2 cancers and had to undergo some major procedures and chemo. Lyric is the eldest of the 4. Being only 13 at the time Lyric stepped up to the plate and powered through helping her dad care for her 3 siblings and 2 dogs. She would get the middle 2 ready for school, help them with their homework, make sure they were showered and fed. She helped to take care of the baby sometimes even sleeping with him on the weekends when dad needed to rest. Mom was in and out of the hospital constantly. She reassured her siblings that everything was going to be alright. While doing all of this she also kept a 4.0 GPA. To say that she is a rockstar is an understatement. She has pushed and pushed and is now a sophomore Still rocking that 4.0. She is also an E6 platoon Commander in Air Force JROTC. Lyric is kindhearted and already career driven. She aspires to be a forensic scientist in NCIS or CID. We are so proud of he and are so excited to see what she has in store for the world. She is very sure to do big things!

No greater words describes a military child than resilient. That is exactly what we think of when we try to describe Gavin. In the first 6 months of his transition to Fort Bragg he lost 7 friends to PCS (Permanent Change of Station). What we anticipated as a heartbreaking situation developed him into the warm welcoming child he is today. Over the past 5 years, Gavin has learned to greet each new neighborhood child and student with a welcoming smile and a friendly face. Gavin strives for excellence in his studies and in friendships. He wants those that he interacts with to know that they're not alone. Gavin has accomplished many things in his young academic life to include the honor roll throughout his time in school, the Presidents Honor Roll, National Junior Honor Society Invitations. He has completed training in CPR, Basic First Aid, AED and Storm Spotter Training. He plays the trumpet and has performed numerous plays with Cape Fear Theatre Program. Gavin aspires to be an Engineer one day, he wants to build the best roller coasters the world has to offer! In the meantime, he fills his bucket list of all of the awesome rides and amusement parks he plans to conquer next!

Stella is a loving and responsible child. She is an all A student who excels in all areas of school. She is a talented violinist who made the All-County Orchestra. Stella is also athletic, playing volleyball and lacrosse. She loves to help her community and neighbors. She is currently working on a petition to get speed bumps in our neighborhood. Stella taught herself how to crochet over the pandemic. This inspired her to create her own goal of crocheting 50 hats for babies in the NICU.

One of Josiah's most outstanding gifts is his service to the community. Josiah is a humble, selfless individual that goes out of his way to give back to those less fortunate than he is. Just over the past couple of years, he has dedicated countless hours of his time to various local organizations such as Hope Haven, The American Red Cross, Room at the Inn Homeless Shelter, and the Children’s Theater, just to name a few. In these efforts, he has taken on many leadership roles from guiding a group of Boy Scouts through a remodeling project of two rooms at Hope Haven to organizing his own Christmas Day of Service project that has become an annual project for the organization. Josiah also dedicates his evenings to serving his church community through the gift of music as a member of The Charlotte District Marching Band and Bailey Spiritual Returns Shout Band. Josiah has further demonstrated strong leadership skills through his service to multiple communities in various capacities. He currently serves as a Young Black Leadership Alliance Ambassador and was a Senior Patrol Leader for his Boy Scout Troop, Troop 112 of Forest Hills Church. He has previously served as an assistant patrol leader, Japanese Student Ambassador, and member of the National Junior Honor Society. He is an active member of various student leadership organizations on campus and within the local community including Central Piedmont Community College’s chapter of Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society and Harper Middle College National Honor Society. One of Josiah's most unique talents is his ability to speak, read, and write Japanese. He has studied abroad in Japan twice and hopes to use this skill in his future when he becomes an investment banker. The passion that Josiah exudes through his dedication and devotion to these various organizations is evident in his schoolwork as well. He currently has a weighted high school GPA of 4.0 and college GPA of 3.4. Josiah is one that commits his all to any commitments he makes and is not one to give up.

Deyana is an exceptional child. Through Covid and preparing for an unaccompanied move of her daddy she excelled and continues to excel through school with straight As. Deyana is also a very unselfish child. For her 8th birthday instead of gifts she asked her friends to donate $5 so that she could buy Christmas gifts for a foster child through the New Hanover county Guardian Ad Litem program. Deyana again asked that she do it for her 9th birthday even though we couldn’t do a party because of Covid. She donated the money from family to give to another foster child’s Christmas. This is something Deyana wishes to continue. Deyana dressed as a Marine for Halloween, not because she wants to be a Marine as she inspires to be a lawyer, but because she has been inspired by fellow Marines she comes in contact with to be strong and courageous she says. This has inspired her to start practicing higher skill levels in gymnastics as she has a goal to make the team and start competing.

Gage is a boy that marches to the beat of his own drum. Because he has been to so many schools he has never formed a core group of friends until recently, but surprisingly he has zero fear of new surroundings or meeting new kids! He has a beautiful heart with Jesus at the center. He never says a meal prayer without asking for the homeless and sick to be cared for. For his 10th birthday he raised donations for over 200 bagged meals and personal care items for a local homeless community. He wants to be a scientist when he grows up and loves aviation. He's an awesome big brother to his two younger brothers and treats his 3 year old cousin who lives with us like a princess. We are proud of the young man he is and have no fear of him growing up to be a good Samaritan.

Morgan is everything an educator or coach could ask for. She is a risk-taker, a leader, a role model, and humble. She is special in that she has accomplished so much in her very short time with us at Terry Sanford High School. What she managed to accomplish in 3 years, other students have yet to do who have been members of this community since they were in elementary school. It can be very difficult to make a name for yourself in a school community like Terry Sanford. There are generations of alumni walking through the halls of Terry Sanford and that crowd can be rough for newcomers. Morgan transferred to FTS in her sophomore year. She quickly became a decorated member of the Terry Sanford Varsity volleyball program, held office in SGA all 3 years, tried various new sports, and has the work ethic and moral compass of someone far beyond her age. She is not afraid to get her hands dirty when she is passionate about something and always roots for her peers to be successful. In the day and age of instant gratification and a "me first" mentality, Morgan Williams goes against the grain and makes it work for her.

Matthew is one of the most resilient children you will ever meet. Throughout his father’s multiple deployments since Matthew was born, he always strived to maintain his radiant positivity and joy. He overcame a speech delay and now loves to talk incessantly! He has a special gift for engineering, building simple machines out of household objects on a regular basis and dismantling/reassembling objects around our home (much to my chagrin). He started Jiujitsu in the fall of 2020 and mastered the first level after just two months of training and received a stripe on his belt. Despite beginning Kindergarten remotely in the middle of the COVID-19 closures, he has excelled in school and been recognized as gifted, joining the Discovery program for AIG students. He has started learning Mandarin and he is teaching himself to play the drums and to beatbox. Not only is he incredibly intelligent, but he also has one of the most empathetic hearts you’ll ever encounter. No one must worry about feeling like the odd man out when Matthew is around. No matter what he is going through, he will go out of his way to care for his friends and family who are hurting, unsatisfied until they are comfortable, smiling, or laughing. He already has a servant’s heart, asking me frequently if we can donate his toys and clothes to the community. He will not pass by so much as a piece of trash on the sidewalk without making sure we pick it up and throw it away. In short, this young military child has a passion for learning, caring for others, and being a good steward of his environment.

Mia loves helping others. She is kind, sharing, and loving. Mia is a very dedicated student and derives considerable satisfaction from doing a job well done.

Darian is caring and sensitive. Darian loves video games and playing with others. His favorite subject is science because he loves to see and find out how things work.

Rhiannon is an amazing kid. Although she has only been to two duty stations, she has moved and lived in 6 different house. She has experienced 5 of her father's deployments and attended not only DoDEA Schools but also local public schools. She is resilient. She has seen friends come and go as they PCS to new duty stations. She is very helpful for she is the oldest of four. She is always willing to lend an extra hand when the military calls her father for trainings or deployments. I am so proud of the young woman she is becoming.

Isabella is a true military child. She has perseverance and grit! She attends different clubs at school and is always willing to go the extra mile to help a fellow student out. She has experienced 4 out of her father's 5 deployments. She has moved multiple times and has been in both DoDEA and local public schools. She was chosen for 1st chair with the tenor saxophone the first time she auditioned in the 2020-2021 school year. She is a very gifted artist. Isabella is a military child who makes the best out of whatever the military throws her way!

Emmaline was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3. She has high functioning ASD. She, along with her siblings, has experienced 4 out of her father's 5 deployments. The first five years of her life she had been through 3 of those deployments. She has only ever attended local public schools, where she excels in her Chinese Immersion class. She likes to play with her friends and hang out at Rick's place.

Liam is a very active 6-year-old. He has seen one of his father's 5 deployments. He has been resilient since the day he was born. He spent 10 days in the NICU on Fort Bragg. He has lived on post and now off post. He attends the local public schools and starts kindergarten this school year. He has, in true military kid fashion, adjusted to virtual learning seamlessly. When the opportunity arises, Liam is always there to help.

Kathleen has been a member of the Girl Scouts in Fayetteville for the last 2 years. She has been attending the Cumberland Virtual Academy this year as a first grader and is currently reading at a 3rd grade level and doing math at a second grade level. Over the last year during the COVID pandemic she has gone out of her way to learn as much as possible.

Emmanuel loves to learn, listen to music and run. He has a fantastic memory. He is very good at babysitting his baby sister.

Michelle is a very calm child, and always says, "Mommy I love you!" She likes to donate, sing and dance.

Elin is a talented artist who enjoys drawing every day. She is a third-degree orange belt in Karate and enjoys dance and ice skating. She can most often be found riding her bike, roller skating, or skateboarding. She is full of personality and spunk and is the best big sister ever.

Thomas helped lead community exercise programs involving hikes, runs, and cardio training. Thomas enjoys gymnastics, swimming and bike riding, but he is good at taking care of the younger kids in the family and the community. Thomas is very curious, so he is an avid reader, but beyond that, he is excellent at sharing his knowledge and loves doing it.

Willow is a third-grade Phenomenal Phoenix at Cumberland Academy. She is an exceptional student, always willing to assist her teacher and classmates. She especially loves Math and Science. She is an aspiring equestrian, a hard worker at the barn not only in her riding but also in being helpful in barn chores including mucking stalls and helping to feed the horses. Willow is always excited and happy to help when and where she can.

Abby is an amazing child. She is a Girl Scout and does community service, helps run events, plan skills day for children, volunteers for multiple nonprofits. She is working on her Silver Award which is a very prestigious award. Her silver award is based on starting a recycling program at her school with one of her fellow girl scouts. She works very hard in school. She is a very patient and loves being able to help whenever and wherever she can. She takes everything that comes with being a military kid with a smile on her face and a very positive attitude.

Addison is an honor roll student academically, but Addison also played on a competitive soccer team. Since she has played soccer for so many years, she wanted to try something new and began martial arts. Since starting last fall, Addison has acquired her yellow/black belt in Ninjutsu. In addition, Addison has plans on going into cybersecurity when she is older and is already taking coding classes, and attended a SANS university online conference, normally reserved for high school students.

Gianna is an honor roll student who is always willing to help people in her community. She is always ready to lend a hand, especially in the times during deployment when she helps with her younger brothers and sister. She is probably one of the most empathetic young women I have ever met. She is an avid fencer, softball player and track runner. She displays immense amounts of ingenuity for someone her age, and that makes her VERY unique!!!

As a military child, I have been opened to many opportunities. I have gotten better at track and tried out cross country this year and got to go to regionals. I'm a part of the National Honors Society, 100 Academy, Drill Team, and Color Team. I am also a part of the AFJROTC program, in the future, we are planning to do a community cleanup and help our community out. One of my special talents is that I can play the violin.

He is the Vice Commander of his AF JROTC Corps of Cadets where he leads community service projects that help the community. He is a Red Cross certified Life Guard and has worked as a lifeguard for the Fort Bragg Community pools. He is an excellent student/leader who maintains good grades and participates in school classes and activities. He is the President of the Student 2 Student Club at school where he leads tours for new students and helps them adapt to the school.

Atticus is a wonderful athlete who enjoys playing soccer, baseball, flag football, boxing, and fencing. He is also a bright child who has maintained A/B's throughout a virtual school year. But most importantly, he is a caring child who has run a "soda and hot cocoa stand" to raise $56 for "Hearts for the Arts," a local theater nonprofit. He also used his own money to donate snacks to the local Elks Club. Finally, he works 4 hours/month at a local church's food pantry.

Catherine plays the piano. She is very outgoing, making friends easily, and is very good at public speaking. Being a military child, she has been fortunate to travel extensively across the U.S., but her favorite place that she visited has been Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina.

He loves to make others laugh. He has Apraxia of speech and never gives up. He loves to draw.

Grayson is on the NC Wrestling Factory team and enjoys the physical and mental attributes of learning the sport. He is also a member of Dancers Workshop and assists with the prop's installation and removal. Grayson has a passion for creating and building things with his hands.

This child is very inquisitive. He wants to learn new things and like his dad he has a way of working with his hands. I have noticed that when things of his breaks or he has a toy that needs putting together, he will look at the instructions and surprisingly will put the toy together just by looking at the picture and he is only 5. He loves to fish and be with his dad.

Isabelle has excelled at volunteering her time to help members of the community. Last Saturday she spent the morning at a local farm by cleaning and fixing up their barn and surrounding areas. Isabelle’s imagination helps her provide memorable events for her family on their birthdays or Christmas. She has a desire to learn and try new things and wants to try out for the tennis team next year. Something also interesting about her; she has an albino pet ferret that is also deaf.

Ellie is an amazing helper. She works hard in school and at gymnastics. She is incredibly kind, smart, and loving.

Ava has learned to become a very resilient child through our journey as a military family. Her spontaneous acts of kindness/courtesy to people is amazing to witness. Through the Partnership for Children and Families, she has been able to understand the importance of community service and has volunteered in several projects. Something unique about Ava is that she is a great dancer. She's bilingual (English/Spanish) and she has a big heart( willing to help and love everyone).

Braxton helps his community by going door to door asking if there are any tasks or chores he can help them with. Braxton has become good at skateboarding through lots of practice and dedication. Braxton has the ability to turn anyone’s frown into a laugh.

Arianna is just such a sweet and intelligent young lady. She always offers help, is able to change and adapt to different situations and has a kind heart. I’m so proud to be her mother.

Caden is a sweet and polite boy who lives with his heart on his sleeve. He is considerate of others' emotions and just has a pure good soul. He gets along with everyone and there isn’t anything he would do to help someone

Gracie is always looking for ways to be active in both her school and youth group at church. She is actively involved in student government, sports, including volleyball and the bowling team, Bears sports network, Future Farmers of America, and loves to volunteer in community activities with youth group. All while trying to maintain a 4.0 and above GPA. Varsity Bowling Team, Clarinet player in Band, SGA, initiated the creation of an informational school tour video so students would know where to go when they came to school for the first time this school year. GPA 4.09

Gavin is always willing to help teachers and neighbors. He is often found chatting with the adult neighbors about anything from animals to gardens to TV shows. He offers a helping hand to everyone. Gavin is kind and considerate.

Loving caring helpful

Volunteers at a ranch

Loving caring and helpful

Loves dancing and singing