Three Military Students Honored with $4,000 in Prizes in Exchange’s You Made the Grade Program
DALLAS – Three military children are heading back to school with an extra boost of academic pride as winners of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s You Made the Grade worldwide sweepstakes.
Mateo Rojas, a rising 11th-grader, was named the grand-prize winner and received a $2,000 gift card from the Travis Air Force Base Exchange. Mateo’s father is a retired Coast Guard captain who served 26 years.
Mateo Rojas, a rising 11th-grader, was named the grand-prize winner and received a $2,000 gift card from the Travis Air Force Base Exchange. Mateo’s father is a retired Coast Guard captain who served 26 years.
The second-place winner is from Fort Hood, and sixth-grader Josiah Ko won the third-place prize—a $500 Exchange gift card—which he received in a presentation at the Camp Humphreys Exchange. Josiah’s father, Maj. David Ko, is a chaplaincy resource manager for Headquarters Company at Camp Humphreys.
“I was shocked,” said Mateo, who attended Castro Valley High School in the Bay area before the family relocated to San Diego this summer. “Shocked and very happy.”
The winners were selected in a worldwide drawing of more than 800 military children who were eligible to enter by maintaining a B average in school.
Josiah Ko’s father, Maj. David Ko, chaplaincy resource manager for Headquarters, Headquarters Company, United States Army Garrison-Humphreys; his mother, Jenny; and his sister, Annabelle, join the Exchange’s Regional Vice President Scott Bonner and Humphreys Store Manager Debra Melton for the presentation of Josiah’s $500 gift card.
“You Made the Grade program is a fantastic program, and my children really enjoy getting their $5 gift cards each quarter, as a reward for their diligence in their studies,” said Jenny Ko, Josiah’s mother. “Josiah winning the $500 third-place prize was a wonderful bonus. We’re so grateful. I hope that other children will be motivated to do their best in school—it will really pay off.”
The You Made the Grade program rewards students in first through 12th grade for above-average academic achievement to inspire them to continue striving for excellence. Military children who maintain a B average higher can bring their report cards each grading period to their local Exchange for a $5 gift card. Students can enter the worldwide sweepstakes for a chance at a $2,000, $1,500 or $500 Exchange gift card. The program is one example of how the Exchange provides ongoing support to the military community in ways no other retailer can.
“Military kids have to deal with unique situations, such as frequent moves,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Osby, the Exchange’s senior enlisted advisor. “On top of that, kids have been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been an extra challenge for students. The Exchange is please to recognize military students for their hard work and academic excellence.”
The next sweepstakes drawing will take place in December. Shoppers can visit customer service at their local Exchange or ShopMyExchange.com/Community for more information.
I love these stories celebrating military kid’s achievements, they are awesome! Though I am a military retiree, my wife and I raised five children while I was still active duty…no easy task for me, but especially for my wife. Oh, the stories we could tell!