(relaxed music)
- The Military Youth of the Year program
is just such an important program.
- I wouldn't be the person that I am now
without being in this program.
I'm so much more confident, proud of who I am,
proud of the people that I've met,
proud of my story.
I love that.
- I'm going to be advocating for my generation.
And not only this one, for more generations to come.
I want to be the blueprint
for the construction of future leaders.
- I can't even describe how much this program
has helped me as a person,
to develop not only my social skills
but my public speaking skills,
as well as things that I would use in school,
such as essay writing skills and speech writing skills.
- I would go to the youth center with my siblings
when I was younger.
I saw how much confidence and energy and memories they gained
through the Military of the Year program.
So I really wanted to apply.
- I struggle with anxiety,
and I'm scared to talk in front of people.
I get very anxious.
If you go and share your story,
you're showing that people with mental health issues
all over the world,
it shows that they can accomplish amazing things
while also having mental health issues.
They don't have to let their anxiety
or their depression stop them.
- So with National Military Youth of the Year,
I felt that I could spread my message
and then encourage others to do the same.
- I think the National Military Youth of the Year
represents uniqueness.
- The National Military Youth of the Year process
really gave me time to think about what I want to do next
in shorter terms.
So I've been able to think more
about setting smaller goals and then achieving them,
and then looking forward to the larger goals in the future.
- The most meaningful thing
about advising a military teen for me
was the ability to help them reach their best self.
- The Military Youth of the Year program
means the world to me.
It's great opportunities for these teens
just to help them go to a college.
It offers them scholarship opportunities to help assist them
and take that financial burden off of themselves
or their families.
- The Military Youth of the Year,
just the scholarship program itself,
is definitely going to help me with my academic goals.
- This whole week has really opened my eyes
to see how this program is great
and how this program needs to be promoted.
- 'Cause you see that everything that you put in there,
you see all that potential, all the belief,
all the sweat, the tears,
everything that you put in there, you see it blossom.
- We try to work with them
as they start getting into eighth and ninth grade,
and then we start selecting the different avenues
that they go through.
So it's a big process.
It's a long process, but we enjoy every minute of it.
- We get to take these children,
and we get to show them all the possibilities
that are out there for them.
We help them to start thinking about colleges
or start thinking about careers,
and just guiding them on ways,
of paths that they don't know how to get to.
- Interviewing, there's speech, public speaking, networking,
building your portfolio, your resume, your cover letter.
Those are skills that they're going to need outside of here.
It's almost like branding themselves.
And so the Military Youth of the Year program
does that for teens.
It helps them find their story.
It helps them build those skills.
- My advisor helped me along the way
by giving me the confidence
to actually go out and talk to people,
interact with people, telling me like,
"Yeah, you got this.
You deserve to be here.
You did all the hard work
just like the rest of them."
And really putting me in the mindset of like,
"Yeah, you know what?
I can actually achieve that.
I can actually do what I want to do."
- Really nice to look over and see Cammy going like,
"Yeah, you got this," and different things.
Been super supportive all my life.
- I feel like her second mother.
- She is.
Don't tell my mom that.
- I won't.
- I would hug her.
Yeah. Support.
- Last night watching Ahsha
take National Military Youth of the Year,
I said, "Oh my gosh, I have a job that I wake up every day
and I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, I love what I do so much.'"
And that's why I do it.
- She's probably the person
that has had the biggest impact on my life.
- You're going to do great. - You're going to do great.
(both laughing)
- This Military Youth of the Year program
has showed me that this next coming generation,
they give me hope
seeing such outstanding teens pushing so hard
to achieve a better world.
- I'm so excited to go to college and learn.
- So I want to become a linguist,
because I think cooperation is key for anything.
- I want to major in public relations and marketing.
- Then going on to college and hoping to become
a pediatric physician assistant one day.
- Currently studying criminal justice with a minor
in mechanical engineering.
- Right after college, I'm going straight into law school,
and then after that I take the bar exam.
- I either want to be a teacher,
a social worker or a counselor.
I'm very passionate about working with kids.
- So with my deeds and my words,
I'm going to change this world.
- I'm so excited for the future.
I can't even stress that enough.