FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- Senior year of high school can be a very challenging time for teenagers. Whether they are getting ready to head off to college or preparing to enter the workforce, it can be difficult to balance school work, social obligations and family time.
Three local youths recently were recognized for their ability to excel academically, participate in extracurricular activities, and still make the time to support their local and Fort Drum communities.
During 2013, Matthew Howard, Audrey Whitehurst and William Zenyuk collectively gave more than 1,300 hours of their time in support of the USO Fort Drum. From cleaning and organizing the USO, to directly supporting Soldiers in need of assistance, the three provided excellent service with a positive demeanor and maturity far beyond their years.
Molly Manning, USO volunteer coordinator, said it is volunteers like Howard, Whitehurst and Zenyuk who make it possible for the organization to provide great service to the Soldiers.
?"I find it so amazing that students are willing to give up their free time to give back to those who serve," Manning said. ?"William, Audrey, and Matthew are all military children, and (they) understand how important it is to support our troops. Each of them adds something different to our volunteer team, and we could not support our mission without volunteers like them."
Although Soldiers express their appreciation daily and the USO honors volunteers at special recognition ceremonies, Manning wanted the world to know about the efforts of these exceptional youths. She nominated each of them for Operation Homefront?'s ?"Military Child of the Year" award.
Operation Homefront is a nonprofit organization that provides emergency assistance to Soldiers, support for wounded warriors and recognition for Soldiers and Family Members who are thriving despite the challenges of military life.
Each year, the organization presents an award to outstanding military children who demonstrate resiliency, leadership and achievement. One child is chosen to represent each branch of the military, and the winners are honored at a gala held each April in Washington, D.C.
In early January, Manning received amazing news. All three nominees made Operation Homefront?'s list of semifinalists, and each will be considered for the honor of representing the Army in 2014.
Matthew Howard
Matthew Howard and his Family moved to Fort Drum last summer. His father, Brig. Gen. Michael Howard, is serving as deputy commanding general - rear for the duration of the 10th Mountain Division (LI) deployment to Afghanistan.
A senior at Carthage Central High School, Howard is a member of the Whiz Quiz team, the Key Club and the school newspaper. Howard said he has always been very active in his school and church communities no matter where his Family was stationed. Getting involved, he said, helped to ease the transition each time his Family made a permanent-change-of-station move.
?"It can be difficult to acclimate when you move often. When we came to Fort Drum, I immediately started meeting the kids in the neighborhood and started doing things. I tried not to get into a rut or seclude myself."
Having completed a great deal of volunteer work in the past, including an Eagle Scout project consisting of more than 60 hours of community service, Howard is no stranger to giving back. He said he was drawn to the USO for many reasons.
?"Volunteering is a way to get to know other people -- my fellow volunteers and the Soldiers. I?'ve also gotten a lot out of being a military child, and I wanted to give back to the Army for all I?'ve gotten from them."
Manning said other volunteers often look to Howard for advice and assistance.
?"In the time I have known Matthew, I have seen him grow as a leader," Manning said. ?"He is looked to by fellow USO Fort Drum volunteers for advice. The USO Fort Drum staff can rely on him to come in at the last minute, and he is always willing to lend a helping hand."
Although he admits that it can be challenging to make time for volunteering while also taking a full courseload of honors classes and staying involved in his community, Howard said he is learning a lot about time management and about honoring his commitments.
?"Something my parents have taught me is that if you?'re committed, you have to find a way to make it work, even when things get hectic," Howard said.
?"I think that not letting myself drop anything has been one of the best lessons that they?'ve taught me,"?^he added.
It is a lesson that is sure to serve him well as he heads off to college in the fall. He has accepted a full scholarship to Georgia Southern University. Howard said he plans to continue to volunteer in some capacity for as long as he is able.
?"I definitely plan to stay involved in the military community wherever I go. It?'s something my parents have always done, and it?'s something that is very important to me."
Audrey Whitehurst
Audrey Whitehurst is also a senior at Carthage Central High School. She serves as editor in chief of the school newspaper, president of the Art Club and Key Club secretary. Like Howard, she is a member of the school?'s Whiz Quiz team, which won the international championship in 2013.
Whitehurst?'s father, Col. Samuel Whitehurst, 3rd Brigade Combat Team commander, and her mother both encouraged her to get involved in volunteer work throughout her childhood.
?"I began volunteering at the USO when I was 16," Whitehurst recalled. ?"My mom had been doing a lot of events and she knew they were looking for volunteers, so she encouraged me. I also wanted get out and interact with people and talk about their experiences and their lives. I get to do that a lot here."
An aspiring journalist, Whitehurst said she enjoys the networking opportunities that volunteering has provided.
?"It?'s interesting to me to find out what made them decide to join the Army," she said. ?"I really wanted to start volunteering because I was interested in what a Soldier was, beyond my own experiences with my dad."
The Soldiers respond well to Whitehurst?'s upbeat personality and willingness to help, Manning said.
?"Audrey always lights up the room," Manning said. ?"Her constant smile and high energy bring an uplifting atmosphere to USO Fort Drum. Audrey is bright young lady who handles difficult situations with stride."
Whitehurst serves as a shift supervisor at the USO, and she said she especially enjoys volunteering at special events.
?"My favorite was handing out water at a race," she said. ?"The runners race past, and you hand them water. They?'re all exhausted, and they?'re still happy. I also enjoy helping with parties -- making sure the food is all set, cleaning up as needed."
This holiday season was particularly memorable for Whitehurst. She said that helping to serve Soldiers who were away from their Families during the holidays meant a great deal more to her in light of the fact that her father was deployed.
?"It made me feel good to get to do something for people whose lives revolve around serving me," she said. ?"It?'s great to be able to do something -- even something small -- for them."
While she sometimes feels tired after a long week of school work and volunteering, Whitehurst said that the sense of accomplishment she gets from helping others keeps her going.
?"You have to realize that it?'s something that?'s going to take up a good chunk of your time, but it?'s worth it," she said. ?"You get to meet so many great people who just need a friend, or someone to talk to. You get to interact directly with Soldiers, and you know you?'re making a difference in the lives of people right here in your community."
William Zenyuk
When William Zenyuk?'s father, Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Zenyuk, retired from the Army in 2005, he and his Family settled in northern New York to be close to their extended Family.
A senior at General Brown Central School, Zenyuk enjoys playing lacrosse and serving as secretary for his school?'s chapter of the National Honor Society. He is a member of General Brown?'s Key Club, as well as the Calculus and Physics Club.
Zenyuk has been involved in the Boy Scouts of America from a young age, and he recently completed his Eagle Scout project. He now serves as assistant den leader for Cub Scout?'s Pack 26 on Fort Drum. Despite having spent a great deal of time volunteering in the past, Zenyuk admitted that he was a little apprehensive when he began volunteering with the USO last year.
?"My first day, I asked the shift supervisor what to do and kept checking to see that I was doing everything right," Zenyuk recalled. ?"I?'ve always been a bit of an overachiever, and it made me a little nervous that I didn?'t know what to do at first."
Zenyuk began volunteering with the USO to meet a service requirement for National Honor Society. He liked it so much that he continued after his hours were completed, logging an amazing 850 hours of service last year.
?"William is always willing to go above and beyond to ensure USO Fort Drum patrons are being given world-class service," Manning said. ?"He was the first teenager that we have put into a volunteer leadership position, and he has set a high standard for other teenagers looking to volunteer with USO Fort Drum."
?"I get to meet new people and hear their stories," Zenyuk said. ?"I enjoy that I get to help the Soldiers who come in to the center. It?'s a busy job at times and (it) can be a little hectic, but it?'s also a lot of fun."
Zenyuk?'s experiences as a military child and as a volunteer have led him to make the decision to enter the military himself after college.
?"I want to go to Syracuse University under the simultaneous membership program with the Army -- the reserve portion of the ROTC. After I obtain my bachelor?'s degree, I want to attend law school and then go into the Army as a JAG officer."
Zenyuk said that he hopes to continue volunteering with the USO as a means of showing appreciation for all they do for Soldiers, as well as for all they have done for him.
?"Being a volunteer has helped me grow as a person. I?'m more outgoing, and I find it easier to talk with people. They?'ve helped me, and I hope to continue to help them."
Although only one student can be chosen to represent the Army in the Military Child of the Year competition, Manning said that all three of Fort Drum?'s nominees are winners in her mind.
?"We are so lucky to have such bright and fun students on our team," she said. ?"They exemplify the qualities of reliability, responsibility, leadership, initiative, motivation and trust, and they are true examples of what a volunteer and a leader should be."
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