Camp Lejeune teen named Military Child of the Year

ONSLOW COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A Camp Lejeune teen will be recognized in Washington, D.C. next month as the Military Child of the Year.

According to Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit that provides emergency and other financial assistance to military families, Christopher Raul Rodriguez was picked from a pool of nearly 500 nominees. The Lejeune High School senior is the recipient in the Marine Corps category.

Officials with the organization say Christopher is the team captain for the Lejeune High School varsity baseball and soccer teams and junior varsity basketball team. He is also an assistant coach for youth baseball, soccer, and basketball and volunteers with a number of organizations to help kids with special needs.

Christopher says that his biological father had alcohol problems and was abusive to the family, according to the release. he says mother took him and his siblings out of the home and living in homeless and women’s shelters was difficult. He says he promised his mom to become somebody she could be proud of in the future.

According to the news release, each branch award recipient was chosen by a committee including active-duty and retired military personnel, spouses of senior military leaders, veteran service organization leadership, teachers, and community members. The six awardees will receive $10,000 each, will receive a laptop computer and other donated gifts, and will be flown with a parent or guardian to Washington, D.C. for a special recognition gala on April 16, 2015.