YOKOTA AIR BASE – For the third-place winner of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s worldwide You Made the Grade sweepstakes, the first time was the charm.
While Mendel Elementary School fifth-grader Bryce Watts usually earns straight A’s, it wasn’t until last semester that her brother, Zach suggested she enter the sweepstakes. In a stroke of beginner’s luck, she won a $500 Exchange gift card on her first entry.
Bryce, 10, received the prize during a presentation at the Yokota Air Base Exchange on Jan. 31. Col. John Winkler, 374th Mission Support Group commander presented her with the gift card.
“A lot of hard work and discipline goes into the kind of academic success Bryce has achieved,” said Exchange General Manager Shinobu Matsui. “The Exchange is honored to recognize Bryce’s focus and diligence with this prize.”
Through the You Made the Grade program, first- through 12th-graders who maintain a B average or higher are eligible to enter the sweepstakes for a chance at a $2,000, $1,500 or $500 Exchange gift card. Bryce was one of three winners randomly selected from more than 550 eligible entries.
For Bryce, the biggest reward of the prize isn’t being able to treat herself, but others. She plans to get gifts for friends, Legos for herself and spend $100 on Zach for telling her about the sweepstakes and helping her with her homework.
“My brother always gets good grades, so I make it my priority to compete with him,” she said.
While many military children find the frequent moves of a military lifestyle difficult, Bryce said her globe-trotting upbringing has been an opportunity, not a challenge.
“I like moving because I get to learning about new places and meet new people,” she said. “I have friends that live all over the world.”
Bryce’s extracurricular activities include soccer, tennis, swim team, running club, yearbook and safety patrol. Her father, Capt. William Watts, United States Forces Japan, has been in the Army for 10 years. The family has been in Japan since November 2015.
Students and guardians can contact the Yokota Exchange at 469-375-7519 for more information about the You Made the Grade program. Students can send You Made the Grade sweepstakes entry forms, which are included in the coupon booklets, to:
You Made the Grade
PO Box 227398
Dallas, TX 75222-7398
Facebook-Friendly Version:
First time’s the charm: A Mendel Elementary School student won third place in the Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s You Made the Grade sweepstakes after entering for the first time ever. Read more: [[INSERT BITLY LINK HERE]].
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Since 1895, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange) has gone where Soldiers, Airmen and their families go to improve the quality of their lives by providing valued goods and services at exclusive military pricing. As the 56th-largest retailer in the United States, Exchange earnings provided $2.4 billion in dividends to support military morale, welfare and recreation programs over the last 10 years. The Exchange is a non-appropriated fund entity of the Department of Defense and is directed by a Board of Directors. To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our Web site at http://www.shopmyexchange.com or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ExchangePAO.
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Media Notes:
For more information or to schedule an interview with an Exchange representative please contact Conner Hammett, 214-312-2714 or [email protected].
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