{"id":7622,"date":"2022-02-10T17:03:41","date_gmt":"2022-02-10T17:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/?p=7622"},"modified":"2022-02-10T17:03:41","modified_gmt":"2022-02-10T17:03:41","slug":"they-made-the-grade-military-students-score-4000-in-exchanges-program-for-academic-excellence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2022\/02\/10\/they-made-the-grade-military-students-score-4000-in-exchanges-program-for-academic-excellence\/","title":{"rendered":"They Made the Grade! Military Students Score $4,000 in Exchange\u2019s Program for Academic Excellence"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"7623\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2022\/02\/10\/they-made-the-grade-military-students-score-4000-in-exchanges-program-for-academic-excellence\/you-made-the-grade-_-2022\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/You-Made-the-Grade-_-2022-e1644508578950.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1000,563\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"They Made the Grade! Military Students Score $4,000 in Exchange\u2019s Program for Academic Excellence\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/You-Made-the-Grade-_-2022-e1644508578950.jpg?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/You-Made-the-Grade-_-2022-e1644508578950.jpg?w=1000\" class=\" wp-image-7623 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/02\/You-Made-the-Grade-_-2022-e1644508578950.jpg\" alt=\"They Made the Grade! Military Students Score $4,000 in Exchange\u2019s Program for Academic Excellence\" width=\"513\" height=\"288\" \/>DALLAS<\/strong> \u2013 Hard work and good grades pay off! Three high-achieving military students <a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/2n2X3vU\">received $4,000 in Exchange gift cards in the Army &amp; Air Force Exchange Service\u2019s You Made the Grade worldwide sweepstakes.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Fourth-grader Brooke Eskew scored the grand prize\u2014a $2,000 Exchange gift card presented at the Camp Foster Exchange. Fourth-grader Sydney Taliaferro received the $1,500 second-place prize at the Fort Knox Exchange, and ninth-grader Alexander Popovich was awarded the $500 third-place prize at the Camp Humphreys Exchange.<\/p>\n<p>Brooke is the daughter of Gunnery Sgt. Phil Eskew. Sydney is the daughter of retired Master Sgt. Nick Taliaferro and Chief Warrant Officer Jonte\u2019ia Taliaferro, who is assigned to Fort Knox. Alexander is the son of recently retired Air Force Master Sgt. David Popovich.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBrooke has always been a wonderful student\u2026full of curiosity, ambition and very well-behaved,\u201d her mother, Jamie said.<\/p>\n<p>The students were randomly selected from more than 400 military children who entered the worldwide sweepstakes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was really excited when I found out,\u201d Sydney said. \u201cI would like to thank my mom, because I would not have won without her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Exchange\u2019s You Made the Grade program rewards students who maintain a B average or higher with a $5 PX\/BX gift card each grading period during the school year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe You Made the Grade program definitely motivates Alexander to get good grades,\u201d Popovich said. \u201cHe always looks forward to picking up his gift cards every quarter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Recipients of the $5 gift card can enter the worldwide sweepstakes for a chance to score a $2,000, $1,500 or $500 Exchange gift card. The program is an illustration of how the Exchange is committed to serving those who serve.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Exchange is honored to reward another group of high-achieving students in this 22<sup>nd<\/sup> year of the You Made the Grade program,\u201d said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Osby, the Exchange\u2019s senior enlisted advisor. \u201cBrooke, Sydney and Alexander met the challenges of military life with resiliency in their educational efforts, and their hard work has paid off.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The next sweepstakes drawing will take place in June. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aafes.com\/about-exchange\/you-made-the-grade\/\">aafes.com\/about-exchange\/you-made-the-grade\/<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Facebook-friendly version: <\/strong>They studied, they scored! Three military students scored big in the classroom and in the Exchange\u2019s You Made the Grade program, taking home $4,000 in @shopmyexchange gift cards! Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Q7PG-1YW\">https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Q7PG-1YW<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">&#8212; 30 &#8212;<\/p>\n<p>Since 1895, the Army &amp; Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange) has gone where Soldiers, Airmen, Guardians and their families go to improve the quality of their lives by providing valued goods and services at exclusive military pricing. The Exchange is the 54<sup>th<\/sup>-largest retailer in the United States. 100% of Exchange earnings support military communities. In the last 10 years, your Exchange benefit has provided $3.4 billion in earnings for critical military Quality-of-Life programs. The Exchange is a non-appropriated fund entity of the Department of Defense and is directed by a Board of Directors. The Exchange is a 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative Partner, planning and conducting events and activities that recognize the service, valor and sacrifice of Vietnam Veterans and their families in conjunction with the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration. To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our website at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.shopmyexchange.com\">http:\/\/www.shopmyexchange.com<\/a> or follow us on Twitter at <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ExchangePAO\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/ExchangePAO<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">###<\/p>\n<p><strong>Media Notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For more information or to schedule an interview with an Exchange representative please contact Keiana Holleman, 214-312-6514 or <a href=\"mailto:hollemankl@aafes.com\">hollemankl@aafes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Follow the Exchange:<\/p>\n<p>Facebook:\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shopmyexchange\/\">www.facebook.com\/shopmyexchange<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Twitter:\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/shopmyexchange\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/shopmyexchange<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Instagram: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/shopmyexchange\/\">@shopmyexchange<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DALLAS \u2013 Hard work and good grades pay off! Three high-achieving military students received $4,000 in Exchange gift cards in the Army &amp; Air Force Exchange Service\u2019s You Made the Grade worldwide sweepstakes. Fourth-grader Brooke Eskew scored the grand prize\u2014a $2,000 Exchange gift card presented at the Camp Foster Exchange. Fourth-grader Sydney Taliaferro received the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":7623,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"They studied, they scored! Three military students scored big in the classroom and in the Exchange\u2019s You Made the Grade program, taking home $4,000 in @shopmyexchange gift cards! Read more: https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Q7PG-1YW. #ServingThoseWhoServe","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[25,304],"tags":[160,35,39,62],"class_list":["post-7622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press_releases","category-you-made-the-grade","tag-aafes","tag-military","tag-the-army-air-force-exchange-service","tag-you-made-the-grade"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2022\/02\/10\/they-made-the-grade-military-students-score-4000-in-exchanges-program-for-academic-excellence\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"They Made the Grade! 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Fort Knox Fourth-Grader Scores $1,500 Exchange Gift Card for Academic Excellence","author":"Keiana Holleman","date":"January 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"FORT KNOX \u2013 Hard work and good grades have paid off for a Fort Knox fourth-grader\u2014to the tune of $1,500. Nine-year-old Sydney Taliaferro, who attends Van Voorhis Elementary School on Fort Knox, took home the second-place prize in the Army & Air Force Exchange Service\u2019s worldwide You Made the Grade\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Press Releases&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Press Releases","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/category\/categories\/press_releases\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fort Knox Fourth-Grader Scores $1,500 Exchange Gift Card for Academic Excellence","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/01\/51848522521_f21e95390b_o-e1643406349396.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/01\/51848522521_f21e95390b_o-e1643406349396.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/01\/51848522521_f21e95390b_o-e1643406349396.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/01\/51848522521_f21e95390b_o-e1643406349396.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10573,"url":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2024\/08\/14\/they-made-the-grade-army-air-force-exchange-service-honors-military-kids-for-academic-excellence\/","url_meta":{"origin":7622,"position":1},"title":"They Made the Grade! Army &#038; Air Force Exchange Service Honors Military Kids for Academic Excellence","author":"Zach Wright","date":"August 14, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"DALLAS \u2013 The Army & Air Force Exchange Service rewarded three students with $4,000 in gift cards in its You Made the Grade sweepstakes, part of its worldwide program honoring the academic excellence and resiliency of military students. Fourth grader Ana Avila, daughter of Department of Defense civilian Eduardo Avila\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Central Region&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Central Region","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/category\/regions\/central-region-regions\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Army & Air Force Exchange Service Honors Military Kids for Academic Excellence","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/YMTG-Humphreys-Winner1-e1723653261928.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/YMTG-Humphreys-Winner1-e1723653261928.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/YMTG-Humphreys-Winner1-e1723653261928.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/YMTG-Humphreys-Winner1-e1723653261928.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8914,"url":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2023\/02\/14\/star-students-three-military-kids-win-4000-in-exchange-you-made-the-grade-sweepstakes\/","url_meta":{"origin":7622,"position":2},"title":"Star Students: Three Military Kids Win $4,000 in Exchange \u2018You Made the Grade\u2019 Sweepstakes","author":"Marisa Conner","date":"February 14, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"DALLAS \u2013 The Army & Air Force Exchange Service celebrated three star students with its biannual You Made the Grade sweepstakes. Fifth grader Naya Johnson, daughter of a naval aviator at USAG Stuttgart, took the top prize of a $2,000 Exchange gift card. Sixth grader Ayleen Castillo, whose dad is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Europe Region&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Europe Region","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/category\/regions\/europe-region\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/02\/Panzer-Exchange-YMTG-Winner-1-e1676393594692.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/02\/Panzer-Exchange-YMTG-Winner-1-e1676393594692.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/02\/Panzer-Exchange-YMTG-Winner-1-e1676393594692.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/02\/Panzer-Exchange-YMTG-Winner-1-e1676393594692.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8321,"url":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2022\/08\/22\/top-of-the-class-three-military-students-score-4000-in-exchanges-you-made-the-grade-sweepstakes\/","url_meta":{"origin":7622,"position":3},"title":"Top of the Class! Three Military Students Score $4,000 in Exchange\u2019s You Made the Grade Sweepstakes","author":"Marisa Conner","date":"August 22, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"DALLAS \u2013 The Army & Air Force Exchange Service gave top marks to three young military students in the You Made the Grade sweepstakes. Fourth grader Fatima Sylla received her grand prize of a $2,000 Exchange gift card at a presentation at the Vicenza Exchange at U.S Army Garrison Italy.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Central Region&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Central Region","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/category\/regions\/central-region-regions\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/08\/YMTG-Vicenza-1-1-e1661181034405.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/08\/YMTG-Vicenza-1-1-e1661181034405.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/08\/YMTG-Vicenza-1-1-e1661181034405.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4153,"url":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2019\/07\/31\/exchange-recognizes-academic-achievements-of-military-students-with-4000-in-gift-cards\/","url_meta":{"origin":7622,"position":4},"title":"Exchange Recognizes Academic Achievements of Military Students with $4,000 in Gift Cards","author":"Marisa Conner","date":"July 31, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"DALLAS \u2013 Mary Rita Kostas, 13, has had a busy summer\u2014from lifeguard camp to space camp to winning the grand prize in the Army & Air Force Exchange Service\u2019s You Made the Grade sweepstakes. Col. Robert Sylvester, 56th Mission Support Group commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Luis Reyes, Exchange senior\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Press Releases&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Press Releases","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/category\/categories\/press_releases\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mary Kostas, grand prize winner, You Made the Grade","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/07\/Luke-YMTG-4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/07\/Luke-YMTG-4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/07\/Luke-YMTG-4.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12245,"url":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2026\/03\/16\/big-wins-for-bright-minds-three-scholars-earn-4000-in-worldwide-army-air-force-exchange-service-sweepstakes\/","url_meta":{"origin":7622,"position":5},"title":"Big Wins for Bright Minds: Three Scholars Earn $4,000 in Worldwide Army &#038; Air Force Exchange Service Sweepstakes","author":"Teonja Tatum","date":"March 16, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"DALLAS \u2013 Three military students turned academic excellence into big rewards, earning a combined $4,000 in Exchange gift cards through the Army & Air Force Exchange Service\u2019s You Made the Grade sweepstakes. Mia Mendoza, an 11th grader from the Shaw Air Force Base community was presented with the grand prize\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Press Releases&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Press Releases","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/category\/categories\/press_releases\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Army & Air Force Exchange Service You Made the Grade second-place sweepstakes winner, Ethan Park with his family at the Camp Humphreys Exchange.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/YMTG-Winner-Presentation-Ethan-M.-Park_24-FEB-2026-3-e1773424133163.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/YMTG-Winner-Presentation-Ethan-M.-Park_24-FEB-2026-3-e1773424133163.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/YMTG-Winner-Presentation-Ethan-M.-Park_24-FEB-2026-3-e1773424133163.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/03\/YMTG-Winner-Presentation-Ethan-M.-Park_24-FEB-2026-3-e1773424133163.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Q7PG-1YW","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7622","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7622"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7622\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7644,"href":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7622\/revisions\/7644"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}