MARYSVILLE – Gabriella Cardenas of Marysville is one of four semifinalists from Washington state up for the 2018 Military Child of the Year Award.

Operation Homefront, serving America’s military families since 2002, today announced the 95 semifinalists nationwide. 2018 marks the 10th anniversary of this event.

Cardenas, 17, is a representative for the Navy.

The award reflects the positive impact the young people have made on their military families, their schools and their communities. The final seven award recipients will travel to Washington, D.C., to be recognized at the April 19 gala, during which senior leaders of each branch of service will present the awards. They also will each receive $10,000, a laptop computer and other donated gifts.

Thirty-five finalists will be selected in February.

Six award recipients will represent each branch of the armed forces — the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and National Guard — for their scholarship, volunteerism, leadership, extracurricular involvement and other criteria while facing the challenges of military family life.