Congratulations to Missouri Military Academy cadets who have received 2019-20 Commandant Department awards. Scroll below for a full list of honorees, including award descriptions. Click here to download photos.
Best First Year Fusileer: Fernando Afane, 11th grade
Outstanding discipline and improvement
Fusileer of the Year: Zachary Siccardi, 12th grade, Fusileer Commander
Outstanding member that shows discipline, integrity, and respected by the team
Thomas Wittman Plaque: Maxwell Dawson, 12th grade
Cadet that shows his faith through his actions
Raider of the Year: Shane Macon, 11th grade
Demonstrated athletic discipline, physical fitness and leadership
Jerome G. Harris Award: Tristan Garcia, 8th grade
Most soldierly cadet in middle school
Petit Fellowship Cup: Adrian Lopez, 7th grade
Best fellowship ranking in middle school
Class of 1968 Freshman Leadership Award: Kellan Mugisha, 9th grade
Displays and shows promise of campus leadership qualities
Steve Walker Memorial Award: Thinh Nguyen, 10th grade
Outstanding first-year cadet, chosen by the faculty
John W. Fritsch ’49 Award: Dhalil Belko, 11th grade
Junior class cadet who exemplifies honor, good discipline, academic excellence and service to the Academy
Stribling Cup: Nathan Dempsey, 8th grade
Best efficiency record for the middle school
COL Veon McConnell Korean Trophy: Ethan Blitz, 12th grade
Cadet officer who performs his duty with diligence
Class of 1984 Plaque for the Unheralded Leader: Zachary Siccardi, 12th grade
Senior non officer who is respected by his classmates and considered to be an instrumental part of pulling the class together as a unified group
William S. Lowe Trophy: Chai-Wei Hsu, 12th grade
Senior showing greatest all-around development while attending MMA
Superior Cadet LET I: Gorka-Aitor Yarte-Zertuche, 9th grade
Army JROTC award
Superior Cadet LET III: Sun Kit Tsui, 11th grade
Army JROTC award
Superior Cadet LET II: Ruby Kagaraagwa, 12th grade
Army JROTC award
Daedalian JROTC Medal: William Baker, 12th grade
Displays patriotism, love of country and service, potential and desire to pursue military career; top 10% of JROTC class and 20% of academic classes
Military Officers of America JROTC Medal: Fernando Afane, 11th grade
Presented to outstanding cadet in his next-to-last year in the program who has demonstrated exceptional potential for military leadership
National Sojourners Award: Landen Whitehead, 12th grade
Encourages and demonstrates Americanism in the corps, second or third year in JROTC; top 25% of academic class
Military Order of the Purple Heart: Sun Kit Tsui, 11th grade
Demonstrates leadership, positive attitude for JROC and country
United States Army Leadership and Academic Achievement: Nathaniel Balvanz, 11th grade
Highest score on ACT and SAT
Company Commander Plaque: Delta Company Bruno Pozzani, 12th grade
Outstanding performance as a company commander
Noncommissioned Officers Association Award for Army JROTC: Roberto Rodriguez, 12th grade
Best military bearing, appearance, department and leadership
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) JROTC Award: Roberto Rodriguez, 12th grade
Outstanding achievement and leadership
Faculty Plaque: Rodrigo Flores Pavon, 7th grade
Middle school cadet that has shown most leadership, cooperation and loyalty chosen by the faculty
G. David Baily Trophy: Juan Pablo Zepeda Sánchez, 11th grade
Cadet with fewest disciplinary reports for the school year
Paul Petit Award for International Relations: Oskar Fontana and Zhixuan Liu, 8th grade
Most improved international relations in the middle school
Richard White Improvement Award: Kai Passmore, 8th grade
Greatest all-around improvement since enrollment in middle school
Otto Ferguson Aviation Award: Esiquio Resendez, 11th grade
First cadet to fly solo of the academic year flight program