Each year, the Western Connecticut Military Officers Association (WCMOA) is proud to honor outstanding Fairfield County high school seniors who stand out from their peers in the following areas:

With the help of school administrators in the participating schools, one student who best meets the above criteria is selected from each school. Once the selectee submits his or her information and short biography to our YAA Committee, he or she is then designated a YAA Awardee and is then invited with the other school awardees to attend a military banquet in June in their honor. At the banquet, a most impressive formal military affair, the YAA Committee selects the top awardees to receive scholarship monies contributed each year by our members and local private and corporate sponsors. The YAA selection committee considers the student’s academic achievements and awards, GPA, extra-curricular school service projects/athletic activities, leadership positions, community service work, patriotic efforts, military involvement, college/military/career plans, and the student’s essay. Scholarship award amounts vary each year based on sponsorship. Parents of the awardees and a school representative are also invited as guests of the WCMOA to honor our Young American Award winners at the YAA banquet.