AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar --
Military children are part of a
bigger family and mission in the world. The driving force behind many service
members is to become better sailors, soldiers, airmen and marines. Sarah
Hesterman has taken the challenge upon herself to set the gold standard of
inspiration for future military families and children.
Imagine a world traveled 16 year old leaving an everlasting
impact on those around her. In the
Hesterman household, this is a reality.
Sarah is a typical military dependent that carries a 3.8 GPA while
attending school here in Qatar. But how
did Hesterman win an Air Force Military Child of the Year award, exactly?
“I never would have the opportunities to travel around the
world and experience so many different cultures if it weren’t for the
military,” said Hesterman. “I am excited to represent all military children and
the incredible contributions they make to their communities and the world.”
A nonprofit organization called Operation Homefront holds an
awards ceremony every year to celebrate the great accomplishments that our
military children contribute to service member families and wounded
warriors. A lengthy resume of community
involvement and dedication earned Hesterman a trip she will remember for a
lifetime.
“I was selected by Operation Homefront as the Air Force
Military Child of the Year. They flew my family and me to Washington, DC for a
visit to Capitol Hill, a tour of the monuments and evening awards gala presided
over by the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dempsey. “
Among her accolades, she is currently in an International
Baccalaureate program. This does not
include the other advanced placement courses she undertakes at her school. Academic decorations are never in short
supply for Hesterman. She has been awarded an achievement for formal
Arabic as well. This has helped her
communicate fluently with the Qataris, especially important as the founder of
‘Girl Up Qatar’.
Hesterman said that Girl Up is a United Nations Foundation
organization that advocates and fundraises on behalf of adolescent girls in
developing countries, focusing specifically on education, health care, and
safety. She learned of the organization
spring of 2014 during a speech, and then attended a leadership course in
Washington, D.C., which gave her the tools to set the gears in motion and lobby
congress for the Girls Count Act.
“When I came back to Qatar in August for my junior year of
high school, I started the first-ever Girl Up club in Qatar,” said Hesterman.
“I am the president of the club and help students advocate and raise funds for
girls in developing countries. The organization has also provided a much-needed
platform for girls to talk about issues related to our peers in other
countries.”
Attending an overseas school with children representing more
than 70 different nationalities, this was the perfect melting pot for Hesterman
to thrive on her ambitions for a better tomorrow. She said they had a broad perspective into
each group and the capabilities of reaching back to countries where help was
much needed. She was given a chance to
visit Tanzania and help construct a school for orphans and spend time with
refugees in the Jordan.
“Both experiences showed me that girls who have potential
will not be able to achieve their dreams and I wanted to help,” said Hesterman.
Living in Qatar as a dependent has granted Hesterman options
which she took full advantage of. One
main reason is through the Command Sponsorship Program (CSP). Her father, Lt. General John W. Hesterman,
commander U.S. Air Force Central Command, arrived to Qatar in 2013, making the
Hestermans part of only a handful of families living in the local area. Living abroad in a new country can be
challenging and sometimes difficult to adapt for some military children.
Through the CSP, Hesterman has made great friends and produced even greater
accomplishments.
“I really like living in Qatar,” said Hesterman. “I’ve been
able to meet and become friends with Qataris and experience their amazing
culture. Also, many of my friends are
Palestinian, Syrian and other nationalities that I may not have met unless
living in the Middle East. Some of my
biggest challenges are being so far away from family and friends in the states,
but we easily keep in touch through social media and phone calls.”
Making these sacrifices and learning what it means to be a
military child is what has driven Hesterman these past few years. Being awarded Military Child of the year has
helped plant the seed of a future leader.
“This is the life of the military child - but we are
resilient, make friends and settle in quickly and experience everything the new
location has to offer. I will miss my
friends in Qatar, but I am not worried about moving again.”
Sarah plans on attending law school, and to eventually work
for United Nation Women. In the near future she plans on standing up a
nonprofit organization to provide education to women and girls in war torn
countries.
“I remember them and want to make the world a better place
for the next generation of girls in these conflict and poverty torn areas.”