Hard work doesn’t go unnoticed at Phoenix Military Academy. Teachers from each grade level nominate who they think should be Cadet of the Quarter. There can only be two cadets from each grade level. The cadets who won for third quarter were freshmen Kenosha Lewis and Angel Santos, sophomores Jose Medina and Andrea Eudave, juniors Yesenia Camacho and Kenny Wilkerson, and seniors Guadalupe Trejo and Jorge Martinez.

“I feel proud, I feel like the nights I’ve stayed up to study for a test or the days where I stayed after school when it was a nice day were all worth it,” said Camacho.

Students want to feel like their hard work is important even though it’s what they’re supposed to do. This feeling sometimes motivates them to do more or motivates others to do more so they can be seen as well.

“I worked hard regardless of the nomination. I wasn’t really expecting this award, I am just trying to do my job as a student and athlete and this award just so happens to be in the making,” said Wilkerson.

Some cadets do their best for themselves.Wilkerson works hard because he has a future in basketball and doesn’t want to mess things up with a low GPA or a bad brag sheet. Students like Wilkerson appreciate being noticed, but this is not what motivates them.

Every student at Phoenix Military Academy is different and some students need more attention than others. The students who didn’t get recognized as Cadet of the Quarter but worked hard should still feel important. There are still more opportunities to be recognized.