FINALISTS SELECTED FOR FOURTH ANNUAL 3M PLAY TO WIN AWARD

Program honors top high school and middle school students in the National Capital Region

The Military Bowl presented by Perspecta, benefiting USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore, and five-star sponsor 3M have selected the finalists for the fourth annual 3M Play to Win Award.

The high school finalists are Jacob Milne, a freshman at Woodbridge Senior High School in Woodbridge, Va.; senior Jordan Moore of Loyola Blakefield in Towson, Md.; and sophomore Brady Rhodes of Francis Scott Key High School in Union Bridge, Md.

The middle school finalists are Noah Bailey, a seventh-grader at Old Mill Middle School South in Millersville, Md.; Noah Johnson, a student at Central Middle School in Edgewater, Md.; and Samantha King, a fifth-grader at Beach Elementary School in Chesapeake Beach, Md.

The finalists were selected by a variety of criteria, including a passion for football and team spirit, having family members who served in the military, a demonstrated strong interest in STEM studies and a demonstrated strong interest in social and racial justice causes.

“What an amazing group of students and young leaders,” said Skip Driessen, Marketing Leader, 3M Government Markets. “It is wonderful to see the next generation of leaders taking shape, showing an interest in science and taking an active role in promoting racial equity and social justice. 3M is proud to be part of the Military Bowl and support the National Capitol Region community through the 3M Play to Win Award.”

The winners of the award will be announced later this month, leading up to the 2020 Military Bowl presented by Perspecta on Monday, Dec. 28 at 2:30 p.m. ET. The Bowl once again matches representatives from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the American Athletic Conference at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.

All of the 3M Play to Win Award finalists boast impressive nominations.

Milne comes from a family with a long history of serving the country, including four generations of service in the U.S. Coast Guard. He excels in STEM classes and was selected to participate in the Woodbridge High Project Lead the Way program, a four-year sequence of electives designed to introduce students to college-level engineering. In March, he participated in a March to pray for healing and justice in Washington, D.C.

Moore, who is the quarterback for the Loyola Blakefield football team, is a member of the National Honor Society and the National Latin Honor Society with courses focused on STEM studies. Moore is the son of two service members and has accepted a scholarship to play football for Duke University. His younger brother, Jayden, was the 3M Play to Win Award winner in 2019.

Rhodes, a member of Francis Scott junior varsity football and lacrosse teams, has excelled off the field. He has been named a Carson Scholar for his academic achievement and demonstration of humanitarian qualities in each of the past five years. He also volunteered at the Westminster Fire Department, has officiated youth football and has attended STEM camp hosted by the U.S. Naval Academy.

Bailey was a finalist for the 2019 3M Play to Win Award. His father, Scott, is a West Point graduate who has served in the U.S. Army for 20 years. Bailey is very active in STEM programs and clubs. He is a member of the Mathematics, Engineering & Science Achievement USA; his group’s project of building a storybook ride won a regional competition and finished second in the state of Maryland.

Johnson is in the STEM program at Central Middle. He has participated in the Dream Hustle Code and last summer was selected for the STEM Summer Camp & Verizon Innovative Learning Program at Howard University. This fall, he participated in the Flying Classroom STEM+ curriculum based on the global expeditions of Captain Barrington Irving.

King, whose mother has currently served 18 years in the Air National Guard, enjoys learning about and participating in STEM projects. She has designed and built modern houses within Minecraft and built a drone from a do-it-yourself kit. She has been playing soccer since age 4 and her favorite football team is the New York Giants.

For the latest updates, including announcements on ticket availability, visit https://militarybowl.org, follow @MilitaryBowl on Twitter and Instagram or like the Military Bowl presented by Perspecta Facebook page.