Camp Humphreys Student Wins $500 Exchange Gift Card for Academic Success

Kyrene Morgan Joves, a fourth-grade student at Central Elementary School, had to question her father, Army Sgt. Mark Joves, a practical nursing specialist assigned to 197^th Medical Detachment, when he told her she won $500 in the Exchange’s You Made the Grade program.

“She was like, ‘Really, I won?’” Mark said. “’Yes,’ and then she got really excited and very happy.”

The official presentation was Feb. 3 at the Camp Humphreys main store. Kyrene was joined by her father, Mark; mother, Kristine; and her two younger sisters, Mia and Celine.

Camp Humphreys General Manager Vanessa Rowland led the presentation by giving a brief history of the program.

“The Exchange has been rewarding students for their hard work and dedication to their studies for the past 22 years,” Rowland said. “The You Made the Grade program is another great way for us to give back to our youngest heroes and reward them for their academic excellence.”

Also in attendance, Command Sgt. Maj. Monty Drummond, United States Army Garrison Humphreys’ senior enlisted advisor, gave Kyrene his “Coin of Excellence” for her achievements and stressed the importance of parents and teachers working together to help students grow academically.

The Exchange enhanced the You Made the Grade program for School Year 2022-2023, offering even more to students earning good grades. In past years, the Exchange would reward students who maintained a B average with a $5 Exchange gift card; this year, students with a B average were rewarded with a $10 Exchange gift card while students with straight A’s got a $20 Exchange gift card.

“Kyrene thinks of gift cards as a reward and that motivates her to do her best to get good grades,” Mark said.

The gift cards come in $10 increments, each with a separate mail-in entry form to a worldwide YMTG sweepstakes. Students with straight A’s get two entry forms to the sweepstakes, where three well-deserving students win Exchange gift cards in the amount of $2,000 for 1^st place, $1,500 for 2^nd place and $500 for 3^rd place.

“We are very thankful that there is a program like this to help motivate students to get excellent grades at school,” Mark said. “We feel very happy and blessed that she won third place.”