Sisters Win Hanscom Exchange Rewards in Worldwide Sweepstakes for Academic Excellence

66^th Air Base Group Commander Col. Taona Enriquez, left, and Chief Master Sgt. Charles Desaulniers, right, joined Hanscom Exchange General Manager Dale Killip in presenting the prizes to Fiona and Hazel Somarriba during a presentation at the BX on Feb. 10. Hanscom courtesy photo

Submitted by Hanscom Air Force Base

Studying hard yielded great results for two sisters who took second and third place in the Hanscom Exchange’s worldwide You Made the Grade sweepstakes – the first time in the program’s 23-year history siblings won in the same drawing.

“I thought it was a joke,” said sixth grader Fiona Somarriba, who took second and won a $1,500 Exchange gift card. Her sister, first grader Hazel, won a $500 Exchange gift card as the third-place prize.

The homeschooled sisters’ father, Chief Hospital Corpsman Immel Somarriba, has served 20 years in the Navy, and the family recently PCS’d (Permanent Change of Station) to Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island from Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.

Col. Taona Enriquez, commander of the 66^th Air Base Group, and Chief Master Sgt. Charles Desaulniers, acting command chief, joined Hanscom Exchange General Manager Dale Killip in presenting the prizes to the sisters at the BX on Feb. 10.

“It’s an honor to recognize the Somarriba sisters for their hard work,” Killip said. “They made history as the first siblings to win together. The BX (Base Exchange) is proud of them and the terrific example they set for all military kids.”

The Exchange’s You Made the Grade program rewards students who maintain a B average or higher with a $10-to-$20 Exchange gift card and coupons each grading period during the school year. Students can then enter the twice-annual worldwide sweepstakes for a chance at a $2,000, $1,500 or $500 gift card.

While the Somarribas were preparing to PCS, their mother, Kimberly, learned the You Made the Grade program was open to homeschoolers, too.

“The program is incredibly generous,” said Kimberly Somarriba, who took Fiona, Hazel, and two of their brothers to the BX to receive their $10 or $20 gift card and Exchange coupons, including a free meal at an Exchange restaurant and a free haircut. “I was blown away. It was much more than just a gift card. It gave our family time to connect during a stressful time.”

Fiona said she isn’t sure yet what she wants to be when she grows up, but her favorite subject is history and she loves reading. She plans to use her prize for clothes and a new dresser for her bedroom. Fiona said her sister wants to get a new iPad.