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Robinson Secondary School senior Abby Huisman has turned the challenges of repeatedly starting over into a mission to make new students feel at home.

Huisman moved seven times during her father’s 28-year Air Force career. She now serves as vice president of the Rambassadors, a 200-member organization that welcomes students arriving at Robinson, including many from military-connected families.

Her work helped earn her a place among five national finalists in the Air Force category for Operation Homefront’s Military Child of the Year Award. Nearly 1,000 students worldwide applied for the 2026 award, which recognizes military-connected students for their leadership, resilience and service to their families, schools and communities.

“My dad always taught me that you take care of your people, and that mindset has stayed with me,” Huisman said.

Huisman’s involvement extends beyond the Rambassadors. She is a varsity captain on Robinson’s girls soccer team and participates in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. She credits her family with teaching her the consistency and balance needed to manage academics, athletics and leadership responsibilities.

“I wanted the judges to understand that being a military child is not just something I experienced. It is part of my identity,” she said. “It shaped my work ethic, my competitiveness, and my compassion for others.”

The Rambassadors help build a sense of belonging throughout the school while supporting Robinson’s status as a Purple Star School, a Virginia designation for schools committed to serving military-connected students and their families.

Huisman experienced that support herself after her family arrived in Fairfax County in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. She attended Robinson throughout middle and high school and said the school gave her opportunities to grow academically, socially and athletically while becoming part of the community.

She also urged people to remember the different pressures military families can face.

“Some students may be experiencing their first deployment, and others their 10th, but every deployment is different,” Huisman said.

Huisman is set to graduate with a 4.5 GPA. She plans to attend the University of Virginia in the fall and major in biology.