Santa Barbara County nonprofit, Santa Ynez Valley Pride (www.SYVPride.org), is planning for the fourth annual Pride celebration to take place in the region’s various wine country towns, a multifaceted lineup of events spanning June 1-30, 2025.

“This year’s Pride theme, ‘Lead with Love,’ is about a bold and brave kind of love that requires action. It will ask us to stand up for all members of our community, especially our trans and immigrant neighbors,” said Lauren Lastra, president of SYV Pride. “It will require that we act with kindness in the face of adversity and that we garner strength and hope through community. It will empower us to create safe spaces throughout the Valley where folks can unapologetically be themselves and know that they belong here.” 

Formed in 2022, SYV Pride’s mission is to create a safe, supportive, and empowering home for the local LGBTQ+ community in the Santa Ynez Valley through the education and celebration of LGBTQ+ culture. In June 2022, SYV Pride organized and successfully completed its inaugural Pride celebration held in varied locations throughout the Santa Ynez Valley.

Pride month (2025) with SYV Pride is blasting off on Sunday, June 1, with a Pride Brunch at Brave & Maiden Estate in Santa Ynez, followed by a disco-themed Pride kick-off event at the Future Perfect Wine tasting room in Los Olivos. Beginning Tuesday, June 3, continuing each Tuesday in June, the legendary Maverick Saloon in the town of Santa Ynez will host “Gayraoke.” On Thursday, June 12, Stolpman Fresh Garage hosts “All Colors of the Rainbow,” a wine event in Los Olivos.

The month’s main attraction arrives on Saturday, June 14, as the SYV Pride Parade (11 a.m.) will roll through downtown Solvang with floats, music, and more, ending with a family-centric Pride Festival at 12 p.m. in the center of town, in and around Solvang Park (corner of Mission Drive and First Street). Festival attendees should expect a kid-friendly afternoon complete with bounce houses, face painting, vendor booths, a beer and wine garden, food vendors, and live music, including a performance by The Molly Ringwald Project and tunes by DJ Darla Bea.

The June 2025 SYV Pride celebration is open to the public with ticketed and non-ticketed events. Event updates will be announced on the SYV Pride website (www.SYVPride.org), and Instagram and Facebook feeds: @SYV.Prideand facebook.com/SYVPride. Proceeds, in part or in whole, and donations from all events will benefit SYV Pride.

SYV Pride wishes to thank sponsors and supporters, including: Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians; Farmacy Santa Ynez, Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden; Allan Hancock College; Lefty’s Coffee Co.; Rio Vista Chevrolet; and Carla & Jon Mead.

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Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital (SYVCH) is proud to announce that it has earned a 5-star rating from the National Rural Rating System (NRRS), which recognizes excellence and commitment in rural healthcare. SYVCH has also been named to the National Rural Honor Roll.

This designation is a testament to SYVCH’s dedication to delivering high-quality care and meaningful patient experiences. The NRRS evaluates hospitals based on rigorous standards, including patient satisfaction, quality of care and overall hospital performance.

“We take great pride in being a trusted source of care for the Santa Ynez Valley community,” said Katie Gorndt, vice president of Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital. “This recognition is especially meaningful because it underscores the trust our community places in us and highlights our commitment to delivering exceptional care.”

The 5-star rating reflects SYVCH’s ongoing commitment to meet the unique healthcare needs of the rural community it serves. This recognition highlights the hospital’s success in providing outstanding medical services, despite the challenges often faced by rural healthcare facilities.

The 2025 National Rural Honor Roll honorees include rural hospitals that have met the highest standards for patient experience, based on cumulative ratings submitted by Oct. 31, 2024. This annual recognition reinforces NRHA’s commitment to supporting and uplifting rural health care facilities as pillars of their communities.

Since 1964, the not-for-profit SYVCH has provided high quality outpatient surgical services, inpatient care, comprehensive imaging, on-site laboratory, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, cardiac clinic and 24- hour emergency services to the community.

The National Rural Honor Roll was created to honor rural and critical access hospitals and clinics that consistently deliver exceptional healthcare, showcasing them as leaders in patient-centered care within their communities. Facilities included on the Honor Roll receive recognition for their dedication and excellence that sets them apart, demonstrating their commitment to patient well-being. For more information visit RuralRatings.US

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After taking on a science fiction air last year, with the event being on “May the 4th,” this year’s Buellton Brew Fest, the 12th annual food, drink, and fun event at River View Park took on more of a “down-home” feel.

“Bust out those cowboys hats and boots,” organizers proclaimed in the lead-up to the May 3 event, and many in the crowd followed suit with western wear evident throughout the park. Along with that, the Burbank-based band Country Nation belted out several honky-tonk hits from the main stage, and behind the audience could be found a mechanical bull, where Brew Fest attendees could test their ability to last 8 seconds on the contraption.

Entertainment on the stage also included Santa Barbara-based musician Will Breman and Santa Ynez Valley local DJ Peete.

The “country” atmosphere of the event was proving to be a success, according to Buellton Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kathy Vreeland.

“We’re getting a good turnout; it looks like we’ve got about 1,500 people here,” she said while enjoying the Country Nation concert. “We brought in some new things this year, like the mechanical bull, and more things for photo ops. Also, while we have a lot of breweries here, we also have some vendors offering non-alcoholic drinks for those who want that.”

While the event would fall under a different theme (like last year’s “Star Wars” vibe), Vreeland speculated the country theme might not be going away.

“We had some fun with the ‘Star Wars Day’ thing last year, with the event being on May 4, people really seem to be enjoying this,” she said. “We might decide to stick with this and keep it to a country theme for the next few years.”

Of course, the main attraction of the Brew Fest is the number of breweries and beverage-makers setting up shop for the public. More than 50 breweries were in the lineup for this year’s event offering up their libations.

Local standouts like Firestone Walker and Figueroa Mountain were on the grounds, along with many others from the Santa Ynez Valley. One notable business there was Solvang Brewing Company, along with it offshoot brand Sunny Fields Cider, which was serving its drinks along with some great news.

The SBC’s location on Mission Drive in Solvang has been closed since Jan. 20, when a fire gutted the kitchen and did a little damage to the smoke area. However, SBC Brewer Josh Sabin, who was manning the booth, said the location will be opening back up on May 15. 

“It’ll be great to be back,” Sabin said.

Also at the Brew Fest was a booth for The Sports Bar at Chumash, an establishment at the top floor of the Chumash Casino, serving up its exclusive Valley Fog brew.

“We just opened last year, and we’re getting the word out about the bar,” said Assistant Manager Heather Gill. “We have a big screen TV and then a bunch of them along the walls, where you can watch a lot of games at once. We also have five small kitchens around so you can pick from five different kinds of food.”

There were more things folks could do aside from imbibing — in addition to the mechanical bull, games of cornhole and giant beer pong (substituting plastic trash barrels for red Solo cups) could be played, along with a rotating camera for anyone that wanted to take a revolving selfie.

Codie Blea and Jacob Powell, of Lompoc, were in a spirited game of giant beer pong (using volleyballs) with their friends Luis Hernandez and Garrett O’Reilly, also from Lompoc. Blea said coming to the Brew Fest is a yearly thing.

“We always enjoy coming over here for this,” he said. “It’s just a chance to get outside and enjoy some refreshment. We always have a great time here.”

Also enjoying the atmosphere in the food-truck area were longtime locals like Ron and Kim Williams, who were with Vickie and Matt Mendenhall, all sporting their best cowboy hats.

“I’m actually working the event, and it’s just good to see people coming to see what Buellton has to offer,” she said.

Across the table from the Williamses and the Mendenhalls were Vanessa Ando, Penny Patel, and Britney Carranza. The three were there to celebrate Ando’s birthday.

“We’re all from Santa Maria, and we thought this was an excellent place to celebrate Vanessa’s birthday,” she said. “Buellton’s always a lot of fun.”

The 2025 Buellton Brew Fest was presented by Rio Vista Chevrolet, with additional sponsors including Chumash Casino Resort, Mechanics Bank, Jim Vreeland Ford, Buellton Chamber of Commerce, Sable Offshore, Farm Supply Company, 805 Selfie Booth, En Fuego Events, GPM Pavement Management, UVA Design Studio, Allan Hancock College, 13 Stars Media, First American Title, and Marborg Industries.

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The lawn at River View Park in Buellton was a sea of eggs a day before Easter, ready to be picked clean by a swarm of kids accompanied by their parents and other adults during the 35th annual Buellton Easter Egg Hunt (also known as the Easter Eggstravanza) on April 19.

The event, put on by the Buellton and Solvang parks and rec departments and billed as the Santa Ynez Valley’s largest egg hunt, kicked off around 10 a.m., with areas cordoned off for four different age groups.

The young participants were so eager to fill their baskets with the plastic colored eggs that they jumped the boundary and started searching before emcee Fred Lageman had a chance to finish his countdown. Lageman stationed out in the middle of the vast park lawn, just went with it and quickly completed the countdown, before the hunt was on, with most of the eggs accumulated within a few minutes.

Buellton Recreation Coordinator Kristen Thomsen said over 15,000 eggs were put out for the hunt.

“A bunch of us were all out here last night until 7:30 putting them out there,” Thomsen said.

The eggs had candy and other little goodies for the kids, and as in years past, there was a golden egg placed in each section, and the person who found it was awarded with a giant easter basket with candy and prizes.

Unlike last year, the egg hunt came under sunny skies and good weather. In 2024, there was intermittent rain throughout the day, with many activities canceled. Not so this year, with games, activities, and a petting zoo available after the egg hunt was done.

Out on the lawn, after the hunt, the Pfefferle family — Logan and Aubrey, along with their kids Tatum, 3, and Parker, 1 — were opening the eggs the kids got and enjoying the nice day.

“We just moved to Solvang, and this is the kind of event we love to find in the area,” Logan Pfefferle said. “The kids are having a great time, and I’m glad the weather in fine.”

Eric Hanse of Buellton was sitting with his daughter Carter, 4, and son Logan, 2, while they were perusing through their eggs.

“We come to this every year,” Eric Hanse said. “It’s just a good event and they have a lot of things to do here to keep the kids interested.”

Off at the end of the park, there were plenty of booths set up: A Lego station where kids could build their favorite creations, an art table with markers and sketch paper, and a booth for Valley Music Magic, the organization run by local musician Dewey Roberts that offers musical lessons for all ages.

Roberts manned the booth, answering any questions about Valley Music Magic and offering a few guitars and ukelelesfor attendees to try out.

“This is such a great community event, and a chance for me to share the word of music,” Roberts said. “This is the perfect place to inspire, share, and love music.”

Meanwhile nearby there was the return of the petting zoo, where a few kids at a time were able to get acquainted with, and of course, people were lined up to get their pictures taken with the Easter Bunny. A good time seemed to be had by all.

The Eggstravaganza is expected to be back next year, as always the day before Easter, on April 4, 2026.

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The first weekend of May 2025 renewed a Solvang tradition as Alisal Road contained a procession of not cars or trucks, but horses and horse-drawn vehicles as the Rancho Visitadores riding group came through Solvang for a blessing at Mission Santa Ines on Saturday, May 3.

Although the event has skipped a year or two, it is generally a yearly happening where members of the Rancheros Visitadores ride up from their camp in Santa Barbara and go down Alisal turning right at Mission Drive/Highway 246, and into Mission Santa Ines for a blessing.

The riders made their entrace into Solvang a little after 3 p.m. and were greeted by crowds of people lining the street, many waving American flags.

According to the website highnoon.com, The Rancheros Visitadores is a riding group that was formed in 1930 in Santa Barbara. The ride was inspired by the early California “Mission days” tradition where Rancheros from the neighboring countryside would gather in the spring time at the nearest Mission with their cattle herds — then advance towards the next Mission working the cattle as they went — branding the calves, cutting out the beef for hides and tallow, castrating the calves and old bulls, and sending the sickly or injured cattle back to their respective ranchos.

The group had the idea of doing that ride and stopping off at Mission Santa Ines, where the priest would bless the herd and the riders before they moved on.

Among the Los Rancheros Visitadores members who would make the ride over the years were celebrities like Clark Gable, Walt Disney, Gary Cooper and Chuck Yeager. And in the 1970s, former actor and future President Ronald Reagan would make the traditional trek.

In this year reception at the mission, Father Donald Burke opened with his blessing to the riders.

“We ask you, Lord, to bless these Ranchero riders,” he said. “Bless them as they ride through the hills and valleys of the Santa Ynez Valley, but Lord, keep them safe.”

After the blessing, Amanda Martinez Combs sang a rousing rendition of the national anthem.

As in previous years, announcer Bill Feist announced the arrival of the riders as they came, and with it he added in a good amount of good-natured joshing.

Especially when the group of “Mavericks,” members participating in their first ride and notable by the yellow hats they wore, arrived.

“We welcome the 2025 Maverick class,” Feist said, drawing laughs with his next line, “Welcome, gentlemen, half of you won’t survive the trial.”

As the riders settled with their horses on the lawn in front of the mission, a presentation was made and pointed out why the ride is such a fundraiser.

Rancheros Visitadores Corky Ullman led the presentation of a check of $200,000 to the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara. The check was presented to Lori Willis, ED, and Stephanie Carlyle, head fundraiser.

Feist, who pointed out how many of the riders wear pink scarves to promote cancer awareness, said “This is what we do, and this is why we do it. Thank you for letting us be a part of this.”

The afternoon culminated in the now-customary performance of Ranchero George Stillman playing “The Vaquero Song,” for “all past Rancheros.”

While there are riders like the Mavericks, who are just starting out, and others with a few years under their belt, Stillman is one who can boast of 25 years on the ride, and is happy to display his new commemorative pin for the milestone on his hat. 

“Funny thing is, I didn’t start riding until later in life,” Stillman said. “I was surfing until I was 55, then some friends invited me up north to a ranch in Sun Valley. They said ‘hey, you want to do some roping,’ so I joined them and was roping for three days.

“I came back, bought a horse, then joined the Santa Barbara Straw Riders, and then the Rancheros,” he continued.”Now I’m on that horse six days a week.”

Another rider, Travis Baker of Morro Bay, said the ride went well.

“We came from Jackson Camp, and took about an hour to get here,” Baker said. “We had a great ride, just having a great time.”

Baker said the riders were going back to Jackson Camp for the night, and on Sunday would take the 26-mile trip to Janeway Camp near Cachuma Lake, where they would stay for a week.

Another rider, Jamie Hastings, who’s been part of the event since 2015, said it was another great experience.

“Seemed to go well as I could see; nobody got bucked off, so that’s good enough for me,” he said.

Hastings, who is originally from Paso Robles, but now lives in Clovis, said the ride is always an enjoyable part of the year.

“It’s my favorite week of the year,” he said. “Meeting up with your best friends is part of the deal, just a great time to get together.”

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Once again, the Stomp-ing Out Hunger Project was successfully completed on Saturday, April 12, with more than 200 kindhearted people gathering to set up and assemble a record 145,000 meals bound for Uganda and Ecuador. 

For the fifth year, Teri Harmon once again partnered with “Kids Around the World,” a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, to participate in “OneMeal,” which empowers groups to be a part of the solution of child malnutrition. Her event, called“STOMP-ing Out Hunger,” gathers together local volunteers to assemble food packets that are sent to children living in impoverished villages in Uganda and Equador. This food is distributed in different care points, such as orphanages, schools, homes, churches, and community feeding centers within each country.

People from all over the Santa Ynez Valley and beyond came to help, along with teams of people from Montecito Bank & Trust, Solvang Rotary, Dr. Morelli’s DDS office, Valley Christian Fellowship, Bank of California, Bible study groups, PEO Sisterhood, Presbyterian Church, Bilancia Pilates, and others. The biggest representation of support came from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with its 50+ members and 10 missionaries who helped to carry the heavy boxes of food packets and restock the bins as the stompers needed. Mary Jones and her team helped behind the scenes, and members of the Santa Ynez High School tennis team helped to set up the event the day before.

“This was no easy task given the number and weight of supplies that needed to be set out,” said Teri Harmon.

Teri and John Harmon’s family and friends from San Diego attended for the fifth year and were instrumental in running the whole project that was held at the Presbyterian Church’s Family Center in Ballard, with everyone wore matching T-shirts.

“Overall, it was a very large team effort to benefit children in need of food and nutrition,” said Harmon. “The organization Kids Around the World is the NGO that administers the food program and gets the assembled food packets to their intended destination once the boxes are packed. Each assembled bag contains six meals, and 36 bags are then packed into one box (216 meals per box) that can feed a child for an entire school year. This year, over 670 boxes were packed by the volunteers, thereby setting another event record for the number of meals packed (145,000+) in 4 hours,” Harmon explained.

Harmon has had previous experience with serving the children the food packets in Swaziland, Uganda and Ecuador and has seen firsthand how important these meals are to those that qualify and need to receive them.

Harmon said that the team that packed the most this year, and in previous years, was led by Athena McCandlish. Her team was Tanner McCandlish, Russell McCandlish, Karina Miller, Shiva Miller, Levi Miller, Scott Miller, and Harmony Miller.

“Athena’s team was the first to start packing and last to leave,” Harmon said. “Solvang Rotary members organized by Walt and Kay Alves also stayed to the end, limping out with big smiles, knowing they had just completed something special.”

“Thank you stompers. Once again, you made a big contribution and difference in the lives of many children in need,” she said in conclusion.

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The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has announced that the highly anticipated Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center will open to the public on Thursday, May 15. Hours of operation will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, and tickets are available for purchase at www.sychumashmuseum.org. Admission is $15 for adults (18-64), $12 for seniors (65+), $12 for teens (13-17), $10 for children (3-12), $12 for military members (with ID) and free for toddlers (2 and under).

The 14,000-square-foot facility, which is located on the corner of Highway 246 and Edison Street in Santa Ynez, showcases a portion of the tribe’s collection of more than 24,000 historically significant cultural items, including baskets, musical instruments, hunting tools, ceremonial items, and regalia — highlighting the richness and diversity of Chumash culture.

The museum’s unique architecture, which was designed by the award-winning Jones & Jones Architects (also designed the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.), is anchored by large dome structures that pay homage to the Chumash people’s traditional dwellings, the tule ‘ap. Outdoors, the 3.5-acre cultural park features exhibits and over 11,000 California native plants, including nearly 100 species used by the Chumash.

“Our tribe looks forward to sharing the deep history and culture of our people with the greater community,” said Kenneth Kahn, Tribal Chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. “Our museum guests are encouraged to explore this one-of-a-kind facility that has been a five-decade-long dream for our people. It holds not only artifacts and exhibits, but the spirit of our ancestors, the wisdom of those who came before us, and the richness of a culture that has withstood the test of time.”  

The museum is located at 3500 Numancia St. in Santa Ynez and offers free parking. Annual memberships are available for purchase, and the museum also accepts donations, which support maintenance, creating new exhibits and funding educational programs for the community. 

Before experiencing the museum, the tribe encourages you to visit the facility’s informative website, which can be found at www.sychumashmuseum.org. 

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The Santa Ynez Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting at the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum on March 20. Linda Small, the executive director of the Chamber, presented a slideshow that reviewed what the Chamber accomplished in 2024 and some of the highlights of future events in 2025.

Emphasized at the meeting was the unveiling of a horse that was painted by local artist Maryvonne LaParliere and donated to the Santa Ynez Historical Museum and Carriage House.

Artistically painted wooden horses graze around Santa Ynez thanks to the work and collaboration between the Santa Ynez Chamber and community artists, a project that was conceived by the Chamber several years ago and which has been well-received by merchants and visitors alike. 

The horse that LaParliere had originally painted was stolen from the corner of Edison and Hwy. 246 in 2023. The new horse now resides outside the Carriage House in the patio section of the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum.

Other subjects covered in the slideshow were sponsored business workshops that took place throughout the year that are of interest to Chamber members and community issues affecting the Santa Ynez Valley. The Chamber purchased four trash receptacles that were much needed in the Santa Ynez township; the Chamber brought on 20 new members in 2024; the Chamber held four social mixers where Chamber members networked and showcased their businesses. Regarding marketing efforts, the Chamber placed ads promoting the Santa Ynez township in a variety of popular traveler and destination guides and created a full-color brochure with a map to promote Santa Ynez and its Chamber members. Brochures are placed in hotels and high-traffic locations; the Chamber produced a 2025 calendar highlighting historical town photos and participating Chamber members; the Chamber held a traditional Christmas tree lighting for the local community in early December and promotes special holiday activities throughout the season.

“The main efforts of the Chamber are to promote the township in order to increase town recognition and to build economic vitality,” said Small. “The Chamber is trying to get visitors and Valley locals alike to drive a little farther beyond Solvang to experience and discover all that Santa Ynez has to offer: excellent restaurants, unique retail shops, including high-quality Western clothing and jewelry, wine tasting rooms, and more.”

Emphasized during the meeting was the Chamber’s 2025 Old Santa Ynez Days, its largest event of the year, to be held Saturday and Sunday, June 21 and 22. The Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the Old Santa Ynez Day Rodeo committee, has planned a fun-filled community event for Saturday, June 21, featuring vendors, kid activities, live music, a beer garden, food trucks, and more. The Santa Ynez Rodeo will be held both Saturday, June 21, and Sunday, June 22. 

For more information and tickets to the rodeo, visit www.syvrodeo.com. The Old Santa Ynez Days Rodeo is a Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) qualifying rodeo.

For more information, visit https://santaynezchamber.org.

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The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) proudly unveiled the Deepwater Diving Monument—a long-overdue tribute to Santa Barbara’s rich heritage as the birthplace of deepwater diving—during a special ceremony on Saturday, April 5, at 4:30 p.m., next to the Santa Barbara Harbor and SBMM.

The monument depicted a professional diver from 1982, wearing a Kirby Morgan® Superlite® 17 Diving Helmet, a revolutionary design that set the world standard for commercial divers. This iconic figure stood as a symbol of Santa Barbara’s pioneering role in shaping the global diving industry. The project was funded through the sale of Limited Edition, Certified, Fine-Art Bronze Statuettes sculpted by California-based artist Greg Polutanovich, as well ascharitable donations made through SBMM.

In the 1960s, local abalone divers transitioned to deepwater oxy-helium diving, revolutionizing commercial and military diving by enabling safe exploration of much deeper waters. This transformation was sparked by Hugh “Dan” Wilson’s historic 400-foot dive off Santa Cruz Island on November 3, 1962. Conducted in secrecy, Wilson’s groundbreaking achievement—using mixed gas instead of air—launched what became known as the “Santa Barbara Helium Rush.”

Santa Barbara quickly became a hub for innovation in diving technology. Companies like DIVCON, California Divers (Cal Dive), and Oceaneering International emerged, with Santa Barbara Harbor serving as their operational base. These pioneers, along with Santa Barbara-based Kirby Morgan Dive Systems®, whose helmets became the international standard, cemented the city’s global impact on the diving industry.

SBMM Past President and co-chair of the Deepwater Diving Monument Committee, Don Barthelmess, said: “This stunning and highly detailed public-art sculpture will educate both residents and visitors to our city about the importance of commercial diving to society and the substantial infrastructure that began here decades ago. This dream was brought to reality thanks to the support of hundreds of donors and SBMM.”

“This magnificent Monument is a worthy and lasting testament to the ongoing vision and ingenuity of the Santa Barbara diving community, whose revolutionary contributions have been vital to the advancement of international deep-water exploration. An inspirational sculpture for the whole maritime community,” added Leslie Leaney, SBMM Founding Trustee and co-chair of the Deepwater Diving Monument Committee.

The Deepwater Diving Monument now stands as a gift from the local and international diving communities—honoring the visionaries who transformed diving into the sophisticated practice it is today. It serves as a lasting reminder of Santa Barbara’s legacy and enduring influence on the maritime world.

About Santa Barbara Maritime Museum

The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM), which is located in the Waterfront Center Building (formerly the Naval Reserve Building), opened its doors to the public in July 2000, with the unique mission to interpret the rich and diverse maritime history of the Santa Barbara Channel. SBMM is an interactive museum – a place where the public can experience maritime culture without leaving the harbor. For more information, visit sbmm.org.

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By Elaina Siler

Space Launch Delta 30 Public Affairs

Military readiness isn’t just about the individual in uniform; it’s about the strength and resilience of the entire family. This year, Natalia Serna, daughter of Space Launch Delta 30’s senior enlisted leader Chief Master Sgt. Jay Harris and Maria Tapia, embodies this crucial connection as the U.S. Space Force’s Military Child of the Year, recognized by Operation Homefront.

This prestigious award, presented annually for the past 17 years, recognizes the resilience, leadership, and commitment of military children across all six branches of the armed forces.

“I was completely shocked. Being nominated was an incredible honor, but finding out I had won felt surreal,” said Natalia. “I immediately thought of my family, my peers, and everyone who has supported me throughout this journey.”

Natalia paved her path to this remarkable achievement with courage, adaptability, and unwavering spirit. Throughout her father’s deployments, she faced the challenges inherent to military life with grace, grit and determination.

“Military life isn’t easy — TDYs, long separations, and frequent moves require constant adjustment. Our daughter has handled each challenge with remarkable strength,” said Chief Master Sgt. Harris. “This award is an incredible honor and truly reflects the hard work, sacrifices, and heart our daughter has poured into her community and our family. For our family, it’s a moment to pause and celebrate not just her accomplishments but the journey it took to get here.” 

Natalia’s story resonated deeply with the judges throughout the multi-stage selection process. Her compelling essays and insightful interviews showcased not only her personal growth but also her passion for supporting other military youth and solidified her belief in the power of community and the importance of supporting one another.

“Natalia has great social skills,” said Tapia. “She is constantly embracing new experiences that cultivate connections that enrich her life.” Tapia credits their time in Germany as a pivotal experience for Natalia, familiarizing herself with the culture of six nearby countries local to Germany.

“She developed a strong desire to explore, travel, and seek new information and experiences that have helped her become a well-rounded teen,” said Tapia.

After attending seven schools in 11 years, the family says youth programs that support military kids as well as mentors who understand the constant changes that come with military life were highly impactful for this achievement. For Natalia, she is just getting started.

“Being named Military Child of the Year for the Space Force motivates me to amplify my voice and use it to support other military children,” said Natalia. “Whether it’s advocating for and creating spaces where military kids feel heard and supported, I want to be part of the solution.”

Natalia’s story serves as a powerful testament to the indomitable spirit of military children across the globe. Her message to current and future military children emphasizes their inner strength.

“You are stronger than you realize. Constant moves, deployments, and the uncertainty can be tough, but those challenges also shape you into someone resilient, adaptable and capable of achieving incredible things,” said Natalia.

She stands as a shining example of resilience, leadership, and unwavering commitment to community – values that will undoubtedly guide her toward a bright and impactful future.

“This award solidifies my passion for leadership and pushes me to find new ways to give back,” said Natalia. “Not just within the military community but beyond.”

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