HAYFIELD — Syndey Schmidt has always had a love for music.

So when her father, Brad, a member of the Army Reserve, had to leave for a one-year deployment to Kuwait a little over a year ago, she kept busy with the Hayfield High School band and several other projects.

Now Schmidt, a sophomore at HHS, will play a flute solo April 19 at the Heritage Center in the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C.; she was chosen as an “Our Military Kid of the Year.”

Schmidt is one of just five students in the country to receive the annual honor, which identifies kids who stayed active during their parent’s deployment.

“I had to send a video out and answer a few questions to apply for it,” Schmidt said. “I was excited, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up. When I found out I won, I was pretty much freaking out.”

Schmidt, who is also active in student council, Big Brothers and Big Sisters and Students Against Drunk Driving, stayed busy to keep from missing her dad.

She was able to talk to her dad — who returned in March — once a week through Skype or the phone, but it wasn’t an easy year for Schmidt.

“There’s always a worry that there would be a mistake or something unexpected would happen. Sometimes it would come in my mind and I would be like ‘no, don’t think about it,’” Schmidt said. “It was hard, because we always relied on my mom and a lot of pressure was put on her to get me to places.”

As part of Schmidt winning the award, HHS was awarded a $500 grant from Target, the event’s sponsor. Schmidt would like some of the money to go to the music program and to provide school supplies for children who can’t afford them.

Music is very important to Schmidt, as it serves as a soothing presence in her busy life.

“I like music a lot,” she said. “It seems to calm me down and it’s a way to express myself.”

While Schmidt has been to Washington, D.C. before, her mom, Mary, said her daughter was literally jumping for joy when she found out she was one of the five winners.

Mary said she is glad to see her daughter receive the honor.

“We see every day the type of person she is and the effort she puts into things. It’s nice that other people can see that now, too,” Mary said.

Our Military Kids was founded in 2004 to support children ages three to 18 of National Guard and Reserve families during a deployment.