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The Troy Exchange Club announced its 2022 A.C.E Award winner and nominees at its Thursday meeting.

A.C.E., which is a program of the National Exchange Club, stands for Accepting the Challenge of Excellence. The program recognizes high school students who have made a dramatic change in their attitude and performance during their high school years. That growth enabled the student to overcome adversity and prepare for graduation.

Michael Bunn, an Exchange Club member who served on the A.C.E project committee, said the A.C.E. program helps encourage students to overcome their hardships and get back on track to earn their high school diploma. He said the award also recognizes students who are often overlooked for their accomplishments.

The students were recommended by their school counselors or advisors. This year’s nominees included Ashunti Bledsoe and Cody Youngblood from Charles Henderson High School and Addyson Meadows from Pike Liberal Arts School. Bledsoe was diagnosed with lupus, Youngblood was a childhood cancer survivor and Meadows has Type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

“Each of our nominees exhibited all of the qualities required to win the award,” Bunn said. “These are not small issues they dealt with, and certainly not small issues for a child. But, we can only have one winner.”

Bunn said Meadows was selected as the Troy Exchange Club’s 2022 A.C.E. Award winner and will represent the club at the district competition at Lake Guntersville State Park on June 24.

Meadows said she plans to attend college at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and major in pro golf course management. She said after graduation, she would like to attend medical school. Meadows said she is active in the Type 1 diabetes community and shares her story on social media through TikTok. She said by sharing her story she hopes she can encourage other people suffering from Type 1 diabetes.