Hundreds of thousands of students participated in the Pop Warner All American Program, and 22 Wareham students were recognized as scholars in May.

Of them, eighth-grader Andrew Brightman, fifth-graders Indiana Troupe and Dylan Turner, and sixth-grader Arianna Judge were named First Team Scholars out of 350 students nationwide.

The four traveled to Florida with their mothers, where they were given awards and scholarships. Pop Warner gave the group a discounted rate on the Disney Yacht Club Hotel, and the group filled their weekend with trips to Disney World and other attractions.

Turner said he had a great time at the event, claiming that the hotel they stayed in was “essentially better than [his] house in every way, shape and form.”

Brightman received a $1,250 college scholarship, and Troupe received a $500 scholarship.

“I kind of created the moment of the night at the awards ceremony,” said Turner. Since Troupe left the awards ceremony early, Turner accepted Troupe's scholarship for him and had his picture taken in his stead.

Pop Warner, the largest youth football, cheer and dance program in the world, hosts their All-American Program each year with a minimum requirement of a 96 percent grade point average to apply.

The awards ceremony focused mainly on eighth graders who would not be able to participate in the program the next year. The top cheerleader and football player of the rest of the grades were awarded scholarships as well, which is the award that Troupe won as the top fifth-grade football player.

“It wasn’t just something I got,” said Troupe. “It was all worked for.”

Troupe said the scholarship will be put to good use as he plans to pursue four different degrees and eventually become the president of the United States.

The program hosted an awards program in the Disney Yacht Club at the end of May to celebrate the accomplishments of the participants. The weekend included an awards ceremony, a scholar banquet, and scholar tributes. There were featured speeches by NFL and NCAA football players as well as a Paralympic swimmer.

In addition to First Team, there were Second Team and Honorable Mention All-Americans. In the Second Team, fifth-graders Elijah Carrion, Sean Stephens, Alexandra Bumpus, Victoria Flaherty, Hanna Grasso, and Olivia Hogan, sixth-graders Amaya Anderson, Anajae Council and Chloe Hogan, seventh-graders Jonathan Brightman, Wylde LaTullippe, Thomas Pelletier III, and Taylow Voner, and eighth-graders Dominic Mello, and Jorge Kyle were selected.

Jared DeMello (fifth grade), and Rayanna Bonner (eighth grade) were in the Honorable Mention category.