High school students and soldiers were honored at the St. Louis Gateway Chapter of the Association of the United States Army Leadership Awards Ceremony.The ceremony took place recently at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown St. Louis, Mo.Thirteen students received scholarships and 25 Soldiers of the Year from the active Army, Army National Guard, Army Reserve and the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps were recognized and were presented awards for their accomplishments.The keynote speaker was Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Richardson, commanding general, Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.This command is part of the U.S. Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base.Richardson spoke about how Army values are applicable to students as well as soldiers.The students who received the scholarships participated in a contest that reviewed academic records and school activities.They were also required to write an essay.The winners came from four categories: a child of a veteran, a child of a serving parent, a student in uniform and a child of a defense worker.The 25 Soldiers of the Year represented Army commands from the chapter’s geographical area, including eastern Missouri and southern Illinois.Each soldier was chosen as the outstanding soldier by his or her unit.This was the largest group of Soldiers of the Year to receive awards at this ceremony since the chapter instituted the program.