A nine-year-old girl, Anaya Ellick, who was born without arms has won the Nicholas Maxim Special Award for Excellence in Cursive writing.
This was made known in a post shared on the Facebook page of Greenbrier Christian Academy.
Greenbrier Christian Academy said Anaya previously won the Nicholas Maxim Award for Excellence in Manuscript Penmanship as a first grader in 2016 and has claimed the title again with her outstanding cursive writing.
“What makes Anaya’s achievement as a National Handwriting Champion so special is Anaya was born without hands and does not use prosthetics. In order to write, she is able to hold a pencil between her two arms and stand at her desk to get the proper angle needed for writing.
“Anaya is an extraordinary young lady. Her tenacity continues to inspire all of us at GCA,” said Anaya’s Foundations Academy Principal, Tracy Cox. “Anaya’s well-earned first place finish reminds us all what determination and hard work can achieve. We are so proud of Anaya and her accomplishments.”
Principal Tracy further revealed that during their Foundations Academy Chapel, Anaya’s teacher, Mrs. Becky Cannaday, shared a message on our character trait of the month, boldness, and on the importance of letting your light shine for God’s glory.
The principal said Mrs. Cannaday encouraged students to be bold and reminded our Gators that boldness does not always mean being front and centre, but can also be shown by humbly standing alone in doing the right thing, even when everyone else is not.
Mrs. Cannaday went on to challenge students to respectfully love others and to not be fooled by the world into acting in ways that do not glorify God.
After Mrs. Cannaday’s message, representatives from Zaner-Bloser presented Anaya with a monetary award and trophy.
The National Handwriting Contest is an annual event sponsored by Zaner-Bloser to promote legible handwriting.
Congratulations to Anaya on her achievement! Anaya, you inspire us all!
See photos below:
