Monrovia – Not many ten-year-olds can boast of having a sealed letter of commendation from the white house – signed by U.S. President Barack Obama, Mannette Gono did.
The grace Christian Academy in Covington GA (USA) six-grader and daughter of Liberian football legend George Weah, was recently congratulated by President obama after receiving the President’s education award.
“I commend you for the powerful example you have set for your family, friends and peers, and it is a privilege to join in recognizing your achievement,” President Obama commented in a letter to Mannette.
Founded in 1983, the President’s education awards program (peap) honours graduating elementary, middle and high school students for their achievement and hard work.
The program has provided individual recognition from the President and the U.S. Secretary Of Education to those students whose outstanding efforts have enabled them to meet challenging standards of excellence. Each year, thousands of elementary, middle, and high schools participate by recognizing deserving students.
The President added: “Our country faces great challenges, and we will overcome them if we all work together in common purpose – no matter who we are or how old we may be. America looks to students like you, whose dreams and determination know no bounds, to strengthen our communities and help drive our nation forward.
Your commitment to your education demonstrates the creativity and energy that will chart the course of our unwritten history, allowing us to reimagine reality and seek new frontiers.
I’m inspired by your motivation and work ethic, and it gives me great hope to know our future will be written by ambitious you people like you. I encourage you to continue working hard and aiming high, and i wish you all the best.”
The Presidential educational awards are awarded to middle school students who obtain a minimum average of 96% throughout the school year. Mannette’s cumulative GPA is 97.8.
The 10-year-old who will be promoted to the seventh grade in the Fall says she loves reading and hopes to go to Princeton and study medicine upon her completion of high school.
The 10-year-old recently tweeted on her twitter account, mannette8 that she would love to vote for Marcus Rubio, but a female President is certainly the best option now for America.
Meapeh Gono Glay, Mannette’s mom says she is extremely proud of her daughter’s hard work.
“As a mother, I always stress to her the importance of education marked with excellence. From early on i knew she was a bright child with a lot of potential and my goal is to have that actual potential turned into realized potentials.
I tell her each day that good education is the only key to changing her life and position in society. I point out inspirational stories like that of the Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Ben Carson, Hilary Clinton etc.
I keep her busy with reading; we are always ordering books and doing book reviews. I’m happy for her, not only that she’s going to grade 7 at the age of 10, but that she’s doing so with distinction. Our family cannot be more proud.”
Mannette has received several other awards including the six flags Georgia reading award for reading more books and doing book reports. Mannette who loves reading dubs “the kid who ran for President by Dan Gutman, as her favourite read.
Rodney D. Sieh, [email protected]