When Gabi Nelson entered sixth grade at Sonora Middle School in Springdale, she was not a social young lady, reported her teacher Jackie Schmidtke. She was shy and kept to herself and on bad days she sometimes threw tantrums. But those days are behind her. A seventh-grader, Gabriella "Gabi" Nelson was honored with the "Good Heart" award, one of the 2015 Youth Excellence Awards, by her school and the Fayetteville Sequoyah Kiwanis.
Nearing the end of her seventh-grade year, Gabi now presents herself as the best math student in class and "jumps from her seat to help her peers with math and social studies," making friends as she does, Schmidtke wrote to nominate Gabi for the award. The gentle child plays basketball for the Sonora Lady Eagles. She continues to struggle in reading and writing, but works hard to overcome her challenges and consistently raises her hand first to read aloud in class.
Fayetteville Sequoyah Kiwanis
29th annual ‘Good Heart’
Youth Excellence Awards
Derik Camp, Elkins High School; Cody Wilson, Farmington High School; Emily Pudil, Fayetteville Christian School; Whitley Trollinger, Fayetteville High School; Brenden Barker, Greenland High School; Mason Cline, Har-Ber High School, Springdale; Rynn NeSmith, Lincoln High School; Matilda Sullivan, Prairie Grove High School; Adam Lodwick, Springdale High School; Casey Estep, Springdale Archer Learning Environment; Anna Teague, West Fork High School; Jazzia Ortiz, Central Junior High, Springdale; Alex Smith, Elkins Middle School; Caroline Koniske, George Junior High, Springdale; Hershel Holt, Greenland Middle School; Ashley Baucom, Helen Tyson Middle School, Springdale; Dylan Gregory, Hellstern Middle School, Springdale; Keshawn Chism, Holt Middle School, Fayetteville; Daniela Najarro Bonilla, J.O. Kelly Middle School, Springdale; Reina Rashay Cenobio, Lincoln Middle School; Savannah Robbins, Lakeside Junior High, Springdale; Trey May, Owl Creek Middle School, Fayetteville; Lexie Peoples, Prairie Grove Middle School; Clara Wiskur, Ramay Junior High, Fayetteville; Dallas Walker, Randall G. Lynch Middle School, Farmington; Calvin Ryerse, Springdale School of Innovation; Gabriella “Gabi” Nelson, Sonora Middle School, Springdale; Samuel Morrison, St. Joseph Catholic School, Fayetteville; Breann Powers, Southwest Junior High, Springdale; Rosanna and Jenna Scott, West Fork Middle School; Oliva Bartz, Woodland Junior High, Fayetteville.
Gabi found herself among 32 other middle, junior and high schoolers in Washington County at the banquet last week in Fayetteville.
"This one day is the reason I'm in Kiwanis," said Danny Spears, the club president. "[The students have] had hard times, but they've achieved something. These are kids who really have character."
Spears said these children show others how good children are. "They show us the world's a good place. They celebrate the good in their schools."
"This award is not about sympathy," said Elaine Walker who, for years, has read nomination letters as the students received their framed certificates and medals. Their names also appear with past winners on plaques which stay at the schools. "You're going to hear about some unsung heroes."
"These kids recognize the value and satisfaction in working to serve others," said Adella Gray, a member of the Fayetteville City Council.
Travis Scott of West Fork knows his daughters, Jenna and Roseanna, to be fun. "We like introducing them to new things," the proud papa said of himself and his wife. "We really get to know them through new activities. We are learning about all our kids (seven of them) as they grow and learn new things."
The girls ran for West Fork Middle School's cross country track team. Rosanna plays piano, harp and violin, and Jenna plays mandolin and sings in the University of Arkansas' Children's Choir. By the way, both are blind.
The girls were born in China and spent their early years in orphanages and schools for the visually impaired, read their nomination form. The girls met in a foster home, sharing a room and living like sisters. The Scotts adopted Rosanna and Jenna in 2008.
The now-official sisters had to learn about life in America, which required more spoken English and English Braille. They even participated on a team that won first place in a national Braille-reading contest.
"These girls have positive attitudes, never complain about their challenges or the extra effort it takes for them to be successful," read the middle school's nomination form. "They have a desire to do what every other eighth-grader does -- and usually perform above and beyond their peers. They recognize their challenges and work ahead of time to prepare themselves to be successful and remove as many barriers as possible with their own effort and determination."
Dylan Gregory, a seventh-grader at Hellstern Middle School in Springdale was born without his left arm. "Dylan has always adapted to everything, from getting his tray at lunch, typing, opening things and even playing video games," Walker read. He plays pitcher, first base and right field for the Springdale All-Stars baseball team and center and kicker for Hellstern's Red Team.
"He plays an offense exclusively as center, due to his ability to snap the ball with precision and speed. It's unlike anything most people have seen out of a 12-year-old," wrote Dylan's English teacher, Lexi Cobb. "He can block really well, knocking down boys that are as big or bigger than him."
Even while recovering from surgery on his other arm, Dylan has maintained good grades, bringing work home during his recuperation.
The 33 award winners faced and continue to face a variety of challenges including learning disabilities, English language deficits, debilitating medical conditions and more.
"It was very interesting hearing the way my teacher put my story," Gabi said after the banquet. "I almost wanted to cry. It was very touching. Hearing about everyone else's difficulties makes mine not that bad anymore. Now, I'm going to worry about the others."
NAN Profiles on 05/03/2015