Havre de Grace Elementary fourth-grader named Carson scholarship winner

A fourth-grader at Havre de Grace Elementary School has been named a 2012 Carson Scholar for her academic achievement and inspiring essay written about one of her teachers.

Gabriella Vega is the winner of a $1,000 Ben Carson reading scholarship, which will go toward her college education. She was honored during the Havre de Grace City Council meeting March 19, and even had the dubious honor of sitting on the dais during the first part of the meeting.

According to the scholarship's website, carsonscholars.org, the award is given to students between fourth and 11th grades "who excel academically and are dedicated to serving their communities."

"Carson Scholars must have a GPA of 3.75 and display humanitarian qualities through community service," the website states.

A school's principal must nominate the student and only one child from each school can apply. Gabriella and her essay were chosen out of several qualifying applicants to represent the school of more than 400 students.

Her mother, Shelly Gregory, told Gabriella, or Gabi as she calls her, that she would be competing against thousands of other students around the country, and even if she didn't win, she should still be proud of her accomplishments.

She described Gabriella as someone who loves school — "the type of child that will do school work all summer long" — and loves to help others.

When the family received her congratulatory letter from the Carson Scholars Fund, "we were blown away," Gregory said.

In Gabriella's winning essay, she eloquently described "a teacher that has inspired me through her hard work and her 'never give up' attitude," Ms. Catherine Holmes, her art teacher.

"She [Holmes] has taught me how to use my imagination and that exaggerating makes art more fun," the fourth-grader wrote.

Holmes also taught Gabriella a very important lesson in accepting differences.

"There are differences in artwork, people's skin color, what people believe in and many others; however, differences aren't bad, just different," she wrote.

Naturally, after receiving news that she had won the award, Gabriella wanted to tell the subject of her essay.

She and her mom went to the school and told Holmes in person that the winning essay was written about her.

"Everyone was in tears," Gregory said. "It was very heartfelt."

Gabriella's mother is, of course, extraordinarily proud of her daughter.

"To me, being 10, it's such a big accomplishment and such an honor and she has been very, humbly sincere," the mom said.

Gabriella and her family, along with Holmes, will attend the Carson Scholars Fund 16th annual Awards Banquet April 29 at Martin's West. The event honors Carson Scholars from across the country.

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