Star Student: Gabrielle Excels In Howard County

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Star Students are found in classrooms, on concert and theater stages and at debate lecterns, and out in the community doing good things to make life better for all of us.

Here at Patch, we've launched an initiative to help recognize Star Students, and we’re working to tell the stories of these outstanding kids to their neighbors.

This submission comes from Peta Leiba Demuren who wrote the nomination below of Gabrielle of Columbia.

Star local student’s name

Gabrielle

Star local student’s home state

Maryland

How do you know the star local student?

My daughter

Why do you believe the star local student should be recognized?

I would imagine every parent would consider their child exceptional. I have 3 children and I know I certainly do, but today I want to nominate my oldest Gabrielle because even though I’m her mom, I have been so completely blown away by her drive, her commitment to community building and her all round attitude to being her best self while being a role model to her siblings and her peers and a leader in her school and community. I contemplated sending this because I never want to present as self promoting but I see Gabi’s hard work and her diligence and also her big heart and all these efforts are note worthy and I’ve repeatedly heard how inspiring she is to many people around her.

Gabrielle who we call Gabi has always been a helpful kind individual, since very young she has been doing amazing things that both my husband and I always considered extraordinary. At six, is when my husband and I recognized that she was not an average girl when she reached out to her head of school and she started an initiative to help sick children and collaborated to fundraise at Chik-Fil-A for childrens nationals. She always conducted several very successful book drives after realizing that the older patients did not really want to pay with toys. Today, years later, Gabi still has a huge heart and is very active in her community.

She is the student member of the recreation and parks board of Howard County and just recently in February she planned the first ever black history fest, an event she hoped could be an annual celebration of black excellence and allow black students within the county to feel proud of their history and highlight everyday black notables and students in the community who are also making an impact in their community which she hopes will inspire her generation. The event was a huge success with over 400 attendees. County Executive Calvin Ball attended as well as 12 state officials including delegates/ senators, representatives from the board of educations. There were several vendor tables and a vip reception to follow. Many people both young and old left that event inspired and excited to attend next year but what I heard repeatedly was how amazed they were that the entire event was planned by a 17-year-old student. Gabi received a standing ovation that day and I sat there both in amazement and in tears.

Gabi is also the executive board president of her school River Hill High school in Clarksville. She was recently featured in her school newspaper and hailed as an inspiration as she highlighted how she often has to go to bed at midnight and wake up at 5:30 a.m. to get her work completed while also training for track. Gabi has been an athlete for years in both soccer and track. This year her soccer team became regional champions but what impressed me most recently was the fact that while planning the black history fest amongst other school related activities Gabi ran the 4X800 relay race along with 4 other team members in the state championship and they won, becoming the Maryland state champions and winning gold for first place, which qualified them to move to nationals and compete for the national title at the highly esteemed Nike nationals in New York. I was again blown away by Gabi’S ability to effectively juggle so much in humility and with an above and beyond attitude in which she always strives to give everything she is apart of the best.

She was recently asked to serve in a second term for the recreation and parks board and will be reappointed later this year, she also was asked to be a speaker at a press conference which was broadcast on the news to announce a new initiative called Yep by the county executive. Gabi is on her way to Penn relays this month and was named the spring track and field captain. Gabi is also a member of many honor societies, a new anchor for her school’s broadcast called Hawk talk, she is the public relations officer of black leadership union (BLU), a member of the scholars leadership program and there is likely more. Gabi is taking five AP classes this year and maintains a GPA of 4.53. She awakes daily at 5:30 a.m. to walk her dogs, goes for a run then studies before heading to school.

After school she has meetings then practices for sports. Once a month she attends board meetings and board events, most days she returns home between 7-8 p.m. and has to get on a her SAT prep call, do her home work and she likes to journal for 15 minutes before heading to bed, usually around midnight. Gabi plans to apply to college in the fall but before she goes off to college she hopes to plan another community event to benefit students where they can get proper headshots and assistance with building a resume and a positive digital presence after she realized at an event that many of the student speakers though exemplary students did not have a proper headshot to accompany their resumes. I am almost certain I am forgetting many more amazing attributes about this remarkable young lady, I am her mom but not it honestly seems like every day she gets involved with something else that image is passionate about and so it is truly hard to keep up with someone who’s drive us unmatched but for now I can’t think of any teen more deserving of recognition than this young girl who is truly one of a kind.

What's one thing you want everyone to know about the star local student?

I was very sick and hospitalized for an extended period and had to learn to walk again. During this period Gabi stepped up and really helped in the household and really helped her siblings. They both admire her so much because she really assisted them in coping which the situation felt dismal and my husband was also juggling quite a bit to keep our lives in order. Gabi never once complained instead she would always say, "Mom I’m going to make you proud."

To say she makes us proud is truly an understatement but I bring this up to highlight the fact that she excels despite many challenges and many circumstances beyond her control. She has surprised us with so many amazing accomplishments and intentions to do good in her community. We hope this article will surprise her and remind her of how proud we continue to be of her and encourage her to keep dreaming big and attaining greatness despite whatever obstacles may come her way.

Congratulations on your achievements, and all of our best wishes to you in the future, Gabrielle!

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