Lael is in the red. She is at her school's Evening of Distinction Program. She received:
Academic Honors Diploma
National Honor Society
Asian American Leadership Award and Scholarship
AXA Equitable Achievement Community Scholarship
Friends of the Plainfield Guilford Township Public Library
Jordan House Memorial Scholarship
Relevate Hendricks Country Community Helper Scholarship
Bright House Networks Bright Futures Scholarship Program Award Marian University St Clare Academic Scholarship
She'll be attending Marian University this Fall and pursuing a nursing degree.
Lael was also student of the month, which they forgot to mention-Hey!?! : - )
The Jordan House scholarship was the most special to me. Lael is with the other two recipients and Jordan's mother is on the right. Click here to read Jordan's story. I didn't know Jordan, but I remember her. I used to see her when she was in 1st grade playing out on recess. She was a cute, sweet, quiet girl and her mother had her and her brother always dressed so cute. I later saw her in high school and she was growing up into a very beautiful girl! She was a healthy, happy child and literally in only a couple of days she was gone.
Lael's last, last day of high school. She is carrying the laptop which was part of one of the scholarships she received.
Here I'm telling the four little kids if they study hard they can do really well like Lael. Next Stafan says...
"I don't want to have anger issues." It was a LOL moment for me, but not so much for Lael. OK, Lael definitely does NOT have anger issues, but she is definitely driven and has been since the day we got her. Her 1st grade teacher and Lael would come out of school every day arm and arm. They loved one another and still do! But, her teacher said (remember this was 1st grade) "It is like Lael has PMS." Then her 2nd grade teacher said to me, "Even the boys are intimidated by Lael. No one steps on her toes." At the same time Lael loved her teachers and her teachers loved her. I attribute the drive and motivation my kids have to spending time in the orphanage. It made them tough and go getters. That isn't to say many adopters don't turn their kids into spoiled little princesses (or princes), but we have too many kids to do that.
This guy was one of Lael's best friends all through high school.
Arden isn't in this picture, because some of the National Honor Society members were working the event (Arden made NHS--she is driven like Lael). I wish I had gotten a picture of her. We were in our seats and Arden came running up to me saying a girl she was working with had a dress on just like hers. I told Remi go change and let Arden have her dress. Remi was mad, but went. They were back in two minutes. Then, Arden came running back again and said the girl's dress wasn't like hers. Remi had to change back into the original dress. By this time Remi was really disgusted. I felt like I was on an I LOVE LUCY episode.
