Chapter 20: Proud¹

A’Nia demonstrated that she was gifted from birth. Her tenacity, creativity, spirit and particular ability to “see” the world through a crafty and ingenious nature was noted in each milestone of her development. As the youngest of three children, she keenly observed and learned from her siblings. She learned to count to 100 before the age of 2. She was highly verbal from the start, often amazing adult family members and friends.

A’Nia has a helping spirit. In kindergarten she was the student who tied the shoes of all of peers. In first and second grade she was the “student” teacher. By second grade she had her own reading group where she helped others improve their reading skills. As an avid reader, A’Nia has thrived through many adversaries. Her love of reading and -writing often served as her escape from perceived and real injustice in her school settings. While she initially struggled in math, it was not because she lacked the ability, it was because of her frustration with being taught only one way to complete mathematic operations.