150 Grade 12 top scorers honoured

150 Grade 12 top scorers honoured Olivia Olarte-Ulherr (olivia@khaleejtimes.com) / 18 July 2013 Being handicapped was not an obstacle for Reem Saif Al Dhahouri, 19, for excelling in her studies. With 96 per cent as her final grade, the student of Salma bint Qais topped the literature stream in Sharjah and was among the 150 Grade 12 top achievers across the UAE who were honoured on Tuesday by Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Deputy Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec). “I am so happy, I cannot describe my feelings,” said Umm Reem who described her daughter as studious. The new graduate, who was afflicted with polio from birth, said she did not face any difficulty in school despite her condition. “Everything was fine,” Reem, who was the third among seven siblings, said. The Emirati student hopes to continue her studies in multimedia, majoring in web design, at Sharjah University. “I am very proud of our top performing students who stand amongst us today. They worked very hard and proved to themselves and to the UAE leaders that our youth is more than capable and ready to take part in challenging situations,” said Shaikh Mansour. Speaking on behalf of her peers during the ceremony, Alanood Mohammed Al Ameri, described their 12-year educational journey as “beautiful yet full of challenges and obstacles.” “This is our first building block … the first journey of a thousand miles. We are optimistic of the future. We promise to be the lanterns that you will see shine as you are our example,” Alannod said of Shaikh Mansour. Sarah Rashed Al Seridy, 15, from Fujairah accompanied her sister at the honouring ceremony. Ruwaya, 17, scored 99.4 per cent in the science stream and is the seventh topper in the UAE and third in Fujairah. “I feel very happy and I am proud of her. Her efforts have finally paid off. She received scholarship to study in the UAE University from Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance),” Sarah said. The Grade 12 Emirati and expatriate students who achieved a minimum score of 98 per cent from across public schools and the Institutes of Applied Technology, were offered certificates of appreciation for their successful achievement. Emirati special needs top performers, who achieved 95 per cent and above were also honoured on Tuesday. In addition, they each received Dh20,000 from the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan while 20 scholarship grants at Abu Dhabi University were offered by Shaikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region. “Thanks to the limitless support to education by our UAE leaders, our students are receiving some of the world’s top educational systems, which results in creating a generation of high achieving students,” commended Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, director general of Adec.   Taylor Scott International