A seven year old Virginia girl born with no hands won a national penmanship award this week.
According to reports, first grader Anaya Ellick, a student at Greenbrier Christian Academy in Chesapeake, won a Nicholas Maxim Special Award for Excellence in Manuscript Penmanship. Ellick was awarded $1,000 and a trophy.
Ellick does not use prosthetics but instead stands at her desk while holding a pencil between both arms to create the right angle to write, CNN notes.
Ellick’s parents, Gary Ellick and Bianca Middleton, told WKTR their daughter is quite independent.
“She ties her shoes, she gets dressed by herself, she doesn’t really need any assistance to do anything,” said Bianca.
“Anaya is a remarkable young lady. She does not let anything get in the way of doing what she has set out to do,” said Ellick’s principal Tracey Cox.