Graduation season = Another reason to be homesick.

Ok this has absolutely nothing to do with the blog but it’s really important to me so you’re going to have to hear about it!

My little cousin Yolandia (we call her “Peka”) is graduating from 6th grade this Thursday and I’m so very proud of her! Take a look at her bio:

Yolandia Jewel Winn has been a student at Daniel Freeman since Kindergarten, where she set an example of excellence for other students. Yolandia has maintained a 4.0 grade point average and perfect attendance. She place First in the Inglewood School District’s Spelling Bee. Yolandia is the recipient of the California State Senate Scholastic Achievement Award and the Inglewood School Superintendent’s Achievement Award of Excellence. She’s recognized by her teachers as one of the Outstanding Achievers in Academics and Social Behavior of 2010. She’s also recognized by her school’s principal, who was her 4th grade teacher, as a young, upcoming writer. Yolandia has written six books for her schoolmates to enjoy in class.

Just yesterday she was named class Valedictorian.

Peka’s definitely stealing all of my “smart kid in the family” glory by superceding almost everything I ever did in school and I couldn’t be happier! I’m extremely proud of her and although I’m not the one taking her to school every morning (perfect attendance, really?), feeding her everyday, or drilling her on her timetables… I can say that as the former “smart kid” in the family, I’ve been referred to her numerous times to help with projects.

I was one of many who drilled her on her spelling words for that spelling bee, helped her with her Obama-inspired speech when she was voted class president last year, and encouraged her to be a writer (or I’d like to think I did… lol)

It takes a village to raise a truly amazing child and I’m happy to be a citizen in her world.

Congrats Peka! Good luck with seventh grade!