Anaya Ellick continues to impress the masses with her impeccable handwriting skills and determination. The 9-year-old from Chesapeake, Virginia, was born without hands and recently won a national award for her impressive cursive writing skills.
Last month, Ellick was named the winner of the 2018 Nicholas Maxim Award as part of the 2018 Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest, The Miami Herald reported. According to a press release for the contest, students must have a cognitive delay or an intellectual, physical or developmental disability to be eligible for the Nicholas Maxim Award.
In a Facebook post published by Ellick's school, Greenbrier Christian Academy (GCA), the faculty explained what makes her achievement so special.
"Anaya was born without hands and does not use prosthetics," the post read in part. "In order to write, she is able to hold a pencil between her two arms and stand at her desk to get the proper angle needed for writing."
This isn't the first time Ellick has been awarded for her impressive achievements. In 2016, she garnered national attention when she won the Nicholas Maxim Award for Excellence in Manuscript.
Ellick's father, Gary Ellick, told local CBS WTKR that his daughter is an independent young girl.
“She’s really independent… from tying shoes, putting clothes, getting baths,” he said. “It was always like ‘I can do it.’ So, that just carried on over the years.”
Anaya has also been an inspiration to her classmates, reports CBN News.
"The biggest thing Anaya has taught our class is that there are no excuses," her teacher, Sara Cannady, said.