Bush to Bayang: Follow your dreams Philippine Daily Inquirer
March 04, 2009
SHE WAS an honor student at Jose Abad Santos Memorial School in Quezon City, all right.
But after her family moved to the United States and enrolled her at Harvard Elementary School in Houston, Texas in August 2006, Bayang Lualhati B. Flores hasn’t stopped surprising them.
Hardly had she settled down in her new environment when Bayang, 10-year-old daughter of former Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter Nelson Flores and wife Cora, who used to teach at Collegio San Agustin, first won the school’s spelling bee last school year. She also won in the school’s Ellen O’ Neal art competition and received several other academic awards.
In January 2008, Bayang received the President’s Education award. She heard from no less than US President George W. Bush.
In his signed letter to Bayang, Bush wrote:
“Education helps shape the future of our country and is the cornerstone of a hopeful tomorrow. For 25 years, the President’s Education Award has honored students like you who have shown a strong commitment to academic excellence and have built a solid foundation for a lifetime of accomplishment.
“This award demonstrates that when you do your best and follow your dreams, there is no limit to what you can achieve. I applaud you for your hard work and determination, and I encourage you to rise to the challenges of new opportunities, be willing to take risks, and apply your talent to great purposes.
“I appreciate your parents for the love and guidance they have given you, and I am grateful for your teachers for their dedication to you. By preparing a new generation of leaders for success, they are helping to make America stronger and better. Mrs. Bush and I send our best wishes.”
Bayang has written a number of articles in Global Pinoy about her experiences in the US.
