Student Overcomes Cerebral Palsy, Earns National Recognition
May 30th, 2008 Posted in NewsRecently, we wrote a post about the use of as a therapeutic treatment for children with cerebral palsy. Joshua Neace, who has cerebral palsy himself, has used a similar therapeutic horse riding program that has helped him improve upon his motor skills and muscle tone.
Through techniques such as horseback riding along with an overall determination to overcome cerebral palsy, Joshua has been able to achieve major educational and career goals that he had set for himself. As a youngster, Joshua was told he would never go to college and could never become successful, but as his mother points out, “Every time someone would crush him down he would just work harder.” This hard work recently resulted in Joshua being named his high school’s valedictorian and now the first ever Northern Kentucky High School student to be selected a national Horatio Alger Scholar. Joshua, one of 108 recipients out of an application field of totaling more than 33,000, received his Scholar designation and a $20,000 college scholarship.
The Horatio Alger Scholarship which seeks to assist students who have demonstrated integrity, perseverance in overcoming adversity, strength of character, financial need, a good academic record, commitment to pursue a college education, and a desire to contribute to society is a nationally coveted award among high school students.
Joshua’s hard work and recent scholarship has led him to Cumberland College in Princeton, Kentucky, where he will be a freshman this upcoming fall. Joshua plans on becoming a doctor of pediatrics and working with people in a conflict zone. He also plans on using pediatric medicine to provide pediatric aid in Israel.
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