Friday, July 2, 2009

Yusufu Ibrahim’s mother constantly told him to excel in school and evidently the 11-year-old got the message.

At his final ceremony of the school year for Clark Springs Elementary School, Yusufu (pronounced You-soo-foo) won 19 awards, including the coveted President’s Award for Educational Excellence signed by President Barack Obama as well as a letter from the president commending him on his academic achievement. Yusufu is also a rising star in tennis, which he plays through Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority's Youth Sports and Fine Arts Academy, which pairs young residents of housing authority properties with nontraditional sports instruction.

Yusufu’s success is a story of his hard work and determination as well as his mother’s.

Yusufu’s mother, Fatimo Ibrahim, who moved to the U.S. from her native country Nigeria, never attended school until her adult years. However, education was always stressed in the Ibrahim home, which is in one of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority properties.

“I’ve never been to school in my life,” said Ibrahim, who works two jobs to support Yusufu and his three sisters. “They have the opportunity to go to school here and you don’t have to pay for it. They’d better seize the opportunity!”

“This is one of many RRHA success stories,” said Anthony Scott, chief executive officer of RRHA. “This family’s achievements are in lock step with what we do at RRHA, building vibrant communities one family at a time. We can all glean inspiration from their ability to overcome numerous obstacles.”

Yusufu credits his mother with his success. “My mother has been pushing me to do my best in school,” said Yusufu, who won awards for math, reading, honor roll and those for being a positive role model and president of the school’s Student Council Association. “My mom is going to school now because she didn’t have a chance to when she was in Africa. It makes me do my best in school so I can have a better job and not struggle.”

Yusufu will be a sixth grader at Albert Hill Middle School in the fall. “Math is my favorite subject. I do really well in it for some reason and I just enjoy doing it.” Yusufu’s dedication and commitment extends outside the classroom. On July 27, he will also play in his first tennis tournament.

“In tennis, you have to make the right moves and think about what you’re doing,” said Yusufu, who has been playing tennis for four years.

Paul Manning, founder of U-Turn Sports Performance Academy in Richmond, has known Yusufu since he began playing tennis at his center. “He has a very engaging personality. He gets along with anyone and is very considerate and funny.”

“He’s really cerebral to be a young kid,” Manning said. “He’s aware of his surroundings and that is evident even on the tennis court. He’s doing some things with the ball and racquet that you can’t teach. He knows how to adjust in a dynamic situation, which is a really good sign.”

“You can’t teach tenacity and perseverance,” Manning said. “He’s so focused on his academics and his mother is a great role model in encouragement.”

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RRHA Community Relations and Marketing Department

780-4167