Her eyes twinkled with confidence and her smile enveloped the room as she exclaimed her future goals and intentions. Kaedhyn Williams is an 11-year-old Belizean American who is the oldest child of Belizean parents Marvin Williams and Tamarah Major Williams, who recently became the recipient of the prestigious scholarship of the Carson Scholars Fund. Kaedhyn, a 7th grade student at Fulton & Alsbury Academy of Arts and Engineering in Lancaster, California, has all the reasons to be ecstatic.

The remarkable journey of Kaedhyn began with the challenge of being born with Spinal Bifida, which affected her ability to walk. She had to endure several major and delicate surgeries over her childhood to correct the condition. Then she had to learn how to walk independently and use a brace daily that required assistance in putting on and taking off. While this is a lot for any human being to deal with, Kaedhyn Williams not only endured, survived and excelled but went above and beyond.

In spite of these challenges that would impact any young child, she became a consistent straight “A” student, student president of her school and founded a charitable non-profit organization with her siblings, Kaimebreyah, Keighley and Kyndhel. The organization, named “K-FOUR,” donated over 300 new pairs of shoes to children in Lancaster, where the family resides. In addition, Kaedhyn is currently on a visit to Belize where she and her group are donating children shoes and have partnered with Belize Family Life Association to distribute while in Belize.

All this by an 11-year-old child who had to overcome the challenges of Spinal Bifida that affected her ability to walk. She continues to speak about her future and the desire to major in engineering so that one day she can develop and designed a brace like the one she currently uses to walk that would be more advanced/simplified for other children. Kaedhyn said such a new design and invention could change the lives of many children who were born with Spinal Bifida. For an 11-year-old to lament with such a passion, love and genuine humanity for others is a manifestation of her pure heart and soul and the love/guidance she has received from her proud parents and extended family.

In our conversation not once did she wallow in self-pity or demonstrate apprehension about her ability to accomplish what she has set out to do. I left with the belief that this bright, beautiful angel has already left a lasting impact on the lives of those whom she has touched.

In May of this year at the La Costa resort in Carlsbad, California, she was honored at a banquet for her achievements not only in excelling in school but also for her humanitarian work in her community. Dr. Ben Carson, the neurosurgeon, former U.S. presidential candidate and current Secretary of Housing and Urban Development of the United States who founded the Carson Scholar Fund, was on hand to present the award and congratulate Kaedhyn Williams.