“Motivated” is a word that well-describes 20-year-old Proud of Them honouree Mariah Tibbetts.

Recognised for academic excellence, Mariah is presently in the home stretch of a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Georgia State University. A member of three prestigious societies – Golden Key Honor Society, Beta Gamma Sigma Society and Tau Sigma National Society, she maintains a GPA of 3.93.

Her goal, which she first expressed to her family during a conversation years ago while driving to school, is to become an accountant.

Mariah says the Proud of them recognition is “An uplifting and inspiring achievement, and has motivated me to do even better, and to be a role model to others.”

Even so, the star student and former Miss Teen Cayman Islands runner-up has always worked to improve herself, commanding the respect of her family, peers and teachers.

Minister for Youth the Hon. Osbourne Bodden said that Miss Tibbetts’ tenacity and drive are commendable: “While the qualities for which Mariah are being recognised are laudable, her ability to motivate and inspire other young people is ‘positive peer-pressure’ at its finest. I look forward to seeing Mariah achieve great things in the near future.”

At John Gray High School (JGHS) she attained 15 higher-level passes in her external exams, and earned an award for consistently excellent reports. She also received the JGHS Ernst & Young 2011 Achievement Award for Academic Excellence.

Academic prowess aside, Mariah has also always focused on assisting other young people. She served as a student counsellor, a peer educator, and school prefect. She also took part in the Mentoring Cayman programme.

She also displayed poise as a member of Dance Unlimited for several years, and participated in Junior Achievement while in high school. During those years, she also attended two overseas conferences: Next Generation Leaders and the World Affairs Seminar.

In addition, Mariah served as a member of the Prom and Yearbook Committees, the Business Club and the Debate Team. She also represented her school in Spelling Bee competitions, and has obtained First-Aid and CPR certifications.

Mariah completed an Associate’s Degree at the University College of the Cayman Islands with the top GPA in her degree. As a result of her academic excellence, she was awarded a full scholarship by Deloitte.

Commending her fellow-honourees, she says: “Proud of Them is a wonderful idea. Many young people are trying hard, but think that their efforts are unrecognised – yet theirs could be the next faces on the Proud of Them billboards!”

At the end of each academic semester, the Bodden Town resident looks forward to returning home, to share quality time with her four siblings, her parents Marsha and Ian, and her dog Honey — who spends days at her door each time she heads back to her studies.

Her parents describe her school-age years as “exemplary, with great self-discipline, and a fantastic example to her siblings.”