Mayar as Reading Ambassador: Is It Enough to Honor Talent, or Should We Nurture and Cultivate It?

By Rudy Nabil

Honoring Mayar Othman and the Reading Ambassador at the Book Fair

The Minister of Education received student Mayar Othman before the start of the honoree celebration, in the presence of the Minister of Higher Education. It was a wonderful and inspiring scene: Mayar entered the ministry doors hand in hand with everyone who supported her, alongside the school librarian who helped her obtain books. The minister said that everyone attends, is honored, and receives their due recognition and appreciation, because everyone deserves to be highlighted, not just Mayar. Mayar was informed that she would be awarded the title of Reading Ambassador at the upcoming book fair, alongside a major panel discussion dedicated to her at the fair.

Here, I commend this respectful and inspiring tribute, which is worthy of Mayar, her mother, her school, and her teachers. It is something that boosts morale and shows that the ministry sees and appreciates talent. This is well-deserved recognition for an inspiring role model that we desperately need to celebrate every moment amid a landscape searching for good role models. Is there anything more wonderful than seeing a student honored because she stood out?

From the Moment of Recognition to the Path of Talent Nurturing

Yet, does mere recognition suffice? Here my question arises: Can we move from the moment of recognition to a path of nurturing? Can we nurture talent across all fields—not just a single area—and across all grade levels, departments, and subjects for high achievers? Recognition brightens the moment, but nurturing builds the future. Recognition gladdens the heart, but nurturing builds the mind and skill.

I believe that we need to be the ones who create talent, rather than merely discovering it, nurturing it, and directing it down a productive path. We must remember that a talented student does not need applause alone; they need programs that train them, develop their talent, and subsequently present them as a role model for their peers. This cannot be achieved through academic curricula alone, nor inside closed classrooms. It is achieved through activities that need to be as broad as possible, because they are what uncover talent, develop it, and channel energy, thereby curbing violence and broadening horizons. Have we asked ourselves how many talents were lost because activity was absent, and how much violence appeared because energy found no safe path or activity to vent into?

Talent Nurturing Begins with Discovery, Training, and Continuity

Talent nurturing means a comprehensive system that discovers talent early, trains it, gives it space to emerge, and then follows up on it without abandoning it after recognition. Nurturing is continuity, while recognition is a beginning. Do we want a beginning without continuity, or a beginning that turns into a path?

How Do Talents Translate Into School Activities?

Have we considered that reading is a talent that needs a library, a panel discussion, and a new book every week? Have we considered that drawing is a talent that needs an art studio and a small exhibition inside the school? Have we considered that invention is a talent that needs a simple laboratory and a monthly competition? Talent is like a plant: if we do not water it, it withers, and if we water it, it blossoms. Shall we water it after recognition, or leave it to thirst and wither?

A Proposal for an Open Talent Week in Schools

What if we established an open talent week, dedicating a full day once a month in every school—even on the weekend—for anyone who wishes to participate, free of curricula and focused entirely on activities: reading, acting, drawing, programming, innovation, and sports? In it, every student would present their talent to their peers, and teachers would select two talents to support with a simple program over the following month. Activity uncovers, the school nurtures, the ministry follows up, and the student feels seen rather than forgotten.

Recognition Is the Beginning, and Nurturing Is a Promise to Talent

Is there any encouragement greater than a child seeing that their talent has time on the schedule and not just a grade on a certificate? Can we turn every act of recognition into a nurturing program? Can we tell Mayar and her peers that recognition is your right, and nurturing is your promise? Can we teach our schools that appreciation is nurturing, nurturing is care and continuity, and continuity is construction? The recognition we witnessed warmed the heart and delighted the soul, and we hope it will be extended to all fields and grade levels everywhere, because every inspiring model, when honored, creates a thousand models like it.

Published by Hany Sallam

Hany Sallam, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Scientific Magazine Ahram
An independent Arabic science magazine operating since 2008, dedicated to simplifying science, technology, space, natural phenomena and scientific stories for Arabic readers. The magazine includes sections such as “Zodiac Group” and “Stories and Tales”, alongside science topics that combine knowledge with a spirit of discovery. It operates independently and is not affiliated with Al-Ahram Press Foundation or any governmental body.