Devoted Daughter, Honor Student ... Oscar Princess

Feb. 8, 2007 — -- Neveen Mamoud never thought she'd be a star.

The 17-year-old from Aldan, Pa., was focused on more important things like doing well in school and caring for her mother, who was battling several chronic illnesses.

Neveen, or "Veenie" as she's known to friends and family, spent most of her time outside of school with her mother in a hospital intensive care unit. Neveen was her mother's greatest support and companion. The two had been on their own since Neveen's father left the family when she was a small child.

"There would be days when she come to school and she would be in the hospital all night and she wouldn't tell anybody," says Kathlyn Gray, director of the Agnes Irwin School.

A sick family member, especially a parent, is difficult to cope with at any age. But Neveen managed to be at her mother's side while getting straight A's, serving as president of her student class and excelling in sports.

It seemed like this brave girl could do almost anything except pay for her biggest dream -- going to college.

That's when the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation stepped in and awarded Neveen with a full four-year scholarship to any college of her choice.

Matthew Quinn, executive director of the foundation, says, "There are challenges that she faced -- that one in a million face -- and she's overcome them with great spirit."

It's a spirit so bright that "Good Morning America" wanted to maker Neveen a star in her own right.

This morning, "GMA" announced that Neveen Mamoud will be its Oscar Princess at the 79th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 25.

Love takes many forms -- the promise of a bright future, the connection to a special friend or the thrill of a great adventure. But nothing can match the deepest love of all -- for family -- seen in a young, supportive girl sitting silently by her mother's bedside.

For more on the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation's Young Scholars program visit it's Web site at www.jackkentcookefoundation.org.