Thiriot Elementary School fourth grader Eleina Gemeda said her family taught her to value her education and respect others. Born in Ethiopia, Gemeda moved to the United States when she was 2 and has been living out those values ever since. A strong student and classroom leader, she is a member of her school’s student council, contributes to the Little Library reading project, writes letters to people who are sick and older people, fundraises for an animal shelter and collects pop tabs to donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. But it wasn’t until her achievements were celebrated with a Las Vegas Review-Journal Academic Excellence Award on Wednesday evening that she realized how much her actions mean to others. “I feel very proud because, when I was younger, I didn’t really think much about this,” Gemeda said. “But now, it really means a lot to me.” Gemeda was one of 12 students to earn a Las Vegas Review-Journal Academic Excellence Award on Wednesday.…