“I felt that I could do anything I set my mind to as long as I work hard.” – Rhiann London, FAOGW NGSA Top Achiever
Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lack of social interaction, and a tendency to become bored, Rhiann London, this year’s First Assembly of God Wortmanville (FAOGW) National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) Top Achiever, remained dedicated and focused. Rhiann, who is 12 years old, attended The New Guyana School where she earned 520 marks, securing a place at the prestigious Queen’s College. Rhiann finished 11th in the country and 5th in her district.
Rhiann became increasingly nervous and fearful as the NGSA exams approached. “I was so nervous leading up to the NGSA, especially the week with the exam,” she explained. Despite her nervousness, Rhiann maintained a focused attitude. She kept her calm, as encouraged by her teachers, and tried not to let her nerves get the best of her, in order to avoid making mistakes on her examination papers. With that, she remained confident, knowing she would do well but not expecting to do so well.
Despite the fact that Rhiann was always a top performer and received excellent grades in her internal examinations, studying was not a major part of her daily routine until the year before the NGSA examination. She admitted that she had done a lot of studying in the months leading up to the examinations. She would usually attend prayer meetings with her mother and siblings then go back to bed, but with exams quickly approaching, she needed to change her routine and stay up to study before preparing for school. She stated that during the school days, she would do reviews, work past papers, and read through text books. At home, she would study for two hours before going to bed. Despite how exhausting it was, she stuck to her routine.
When asked what kept her focused on her studies, Rhiann said, “My family. My family really helped. My teachers, and all the people in the church who told me I’d really do well gave me the determination.” Rhiann mentioned her mother as the person who really pushed her to succeed, as well as her teacher and sister. She went on to mention how grateful she was for the help she received from her family and teacher. In the absence of her mother, she stated that her older sister, who also took the exam previously and was accepted to Queen’s College, was extremely helpful to her. When she did not understand something, her sister explained it to her until she did.
Despite her exhaustion and desire to give up, Rhiann observed that her support system pushed her hard and provided numerous encouragement. She was also motivated to do her best. With a humorous remark, she said, “I really wanted to beat my older sister’s grade, and I did, and I’m really proud of that.” Despite her sister’s support, she was competing against her sister, who motivated her, as she stated, “it definitely paid off.”
Rhiann described how difficult it was to put in all of the hard work leading up to the exams; she felt completely drained and tired, but after successfully completing her exams, she stated, “I felt accomplished and very proud of myself, and I felt that I can do anything I set my mind to do, as long as I work hard.” Rhiann had always wanted to follow in her sister’s footstep and attend Queen’s College, but she had begun to doubt herself. She was surprised by her results and is very proud of her performance.
After learning she had obtained Queen’s College with 520 marks, she was even more surprised to learn she placed 11th in the country and 5th in District 11. Rhiann was both amused and surprised. “I was really shocked, I was proud. I was really proud of myself, I was over the moon,” she said. “I felt like a scholar!” she exclaimed, while re-watching it on television. When she heard her name mentioned, she was cheering, elated, and consumed by pure happiness.
Hearing her name called as the FAOGW National Grade Six Assessment Top Achiever, Rhiann disclosed that she was overcome with emotions of accomplishment and happiness. She felt proud of herself and elated that she worked so hard and achieved her goals. Hearing the applause as she walked onto the stage on Celebration Day was a proud moment for her.
While Rhiann is unsure of her career path, she has stated, “I am willing to work hard at everything I do.”
