Ianá says her 19 CSEC passes ‘not a big deal’

Ianá Ferguson does not want to ever look back in life and have regrets.

And it was with this in mind that the student of the Girls’ High School (GHS) decided to sit 19 subjects at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

The daughter of Fay Ferguson of Arnos Vale secured a grade one pass in Mathematics last year, and this year, she returned a grade two pass in Additional Mathematics. Apart from these subjects, Ianá received grade one passes in Biology, Caribbean History, Chemistry, Electronic Document Preparation Management (EDPM), Economics, English Literature, English Language, French, Geography, Human and Social Biology, Information Technology, Integrated Science, Office Administration, Physics, Principles of Business, Principles of Accounts, Social Studies and Spanish.

“I don’t feel any particular way, just normal; it’s not a big deal,” the former Kingstown Preparatory School (KPS) student told SEARCHLIGHT on Tuesday.

Ianá now plans to move on to the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College’s (SVGCC) Division of Arts, Science and General Studies to pursue studies in Pure Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics, among other subjects.

The dedicated student describes herself as a curious person who likes to explore and learn new things. She explained that one day during her summer vacation a few years ago, she took an entire morning researching CXC/CSEC subjects and decided that she wanted to pursue more than the nine that her school would allow her to do.

“I checked what each subject entailed then decided what I liked and realized I liked the business and sciences…I picked them to explore and see what they are all about,” revealed Ianá, who said that she did not realize that she had picked 20 subjects, neither was she encouraged to do so by anyone.

“I only told my mom because she had to pay and when I gave her the paper, she asked me if I was sure,” Ianá explained.

The scholar said she never doubted she would be successful in all.

She said she has no regrets about the grade two she received for Additional Math and only thought about it when someone mentioned it.

“I learned from an early age from my mother not to have regrets in life…. I don’t want to live my life thinking if I did this and did that. I am just happy that I know my capacity and capabilities”, said Ianá, who was the nation’s top performer in the Common Entrance Examinations in 2012.

She noted that she had a gruelling timetable leading up to the exams, as the 10 subjects she did outside of school saw her getting assistance from teachers in the morning before the official start of school, at lunch time and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“It wasn’t really as hard as people think,” Ianá stated, revealing that she will go to the SVGCC “to gain some maturity,” after which she plans to pursue studies that can set her on the path of becoming an engineer.

Apart from her studying, Ianá, who just turned 17, plays the piano, violin and lawn tennis.

She told SEARCHLIGHT that she was in no way in competition with the top performer in the 2016 CSEC exams Eric Febuary (formerly of the Mountain View Adventist Academy), who passed 20 subjects with 17 grade ones and three grade twos.

In relation to studying, Ianá says her formula might not fit everyone and persons must find their own way of studying. She also thinks that the school a person attends is not the main contributing factor to success.

“I don’t think it matters which school you attend, once you love what you are doing and you focus and are not distracted and you know what you want in life, you can do anything you want to do,” said Ianá, who thanks God “for giving me the ability and fortitude to accomplish what I did.”

She also paid tribute to her teachers, former headmistress of the GHS Andrea Bowman and deputy headmistress Michele Beache.

“I would also like to thank my mother for her support and belief in me. She was my clarification teacher for every single subject that I did. If I was confused in any subject, she was proficient enough to clear up my misunderstanding quickly. I didn’t realize the extent of my mother’s knowledge until now. I wouldn’t be doubting her anytime in the future,” said Ianá.

She added, “I want to also take this opportunity to encourage my peers. Don’t compare yourself with others; this is only one stepping stone amidst a multitude of other stones you will have to cross in life. If you didn’t do as well as you wanted to, it’s okay. You will have a myriad of chances to do your best in the future and to prove to yourself, and everyone else, what the universe already knows. You are amazing just the way that you are. Never forget that.”

The GHS this year had a pass rate of 95.56 per cent, making the 106-year-old all-girl institution the school with the top results for the 13th consecutive year. (LC)