-Albouystown CSEC highflier says setting goals is key to academic success

NATURAL and social environmental factors play a pivotal role in the lives of all individuals, influencing largely their decisions, behaviour, and even academic performances. For 16-year-old Albouystown resident, Nkechi Ewing-Chow, excellence was the only goal, regardless of her natural surroundings.

At the 2021 CSEC examinations, the teen managed to secure five Grade Ones, six Grade Twos and one Grade Three.

Albouystown, located in the south-western part of Georgetown, is often stigmatised and labelled as being an “underprivileged” community. But over the years, more and more school-aged children are shattering the glass ceiling and showing that the community is home to many brilliant minds.

Speaking of her achievement, Ewing-Chow stated that she believes that success comes from hard work and determination. She said she has never allowed the label placed on her community to be a hurdle in her academic pursuits.

She stated that since being awarded a place at St. Rose’s High School after writing NGSA in 2016, she has consistently worked hard, a trait that was directly linked to her wanting to inspire other children in the community that they too could succeed and excel in anything they put their minds to.

“I think my performance would show how much little can do. Because we’re living here, we see what everybody is going through… we’re seeing this as an excuse to do and push yourself and so on. That’s not the excuse you should be looking at, but it should be a lesson that would motivate you to do better and prepare for the next generation that they don’t have to come and deal with the same thing that we’re going through every day,” she stated.

MOTIVATION
Ewing-Chow stated that her pursuits of academic excellence were not always easy. She noted, however, that she remained motivated and followed her dreams by using the support she received from the persons around her.

She stated that one of the main factors that kept her motivated and grounded as she prepared to write her CSEC examinations was her mother. She explained to this publication that she drew significant inspiration from watching how her mother navigated life. Working, and providing for her and her siblings showed her the courage her mother possessed, Ewing-Chow added.

She noted that after seeing the sacrifices her mother made for them, she made it her duty to make her mother proud.

“My mom, as a single parent of five kids, what I see her do every day, go out to work and come back, I figure if she can do all of that and still be the strong woman that she is, so can I.”

PREPERATIONS
Ewing-Chow told the Chronicle that while she was determined to excel at the 2021 examinations, the road was not always smooth. One of the major hurdles she highlighted was the COVID-19 pandemic which hit Guyana when she was in Fourth Form.

She stated that her class had already begun working on the school-based assignments which were expected to be completed before the second term.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the way education was accessed across the globe and in Guyana; teachers were forced to conduct classes online.

Ewing-Chow stated that she had a difficult time transitioning to online learning but managed to adjust eventually.

She told this publication that she created a timetable that allowed her to maximise the time she had for completing her school-based assessments (SBAs) and the time that she spent studying to ensure that she was able to complete the curriculum in time and had a chance at being successful in all her exams.

“We tried to catch up back on SBAs and so on but of course SBAs were not the only thing because we still had to finish the curriculum to make sure we were prepared for the topics that would come in the exams. It was also difficult transitioning to online classes because we weren’t accustomed to that, but after a time we grooved into it,” the teen stated.

When asked what piece of advice she would give to students preparing to write the 2022 examinations, Ewing-Chow said: “Do not waste time because every minute counts.”

She used the opportunity to remind the students to set high goals, noting that any goal is achievable as long as plans are put in place to ensure it can be achieved.