Former Bygeval Secondary School student lands place in US Honour Society
18-year-old Guyanese, Sasha Amadally at her 2022 graduation
18-year-old Guyanese, Sasha Amadally at her 2022 graduation

–gets accepted into top New York College

WITH dedication and focus as her watchwords, 18-year-old Guyanese, Sasha Amadally, was recognised for her commitment to academic excellence with a place in the United States’ National Honor Society after graduating high school in 2022.

The teen told the Sunday Chronicle that this achievement did not come without many great sacrifices. She said she left Guyana with her family in 2018 at the age of 14 years and got enrolled at Hillcrest High School where she completed her secondary education.

“Even though it was a bit difficult to leave, I did have a lot of motivation to do well in school from my family, and even myself because I knew that even though I was leaving, I had an opportunity and I was committed to taking this opportunity and making the best I can out of it,” Amadally said.

She received an award as the salutatorian in her school’s small learning community as the second-best performing student in the “Teachers of Tomorrow” initiative. She also received an award in writing from her school.
The teen who is the youngest of four siblings, said that while leaving her life and friends behind in Guyana was difficult, she made the decision to stay focused on achieving her goals of achieving and maintaining an exceptional academic performance.

The teen with her English award for outstanding performance in the subject area

Amadally while in Guyana, attended the Strath Campbell nursery and primary schools and the Bygeval Secondary School in Mahaicony, where she maintained a position as a top performer in both schools before ultimately attending the Hillcrest High School in the United States.

The teen is now enrolled at Hunter College in New York City, where she is pursuing studies in physiotherapy.
Amadally told this publication that when she heard the news that she was awarded a spot in the National Honor Society, she was in complete disbelief.

She said that while she knew she has maintained good grades throughout her high school journey, she felt proud as a Guyanese to know that the work and sacrifices made by herself and her family had not been in vain.

“I felt very happy. I was in disbelief at first, but I was very happy to know that all of the hard work had been recognised, and I was very proud that I could make my family and myself proud in that way,” Amadally said.
The National Honor Society opens many doors for its members, including conferences, counseling resources, and scholarships, among other things.

LOCKDOWN
The teen noted that the COVID-19 lockdown affected her like every other student across the world, but it also gave her the chance to refocus and take better charge of her studies.
She noted that after the initial lockdown she had the opportunity to implement systems that allowed her to achieve the goals she had.

“The lockdown was hard at first, not having face-to-face interactions with teachers, but it didn’t stay that way, I quickly adjusted and realised that this time away from physical school could be used to my advantage. I started coming up with ways to get my work done and efficiently but at my own pace and that made studying and virtual learning far easier for me,” Amadally said.

ROUNDED STUDENT
She added that while she was sure to focus on her academic goals, she also ensured that she was rounded in other areas including sports and photography. It is for this reason that once schools reopened to physical learning, she was eager to get back to some of the extracurricular activities that made her happy.

“I took part in several extracurricular activities. I was on the golf team, where I took my team to the semi-finals, I was on the green team where we helped the environment, and I was also a leader in my school’s photography club. And I did a bit of sport too like badminton and volleyball. I was focused on my studies but all of the other activities I enrolled in helped me ground myself further,” Amadally said.

When asked what piece of advice she would give to other students, she noted that self-motivation is key to success. She opined that staying committed and being self-motivated to achieve her goal of doing her best and making herself proud is what allowed her the chance to make not just herself and her family proud, but the country at large.

“Self-motivation is necessary, taking the necessary steps to achieve your goal is what should be your focus. Throughout my journey, I tried to keep my goal in mind and I ended up achieving more than I thought I would, and that’s what is important, motivating myself, staying close to my family, and staying focused, that is what allowed me to achieve this monumental achievement,” Amadally said.

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