When Queen’s High School student

Joyce White was awarded the Hope Elliott Memorial Scholarship last year for demonstration of academic, civic and personal promise, board members certainly knew what they were doing.

teenAGE caught up with the exceptional TEEN and talked successes, future plans and current endeavours, as well as advice the scholar has for her fellow TEENs.

Joyce sat examinations for eight CSEC subjects in May and June earlier this year and passed them all, being awarded four ones and four twos for all her hard work. Summer’s over and now she’s back at it as a sixth form student at The Queen’s School.

Joyce (17) already has university ambitions on the brain but even more than that she’s planning on juggling her love for teaching and theology with her entrepreneurial endeavours and her deep desire to serve and inspire young people.

As part of her scholarship award she has received mentorship and Joyce says she has come to understand that youth benefit greatly from having someone to motivate and help them to unlock their potential, even if they have not yet seen great things in themselves.

When asked about how she stays focused and on top of all her academic and personal commitments she told

teenAGE that she does it with a lot of “meditation and reflection”. For her it’s all about acknowledging all she’s done and been able to overcome, maintaining forward hope and having faith in God and His good plans for her life.

Joyce was eager to share advice with her fellow TEENs and said, “It doesn’t matter how hard it seems now, it’s all going to add up.” She fully believes that little things add up and make great things over time, and that setting goals and ignoring naysayers is key.

Joyce is a member of her school’s Quiz Club, Anglican Youth Fellowship, Inter-school Christian Fellowship (ISCF), French Club, Debating Society, Sixth Form Association, Students’ Council body and Sign Language Club.

She urges TEENs and young adults to get involved in clubs and societies and to use the opportunities presented by clubs and societies as a way to give back to the community and to learn more about themselves and their talents. Lastly she says don’t forget to enjoy it all.