Hailing from Spanish Town, St Jago student, Olivia Williams is extremely thankful and amazed by her results. Her ten distinctions are in Mathematics, English Language, English Literature, Information Technology, Spanish, Principles of Accounts, History, Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

A very well rounded student, Williams is a member of her schools’ Volleyball team, Girl Guides, Foreign Language society, Quiz and Drama clubs. Amidst all her other responsibilities, she was able to ace all her examinations. TeenAGE congratulates Olivia Williams, and was eager to hear her story.

She tells it below:

TeenAGE: How did you prepare for your exams?

Olivia: Reading was my key. I always did my reading, despite where the class was or what topic we were doing, especially if the topic was hard to get at first. YouTube was a next big factor. This was so as at times reading wasn’t enough and I needed visual representation or someone to talk me through the process, outside of a classroom setting. Finally doing the necessary work and practicing what was required repetitively.

TeenAGE: Which grade surprised you the most and why?

Olivia: Physics surprised me the most because I was not confident in my preparation, and some of the topics took a while to grasp. I did my reading and I did my best on the exam, but something in my mind told me that it wasn’t enough when I finished that paper in May. However, it seems my best indeed was good enough.

TeenAGE: Who would you like to thank for supporting you so that you could attain these grades?

Olivia: A few teachers were very supportive and went the extra mile with me and my class. I have some great friends who have been through it, and they provided me with the right resources. Most importantly I thank God, as he choreographed and planned everything perfectly, from home to school to Church. He definitely guided me through.

TeenAGE: Based on your experience, what advice would you give to TEENS who will be sitting exams next year?

Olivia: Get your sleep and eat. Those are the big factors that we often neglect. Do not be afraid to get help. As my mom would say “you have the dry peas, now go seek the fire.” Despite what is happening at school, it is your grade so go put in the work. Also, ensure to keep your mental health in check. Lastly, find a source in which you trust, whether its God, Yahweh, universe, friends or family, we need that extra help to power us through.

TeenAGE: What is the next step for you?Olivia: My plan is to study Biology, Chemistry and Physics at the sixth form level, as I intend to pursue forensic science in the future.

Williams live by the mantra “We’re all just living skeletons waiting for our graves, so why not live life doing something awesome.” I think it is time we all live by this mantra. Ten outa ten is definitely awesome, especially being all ones.

Kudos to you Olivia! You’ve done extremely well!

–Akeelia Richards