Stepping onto the national stage and being recognized as one of the students with the best overall performance in the Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) exams was a moment Nastacia Turnquest describes as "surreal", but one she was happy to have experienced.
The former H.O. Nash Junior High School student recorded nine "A" grades in the 2014 junior national examinations -- English, religion, general science, mathematics, health science, art, craft, technical drawing and social studies. She had the best overall performance in government schools, the best result in craft and the best result on New Providence.
"I was very pleased and proud of myself," said Nastacia, 15, who is now a student at St. John's College. "And I'm grateful to everyone who helped me prepare for the exams because it was a lot of work."
For Nastacia who celebrated her birthday on Valentine's Day, her academic journey she says is still young, as she now embarks on a course of study to sit the senior Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Examinations (BGCSE) and she knows the work will only get harder, but says she's up to the challenge. The daughter of Theresa (a Religion teacher) and Noel Turnquest says her mother has always instilled in her the value of an education and learning.
"She would always tell me that an education is going to pay off in the end, and that I needed to learn how to study for myself because I won't always have people to help me. She always says I should learn how to learn and to learn as much as I can while in school because when I get out there, it will be the real world," she said.
"Having an education helps you to better yourself in life," she said. "And when you get it you have to ensure that you apply all the knowledge that you've gained from different persons."
While she's not certain career-wise as yet where she's headed, the tenth grade student says when she envisions her future she sees one in which she's successful. She also said it is up to God what he wants her to do. Nastacia who graduated H.O. Nash with a 3.65 cumulative grade point average (GPA) and was named salutatorian of the class was also awarded the Tara Xavier Hepburn Foundation scholarship, which allows her to attend St. John's College for the final three years of high school, and covers full tuition and the cost of books.
The scholarship is for three years for tenth through twelfth grades at the cost of approximately $5,000 per year per student. In 2014, the Foundation had awarded scholarships to 21 students at the cost of just over $100,000.
According to Nastacia, had she not received the scholarship she probably would not have been afforded a private school education for her senior years.
"I was very excited to be awarded the scholarship. I was happy to know that they gave me the opportunity," she said.
The scholarship is open to graduates of government junior schools and students of St. John's College and St. Anne's School who have successfully completed grade nine, and tenable at St. John's College and St. Anne's School.
In order to be considered for a scholarship, applicants must be nominated by their school, attain at least a 3.00 grade point average, have demonstrated leadership ability and/or community involvement; be of good moral character and successfully pass a minimum of five BJC subjects which must include English and Mathematics with a grade of "C" or better. Applicants also may be required to attend an interview.
The Tara Xavier Hepburn Foundation was launched on December 29, 2006 to celebrate the life of Hepburn, an exceptional young Bahamian who died at the age of 30 while studying law, after having completed a psychology degree. Out of pain and grief and trying to cope with the loss, Hepburn's family decided to keep Tara's memory alive through scholarship for students in high school.
Now at St. John's College, Nastacia said she has adjusted to the school, and is now adjusting the to the BGCSE course of study. She's happy she's holding her own. At the end of the Christmas semester she had recorded an 87.3 percent out of 100 percent, and ranked sixth out of 103 students.
While Nastacia says she's focused on her academics and knows the importance of her education, she says she also knows that academics do not make the whole person, and that they have to be compassionate and social-minded as well. And Nastacia has a social calendar that keeps her busy. She's a member of her school's soccer team, a member of the National Dance School of The Bahamas, a member of the Junior Writers of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, and the Technical Cadet Corps.
An average day for her she says is busy, with her hitting the books and doing homework and studying after practices and club meetings. And while she continues on her quest for academic excellence to graduate high school the way she did junior school, before heading to college, she said her advice to her peers is to stay focused, as whatever they put their minds to, she said they could do it.
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