A strong foundation pays off

Wed, Feb 26th 2014, 12:25 PM

Gia Paige Soles has always been a Principal's List (grade point average of 3.7 or higher) student, so laying claim to the best overall performance in the 2013 Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Examinations (BGCSE), and the best results in the independent schools, was almost a given. The former St. Andrew's School student sat 10 exams and turned in perfect "A" grade scores in all. She also had the best results by island and the best results in literature, economics, chemistry and mathematics. So it came as a shock to her when she had her first encounter with "failure", so to speak, when she moved to Hong Kong to continue her education and early on some of the exam results she received were not at all what she was accustomed to getting.

Gia, who had studied in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at St. Andrew's School for 13 years, found the learning experience in Hong Kong so incredibly different and more challenging that she was shocked when she faltered. She didn't exactly fail, but for the first time in her life she had received grades lower than she had ever seen before. But instilled with a strong work ethic, she refused to let that episode get her down. It triggered Gia's fighting spirit.

"I knew that I'd only have failed if I let it [those grades] keep me down and if I simply accepted it, so I didn't," said the daughter of Tasha Major and Gordon Soles. "I knew that I had put my best effort into it, and I accepted that I needed to adjust."

After encouraging words from her father, who she credits with her work ethic, Gia said it was just a matter of her getting back to work and doing better the next time and continuously doing better.

"My father preached ... I mean it was imbedded into my skull that if I was going to do something that I'd better put my best effort into it. He taught me that the value wasn't in the 'A' and that it was in doing my best -- that the 'A' was just a result of that.

"Growing up, it was instilled in me that education was my key to success -- that I could obtain anything once I was educated. I realized at a young age, through numerous discussions with my father, that people could strip you of many things, but one in which they can't, is knowledge. Education for me is my way of obtaining knowledge, something of which I cannot be stripped," said the 16-year-old, sounding wise beyond her years.

As she matured she said she began to have a true appreciation for what her father had said, and she is now able to put that into practice in Hong Kong where she will be studying for two years at Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong where she's completing the IB Diploma. It's the equivalent to twelfth grade at St. Andrew's. She takes Biology Higher Level, Chemistry Higher Level, English Language and Literature Higher Level, Spanish B Standard Level, Business & Management Standard Level, and Mathematics Standard Level. She wants to potentially pursue a career in medicine, hence the double science based course.

"Now for me, mediocrity is simply not acceptable. Aristotle said 'We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act, but a habit.' I am constantly trying to excel and that motivation is also a key factor in the work ethic that I've developed," she said.

Work before play

Gia says she has always had a work before play mentality and that it allowed her to have success through high school, along with her ability to be orderly and organized in her tasks -- assessing what she needs done, how much time she has and allocating time to each respective task.

"I always tried to do tasks as soon as they were assigned and I always tried to make the best use of my time, whether that meant working whilst waiting to be picked up from sports practice, or reading in the car."

That work ethic showed through in her national exam results. And having received the best senior national exam results makes Gia feel responsible.

"I have many more people observing my success -- many more people believing in me. I feel as if I have a responsibility not only to myself, but to all of those people that believe in me, and to all of those people who have helped me achieve the success that I have thus far."

Gia was graded at "A" in biology, chemistry, physics, combined science mathematics (which she took in 2012 and 2013), English Literature, English Language, Spanish and economics.

"I'm humbly proud of myself, but even more motivated than before," she said. "I recognize that the days spent pacing the house with my notes, recounting the way that protein is broken down whilst my mom prepares chicken, and the late nights spent studying in my den were not in vain. However, I also realize that in the grand scheme of things this is only one accomplishment," she said of her national exam results.

She also admits that at one point, she could not picture herself in the position she's now in having accomplished what she has, but she says she's motivated to accomplish the next goal.

"After achieving one success, you're only motivated to accomplish more -- it doesn't stop after you've achieved one goal, it only grows exponentially.

Gia is not in college yet, she's currently enrolled in her first year of IB (twelfth grade) and while she says the learning experience is different, she says the foundation set for her early on means that she still has the same mentality and strong work ethic, but the way in which she learns and studies has changed as she has found life at Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong to be a lot more independent.

"My learning is more in my own hands now than ever before. I now cannot just read my teacher's notes and expect to pass the tests with that, it's a matter of reading before class, preparing my own notes, and using a variety of different resources. It's largely been about learning how to teach myself."

As for where she studied after St. Andrew's School, Gia said she did not choose Hong Kong, she chose to attend a United World College (UWC) and was assigned to Hong Kong.

"I knew I wanted to attend a UWC, because I'd learned that I could complete the IB Diploma which I would have been doing at home anyway, but being able to do it amongst people from all over the world, from different backgrounds and cultures, all with different stories -- this intrigued me most," she said.

Gia said she knows that university is definitely in her future, as high school is definitely only the beginning in terms of her educational career.

"In terms of careers, I have an interest in medicine, with a passion for English, and I'm hoping that throughout the rest of my studies, I can figure out which field I truly wish to spend the rest of my life in."

Gia has not met any other Bahamians studying in Hong Kong to help her make the transition, so she said the adjustment was a lot more difficult in her first term than she expected.

"The difficulty came mostly in that I was surrounded by so many different people who I felt were so different compared to me." But the experience she said has given her an appreciation for the uniqueness of Bahamians as a collective entity.

"However, after settling in amongst my counterparts, and formulating friendships, my biggest concern is dealing with the cold, which my Bahamian blood just won't seem to get used to, and the very expected longings of Bahamian food, the beach, seeing the stars, and being surrounded by my loved ones at home."

Strive to be the best

As she continues on her path of academic excellence, Gia's advice to her peers is that they should never compare themselves to anyone, and to only seek to compete with themselves. As such she said they should always strive to put their best effort into everything they do. And she said their best is all that can be asked of them.

She also encourages them to always work hard.

"You can't complain that you're not achieving what you want if you haven't put the work in to do so. Mediocrity is simply not acceptable, and they should find what works for them. The study methods that work for others may not be effective for you. It's about finding what works best for you, and honing that skill. There's no point in studying if it's not effective."

Time management, she said, is also an important part of the equation.

"Allocate what time you will devote to what work based on what tasks you have to do, in the scope of your day, week, or month, and organize your study time, so that you are able to do what you have to do, and you're able to do it efficiently, and effectively."

Through all of that, the smart kid says her peers should always remember that breaks are important.

"Studying, especially extensive studying for exams like BGCSE's, get to be overwhelming. Sometimes, I had to just get up, and walk away, even if it was just for a walk to the kitchen, to go and talk with my mom for a few minutes, or to walk up and down the street. Knowing when to take a break is important, it allows you to clear your head, to come back and approach the subject or the problem with a different perspective, and more focused mind."

And because of how well she did in her national exams, it's hard to pinpoint if Gia has a favorite subject or a least favorite subject. It's a question she too finds difficult to answer, especially after having moved to Hong Kong.

"I thought my favorite subject was set in stone, and I didn't really have a least favorite. However, now, I'm not sure I have a favorite subject in the context of school, although I do have a favorite subject matter. I've realized that I may very well love the subject, but hate the way that it's taught to me. People don't realize the immense effect that teaching can have on one's perception of a subject. I think however, that the classes that I look forward to are mostly biology and English, and although I used to absolutely adore it, I now have a very different perception, and would probably have to deem it my least favorite."

Even though Gia is passionate about learning, and not simply in a traditional classroom context -- she loves learning about the world around her. She says she's always had an inquisitive mind as to why things are the way they are. And when she's not learning about the world, her other passions include reading, athletics and playing the saxophone.

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