I’m starting to think this girl is quite smart
NZPA report:
A Wellington student who twice topped the world in an international English exam couldn’t have a more fitting name — she’s Maria English …
The 18-year-old Samuel Marsden Collegiate graduate this year came top in the Cambridge International A-level English exams, a feat mirroring last year’s result, when she topped the AS-level exams in the same subject.
Although she is “stoked” with her 99 percent grade, she did not expect to get the top honour a second time.
She’s probably upset about the missing 1%!
“I thought I’d done quite badly, I felt pretty bad about the exam,” she told Campbell Live.
99% is bad for Maria I’d say!
She plans to study law at the University of Otago this year.
More than 90,000 students from more than 100 countries take part in the Cambridge exams every year.
Yeah I’m definitely starting to think she may be quite smart. I credit her mother’s genes 🙂
From all accounts Maria is one of those students that everyone should hate for giving them an inferiority complex. A quick Google refreshes my memory that her recent achievements are:
- Twice topping the world in the Cambridge English exam
- Captained team that won 2009 world debating championships
- Ranked second best student debater in the world
- Delivered a prizegiving speech that I have heard rave reviews about (best speech ever) from many attendees
- Won the Royal Society Humanities Award Secondary School Writing Competition
- Won the New Zealand Citizenship Secondary School Essay Competition
- Won a prize in the NZ Poetry Society competition
- Won the Ireland Essay Competition.
- Sings soprano for the NZ Secondary Students Choir.
- Won the 2009 Population Association Essay Competiton
But even worse Maria is not hated by all her peers for making them feel like stupid mortals, but from all accounts is incredibly popular and pretty much universally liked.
I see Maria is going to study law. I don’t know what area she plans to specialise in, but if she does go into criminal law I know who I’ll be calling to be my defence lawyer if I am ever up before the High Court!
Maria’s interview on Campbell Live is here, for those interested.