You wish!
See Also:EXCLUSIVE: Interview With The 13 Year Old Mathematics Student In KNUST
Turns out this young girl genius thing is a family distin. We found out that Ruth going to the University at such a young age is not such a big deal at all in her family. Know why? Her older sister also came into the university at age 15.
Meet Grace Akua Gyan Darkwah.
An 18 year old final year student studying Political Science and English. Kuulpeeps is the business of finding Kuulpeeps. We had a conversation with the sister of a genius who is herself a genius too.
Kuulpeeps Legon: How does it feel seeing your sister splashed all over the news?
Grace: It feels good seeing my little sister in the news. I also got a lot of hype when I was admitted into the University too but not as much as hers. So seeing someone from my own lineage break records feels really good.
Kuulpeeps Legon: What’s with your family and going to school really early??
Grace: (laughs) If there is a higher level where we can cope, why waste time down there?
Kuulpeeps Legon: Obviously you also jumped some classes too right?
Grace: Yes I was also jumped. I missed certain classes. As it stands now, I don’t really have a batch that I can call my batch of mates because I’ve had different classmates. I was in class two for example, skipped to class four. So now my mates became my Juniors and later my seniors also became my juniors. From class five I was jumped to JHS 1. I wrote BECE then I got admitted to the Wesley Girls Senior High to study General Arts.
Kuulpeeps Legon: Wow. At what age did you go to Senior High School?
Grace: I went to Wesley girls at age 12.
Kuulpeeps Legon: And like your sister did you receive any ‘special’ treatments?
Grace: Geyhey is no respector of persons so I was treated the same as everyone else. Besides, I didn’t really let a lot of people know about my age so…yeah
Kuulpeeps Legon: So who decided it was time for you to jump from one class to another. Did your father influence it?
Grace: I started a new school; Christ Our Hope International School, Kumasi. The school was new, it had just started. The teachers and authorities realized I was a good student so sometimes they gave me papers to just try out and usually when my seniors were not able to answer questions in their class, the teachers would come for me from my class to answer and as their punishment, the teacher often asks me to lash them. (laughs)
Kuulpeeps Legon: So you really lashed them? Ei!
Grace: It was a command from the teacher so I had no choice. I didn’t really like it but I had to. So once the teachers realized I was really good, they gave me the class four papers to try when I was in class 2. I passed and that was how I was jumped. I actually placed second the first time I tried their paper with them. So that’s how I missed class three. About how I was jumped to JHS, remember I mentioned the school was really new so my Daddy didn’t really trust their first batch of JHS. So I stopped in class five, wrote entrance exam at Vicandy school, passed and started JHS 1.
Kuulpeeps Legon: Did you have cases where people didn’t really like you because you intimidated them?
Grace: (Laughs). As far as I am concerned, I haven’t really experienced any hard feelings from anyone. I’m young but i don’t like to let my age influence my actions in any way so until I tell you my age, you wouldn’t know I am this young. I always moved with the “seniors” and did everything with them so the age wasn’t really a problem. I coped quickly.
Kuulpeeps Legon: How many siblings do you have?
Grace: We are 8. The youngest is about a year old.
Kuulpeeps Legon: Lol so is she already in Kindegarten?
Grace: (laughs) Oh no she’s hasn’t started school yet
Kuulpeeps Legon: So are you all this gifted?
Grace: We are all gifted intellectually actually. I’m the first-born and Ruth is the third. Ruth completed St Louis Senior High with the second born. She (the second born) wants to read medicine outside the country so at the moment she’s preparing for an exam to travel.
Kuulpeeps Legon: So you are all just naturally gifted! Like some natural sharks?
Grace: Lol. My daddy is someone who’s been really particular about my studies. I remember when I was young, he’d go to the library; we had this Book Trust around. He’d get these big books, pile them up and say, “Okay Grace I’m going. By the time I come, read page one to 3″. 3 ‘kraa’ was too small. I loved reading and the books were actually novels. Through that I built my vocabulary and learnt good English. At home too, we speak a lot of English. It’s actually hard to speak twi with my siblings. We aren’t used to it. So for the academic intellect, I’ll say it’s a blend of nature and my parent’s impact. They influenced us to use it to the fullest capacity.
Kuulpeeps Legon: I guess unlike your sister, your favorite subject isn’t math?
Grace: I love English and I love math as well but what I want to do isn’t really math centered that’s why I chose arts but my sisters are more science inclined.
Kuulpeeps Legon: What exactly do you want to do?
Grace: I have so much I want to do but my simple answer will be, I want to be a lawyer. It’s my least aspiration. There’s a lot more I want to do like go into International Relations, work with the UN, run my own NGO.
Kuulpeeps Legon: We hear you are president of the Association of English Students (ASEL). Is this your first leadership role ?
Grace: I didn’t plan on taking up a leadership role. It was unexpected. One of the former executives just nominated me; I went for the vetting the next day for the position of vice president but the next day, they gave me the presidency.
Kuulpeeps Legon: So what’s your advice to your little sister?
Grace: I am Christian and it influences everything I do so this is what I have for her; When people gain popularity and come to the front line, one thing that affects them is respect and humility. I will advise her to be as humble as she has always been and now that she has become popular, she should remember that it is God who brought her here. The minute she forgets Him, she will come down again. She should keep on with the faith, stay humble. Your heart should be humbled and you should have a teachable spirit and with all that, God will be pleased with her and raise her higher and higher each day.
