Mathew Powell. PHOTO PROVIDED

A Lehigh Senior High School student received a national award, “Best Across Four,” for attaining the highest cumulative total standard mark in the country for four Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education AS level assessments.

“I was quite shocked at first to hear that I was ranked one of the top in the country, but then I realized how hard I actually worked and concluded that I deserved it. I think everyone needs a reminder and some praise sometimes, even if it’s just from a friend,” senior Mathew Powell said. “I’ve always been a pretty hard-working student, and I do quite enjoy learning. However, it takes a lot for anyone to make an accomplishment, such as obtaining such high results. I don’t know exactly which four exams I got the highest cumulative marks in, but I did quite well in all of them. I think it’s most valuable to be able to be proud of yourself for the effort you put in, regardless of the results. People might believe that being the ‘best’ relates to only talent or luck, but especially with AICE exams, you really have to understand the content.”

The exams are mostly comprehension based writing.

“While I am an avid writer and quite enjoy the AICE subjects, I also studied extremely thoroughly during the months prior to the exams, including taking many practice exams and rigorously reviewing many details,” Powell said.

In addition to Powell, Estero High School student Hayden Germanis earned a “Top in Country” award for Digital Media and Design. The district also had 229 students receive Cambridge Awards for the June 2021 exam series. Those schools included 53 students at Lehigh Senior High School, two students at East Lee County High School, 96 students at Estero High School and 78 students at North Fort Myers High School.

According to the district, Cambridge program students take AICE classes to prepare for the exams to earn college credit, as well as a potential Cambridge diploma. Students who have passed seven Cambridge exams in three different subject groups, as well as a Global Perspectives and Research exam, are awarded the Cambridge AICE diploma.

Worldwide, 175,000 students take the college-level tests twice a year.

To prepare for the exams, Powell studies independently by going over general main ideas, while coupling them with minor supporting details and facts.

“My academic memory is pretty good, so I could remember most of the questions and how to answer similar ones when I saw them on the exam,” he said. “Really, it’s all about pairing key phrases and questions with repeated main ideas, details and interpretations.”

He also attended tutoring sessions, even when he did not absolutely need to.

In middle school Powell remembered not enjoying himself in his middle school advanced classes, as his days went by in a blur.

“When my teacher recommended me for gifted classes and I successfully transferred, I liked my classmates a lot more. I think it’s because there was a much smaller student body to connect with, when I didn’t really make any friends in advanced classes. Or perhaps that was just because gifted kids tend to have more effervescent personalities,” Powell said. “Regardless, I joined AICE for a similar reason when applying for Lehigh Senior High School. I didn’t think I would make enough friends in honors classes and I wouldn’t be as engaged with the lower-level material. Of course, the decision isn’t for everyone and that’s OK, but it worked out for me in the end. In the AICE program, you have the same classmates for many of your classes because the teachers and subjects are more limited. I grew fond of most of them and became friends with many of them over the years, and I still appreciate them to this day. I wouldn’t trade my relationships with them for the world.”

The AICE program became a perfect fit as he enjoys rigorous academic material. In his four years of high school he has taken almost every AICE class Lehigh Senior has to offer. Some of the classes include psychology, sociology, U.S. history, European history, marine science, global perspective, thinking skills and English language.

“A-level and AS-level are slightly different, with A-level including more exams. I have taken A-level history and thinking skills. They’re college-level classes with a focus on comprehension and writing, for the most part,” Powell said. “I think they’re very engaging and flexible with how one absorbs the content.”

Once he graduates from high school he will go onto the University of Central Florida to pursue a degree in writing and rhetoric, due to his love of writing.

“I read what was pretty much my entire elementary school library,” he admits, as it was his safe haven and freedom for the majority of his childhood. “I also love animation, storytelling and characters. Additionally, I’m fascinated with researching certain topics and learning limitlessly. Learning to write across a range of fields and create entertainment seems like a perfect culmination of my ideals.”

Powell wants to take his love of writing and make the world a better place while spreading positive messages.

“I think entertainment is a great place to learn that. I know that entertainment made my life a lot better when I was younger, and I truly hope I can do that for the rest of the world at large,” he said. “I also think that, in this age of new communication and globalization, people who can write and communicate effectively with mass audiences about important topics are more valuable than ever.”