IHS student is CBSE Grade 12 UAE Arts topper

“Success is not just about topping the class, but about improvement,” states Annalie Gracias, who topped the UAE in arts stream in the recently held Indian board exams for Grade 12.

“If you have shown 5% or 10% improvement, then you have succeeded.”

Tipping her school juniors, who will be taking the exams next year, on how to crack the board exams successfully, she explains that merely aiming for top marks isn’t the key. “It’s about finding what is best for each individual, and working on their strengths.

“Setting personal goals is important. Even if you are not a topper, your personal achievements must be celebrated.”

Annalie topped the UAE in the Arts stream with an impressive 96.4%.

She is a student of Indian High School, which got an ‘outstanding’ grade from Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).

Conducted by India’s Central Board of Secondary Education, the All India Senior School Certificate Examination is the last school exam before students start university studies.

She clocked 8-10 hours of study time, but balanced her text books with timeout for friends and social media. “A lot of students deactivate their social media accounts, but I just reduced the time I spent on it. I didn’t cut it out completely.”

The top scores were expected, she confesses without sounding pompous. “I was expecting to top, because I have consistently maintained the first rank. But, I never thought I’d be the UAE topper. That was the icing on the cake.”

You sense her honesty when she informs of being awarded the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for distinguished academic performance in 2013-14.

Annalie was at home when her dad informed her about her marks. “I had just woken up and my dad gave me the scores, and I was very happy.” However, it was not until she visited the school later in the day that she was informed about topping the UAE.

“There was so much excitement and the teachers told me that I had topped the UAE. But, no one was sure, so we had to wait a little longer to reconfirm and then let the celebrations begin.”

The “big celebration,” she claims, is still yet to come.

Annalie hails from Goa, and has been inundated with calls from family and friends in India.

“There has been no extra pressure from home. My parents have been very supportive.” Her father works as the executive assistant to senior vice president of DUBAL, and her mother works as the admin officer at DHA.

She is now prepping for her future studies, and is busy looking into university admissions. “I am still undecided on which university to go to. But, I know I want to BA in Mass Media.”

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