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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH VANESSA IHEAMA
Winner of the Nottingham 2017 Young Black Achiever’s Award
Many of the black and Ethnic Minority (BME) youths
are working so hard and achieving, reaching lofty
heights in different areas. However, if you judge
by the main stream media portrayal of the BME
youths, you will never know that.
largely lies in performing arts, specifically Drama and
Music but I find that I’m pretty strong academically and
in the field of sports.
MM: The Outstanding academic achievement Category
is the Crown of Young Black Achievers Award and you
won! Which means you must be very clever, what kind
of grades are we talking about? Tell us more about it…
Vanessa: My grades range from grade 7 to 9 with 9
being the highest achievable grade in GCSEs and it is
equivalent to above an A star. These are grades that I
am very proud of and work really hard to achieve and
I think sometimes you forget why you keep staying
up late revising or why you keep spending your lunch
times in the school library and so winning things like
that award are great ways to remind you why you do
what you do and i think those little reminders are super
important
Winner
Vanessa Iheama
Category: Outstanding Academic Achievement Award
MM: Have you always been this clever? How do you do
it? what’s your inspiration
Mojatu Magazine (MM) sat down with an amazing
teenager- Vamazing as she is fondly called by her
family. Vanessa is a 14-year-old girl, the first of three
children. She is in year 10 at Southwolds Academy
in Keyworth. Vanessa is a multi-gifted and talented
young lady, she is the 2017 winner of the Nottingham’s
Young Black Achievers Award (YBA) held on the 9th of
November 2017 at the Council House.
The interview was very engaging, and this Inspirational
and phenomenal Young Achiever give us a bit of what
makes her tick.
MM: Hello, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Vanessa: My name is Vanessa and I am a year 10 student
at South Wolds Academy and Sixth form. My interest
Vanessa: I haven’t always been this clever no, I don’t
think anyone can ever make that claim because you
will find that to be clever you have to dedicate a lot of
hard work but most importantly, above all other key
factors, you have to be motivated. Without motivation,
without wanting to get those grades and pursue that
career, you can never ever succeed because motivation
is what makes you want to work hard. It’s what keeps
you awake late at night revising. It’s what sits you down
in a library to work. It’s what makes you go for what
you want. When i first became motivated, the day that I
found out that I didn’t get accepted into King Edwards
Grammar School, I discovered how much I wanted
to be part of that school. That was the moment that I
realized that I want to succeed, I want to do well, and
I believe that’s what transformed me into who I am
today. That’s what gave me the fire in my soul to try and
try hard for what I want because success is all in how