Former Britannica International School Pupil Gains the Highest Mark in the World
On Top of the World
The research that Budapest-born Georgina Botka (18) is carrying out could lead to a cure for Dengue Fever, a disease for which there is no vaccination at present. Were this detail not remarkable in itself then two other facts about this unassuming and modest young woman are most certainly worthy of note. The former Britannica International School pupil gained the highest mark in the world when in 2010 she sat and passed her Marine Science A Level, according to Cambridge International Examinations, the world's largest provider of international qualifications for 14-19 year olds whose examinations are taken in more than 160 countries, worldwide. And the other fact? While still only a first year undergraduate at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the USA she has been drafted onto the team undertaking this essential research whose aim is to identify the mechanism of action of the Dengue virus by which 50-100 million people become infected per year.
Georgina states "I love working in the lab and I'm really grateful for this opportunity to spend my free time doing something I enjoy so much. I frequently go to lab on Sunday nights and on holidays because it's so much fun. In November I taught a class on Marine Science. Academically, I felt very well prepared from the get-go, thanks in a large part to A levels and the wonderful teachers I had at Britannica. I feel incredibly fortunate to be here."
Those who might be in danger from this deadly disease could be fortunate this world-beating student is there, too.