It was a historic night as Crimson Global Academy hosted its first-ever prizegiving ceremony to celebrate the success of its students.
The introduction showcased the global reach of CGA and the diversity of our students.
Jamie Beaton’s address
Jamie Beaton, CEO & Co-Founder of CGA, gave an inspiring talk on the importance of rejection and how students should prepare for it in life:
The more successful you are, the more rejected you will be,” Jamie said. This was to show students that taking risks and trying for opportunities is important even if they fear rejection. He also added that students should build a portfolio of achievements to make rejection a bit easier as they went on to university and further in life. Instead of highlighting the obvious successes of famous entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, Jamie drew attention to some of their failed ventures. “That’s all ok because everyday they push themselves and challenge themselves so they don’t mind some rejection.
CGA’s Principals
Executive Principal, John Morris, reinforced the importance of education for building tomorrow’s world leaders. He congratulated the prizewinners for their achievements and urged students to expand their activities beyond the classroom to gain the full CGA experience.
“I hope all of you have gained confidence in your academic abilities and developed the attributes needed in this rapidly changing world,” said Mr. Morris. He went on to highlight the guiding principles in setting up an online school like CGA — a place where future leaders would be educated while providing choice to those families that needed it. Mr. Morris also applauded the teachers who have inspired CGA students during an exceptionally tough year.
CGA Principal, Mark Phillips, highlighted the highs and lows of the school’s first year in an extraordinary time. He talked about the challenges posed by the cancellation of Pearson Edexcel exams.
“While it has been a year of uncertainty, it has been impressive to see our students maintain a strong focus and have worked hard and managed to achieve a lot,” Mr. Phillips said. He went on to talk about the benefits of a global online school and its talented people. He also applauded the teachers and their positivity to make CGA a highly engaging school.
Student involvement
Students also got involved in the prizegiving. Head Student Yuko Nagakura talked about her experience as a full-time student at CGA. “Enrolling full time at CGA is probably the best decision I have made in my life,” Yuko said. She talked about the excellent teachers and peer groups she gets to work with at CGA.
Viewers were also delighted by a special cello performance by CGA student, Eva Wu, who has recently been selected by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
Prize-winners
Prizes were divided into several categories. The prizes for Extracurricular Leadership recognized those students who have contributed to their pursuits outside the classroom. Dr Andrew Daniel, CGA’s Dean for Pastoral Care, said he hoped these awards would inspire other students to participate in extracurricular activities as well. The second category was for CGA’s Student Leaders. Awards for Excellence in Subject and Outstanding in Level highlighted academic achievement.
Crimson Global Academy is an international, global online high school that allows students to accelerate their studies based on their ability rather than age. Learn more here.
